[nagdu] Stinky doggie!

[Debby Phillips]

Well, I started out standing outside the bathtub using pitchers 
of water.  Now, I just get in the shower and use the showerhead 
hose to get water on my dog.  Then I use a good dog shampoo, 
(don't use people shampoo because our shampoo is harsher and 
could hurt their skin.  I usually start at the head, and work 
down.  You just need to do a lot of scrubbing, like when you wash 
your own hair.  Then, and this is VERY important, it is 
absolutely essential that you get every bit of the shampoo out of 
your dog's coat and skin.  If not, you could end up with a dog 
with sores.  Then make sure that you have plenty of towels and 
try to get Jenny as dry as you can.  She will probably shake all 
over once she's out of the tub.  The other thing to watch for is 
that she may run all over the house.  Try to bathe her right 
after she has parked so she won't have to go outside for several 
hours, unless you are going to use a blow dryer to dry her.  I 
don't like doing that, because I've never met a dog yet that 
liked those.  Be prepared also for some back pain.  And a big 
mess in the bathroom.

You might check around your neighborhood to see if there are any 
Dog Wash places.  I have done that, for about half the price of a 
groomer.  They have tables, so that you're standing up, not 
bending over to wash your dog.  They also usually have towels, 
and some have shampoo.  And the best thing is, they clean up the 
mess after you leave.  I liked that because I didn't have a sore 
back, and they got rid of all the hair, dirty water and washed 
the dirty towels.

Once Jenny is dry, brush and comb her and she should be good.  
There are also dog wipes that you can get that you can kind of 
wipe over your dog whenever things get a little smelly.  There 
are also deodorizing sprays, but I don't really like those so 
much, but the wipes seem okay.  Hope this helps.    Peace,    
Debby and Neena