Bathing and Drying: General Considerations
Your choice of bath depends on whether you are grooming commercially or just
trimming your own dog at home. For salon purposes, baths specifically made for
the professional groomer (Fig. 6.1) are available, some of which recycle the water.
Alternatively, a human bath or a catering sink can be used. Whatever bath you
choose, ensure that the height is set correctly for you to bath large or small dogs.
For grooming at home, obviously the choice is yours whether you wish to
bath the dog in your own bath or sink, or if you wish to buy one specifically for the
purpose. However, remember to ensure that the bath has a non-slip bottom for
the dog’s protection.
Shampoos and conditioners
There are five main types of shampoo:
• Cleansing: These contain a strong substance that acts against grease and dirt.
• Mild: These remove grease and dirt, leaving in some of the natural oils.
• Medicated: These contain mild anti-bacterial products that act on the skin.
• Veterinary: These are prescribed by vets for particular skin conditions.
• Insecticidal: These kill parasites.
Although many different types of shampoo are available for all the different
coat types and colours, they will all fit into one of the above mentioned categories.
A shampoo should be used according to the manufacturer’s instructions, but it is
generally diluted. Occasionally you may have dogs that are very greasy or particularly
dirty and here a tiny amount of washing-up liquid or undiluted shampoo
can be helpful. Use washing-up liquid only as a last resort as the coat will be
stripped of its natural oils.
Again several makes of conditioner are available. Trial and usage or recommendation
is the only way to discover what suits a dog’s coat. Do not over-use
conditioner and ensure it is rinsed out thoroughly, otherwise the coat will be left
greasy.
Bathing procedure
Most dogs are happy to be bathed as long as it is done with care. There are some
that react badly to the shower so do not keep the pressure too high. Bathing can be
done as often as you like provided a good-quality shampoo is used to replenish
the natural oils. As mentioned previously, bathing of wire coats is not recommended;
other methods of cleaning the coat are discussed in Chapter 11 (Breed
profiles). When bathing a dog always work to a routine to ensure that the job is
done thoroughly.
• Check the water temperature on the inside of your wrist to make sure it is at the
body temperature.
• Prepare the shampoo.
• Place the dog in the bath (ensure safety by using a rubber mat in the bottom of
the bath and a bath fastener).
• Wet the dog thoroughly, keeping the shower head close to the body, starting
behind the shoulders and working back over the body, down the legs and tail
and then finally the head. This method will help with dogs that are nervous
because you are not alarming them by going straight around the eyes and ears.
Work the water through the coat to ensure total saturation; this is particularly
important for heavy, thick coats. Take care not to let the water go into the ears or
nose. It is possible for a small dog or short-nosed dog to drown by water entering
the nasal passages and going into the lungs. Water in the ear canal can cause
irritation.
• Check and empty the anal glands if necessary (see Chapter 3).
• Apply shampoo again in the same way as described above.
• Rinse thoroughly, ensuring that the coat ‘squeaks’ as you push the water
through (see Fig. 6.6). The squeaking sound means that all the suds are
removed and this is vitally important as a residue can result in a dull, lifeless
coat and possibly skin irritation.
• Apply conditioner to the coat if appropriate (see Chapter 9 for shampooing and
conditioning for different coat types).
• Rinse thoroughly.
• Squeeze the excess water from the coat with your hands or use a moisture
absorbent cloth.
• Towel dry the dog.
Drying
There are various pieces of equipment for drying dogs depending on whether
you are grooming your own pet or grooming commercially. Drying is done to:
• Dry the coat thoroughly
• Remove any knots or tangles
• Remove the dead undercoat
During drying, always keep your eyes open for lumps or bumps on the skin,
any rashes or differences in coat texture. These basic signs could indicate an
underlying problem – so here you can be an early warning system for the vet.
Equipment for drying
• Moisture absorbent cloths
• Towels
• High velocity dryer (blasters)
• Hand-held dryer
• Stand dryers
• Cage dryer
• Cabinet dryer
Towel drying
Towels or moisture absorbent cloths will remove excess water from the coat. The
advantage of moisture absorbent cloths is that they can be wrung out and used
again whereas towels hold the water. The usual commercial practice is to squeeze
the excess water out of the coat with moisture absorbent cloth first and then towel
dry. For most breeds further drying will be required; however, some smooth
coats can be completely dried this way (see Chapter 9).
When using these items, ensure that you are firm with your actions but do not
over-rub the coat as this may cause long coats to tangle. Once this stage is complete
you should not be able to squeeze water from the coat.
Other methods of drying
High velocity dryers (blasters; Fig. 6.7)
This piece of equipment is a must in a busy commercial salon as the drying time
can be reduced dramatically. The power from the machine ‘blasts’ the excess
water and dead undercoat from the dog and separates the coat. However, some
dogs may not like the sound or force of the blaster and if they object they should
not be forced as this could genuinely frighten them. There are specific uses for different
coat types that will be discussed in Chapter 9. Ideally, the groomer should
wear goggles or face mask while using this equipment as loose hair and dead skin
scales can cause eye irritation and inhalation of hair can lead to chest problems.
However, this will only occur after very many uses!
The blaster should be used cautiously with a dog that has not met this equipment
before. Introduce the machine at the lowest setting and always from the
back end of the dog. Keep the nozzle close to the skin. If the dog is comfortable
with this, gradually move up the body leaving the head until last. If the dog again
is comfortable, increase the power setting but if it is not happy then go back to the
low setting. Always use the blaster in an up-and-down or side-to-side motion and
never in circles. If the blaster is used in the correct way it will divide and separate
the coat and not tangle it (Fig. 6.8). Continue working the coat until it is separated
and water does not blow from it (Fig. 6.9). If the dog is accepting the blaster all
over the body, you can try to blast very carefully around the head; cover the dog’s
eyes with your hands and gently hold each ear as you blast it, keeping the ear
canal covered.
Hand-held dryers (Fig. 6.10)
These dryers are best known as ‘human’ dryers. They can be a useful extra dryer
in a professional salon for drying small damp areas or difficult-to-reach areas
on large dogs, e.g. armpits. If grooming at home, the hand-held dryer has the
advantage for the pet owner of being economical to buy, but they are difficult to
use as the dog cannot be brushed at the same time. Special holding arms can be
purchased for this purpose, but this is definitely not the easiest or quickest way to
dry your dog!
Stand dryers (Fig. 6.11)
These are most commonly used in the commercial salon and, as the name
suggests, they comprise a dryer on a stand. Usually they have powerful motors
with variable heat and speed settings, and their height is adjustable. The major
advantage of these dryers is that your hands are free to use the brush at the same
time as drying, which is vital for certain breeds such as Poodles (Ut-Wo) or Bichon
Frise (To-Wo). Specific uses of stand dryers are covered in Chapter 9.
Cage and cabinet dryers (Fig. 6.12)
With these two drying methods the principle is the same – the dog is enclosed in a
secure area with warm air circulating around it. A cage dryer is usually attached
to a normal metal dog crate. A cabinet dryer is a specifically designed unit with a
fan circulating air and a temperature gauge to ensure the safety and comfort of the
dog. Both methods should be monitored closely as a dog could get over-heated
if left for too long at a time in the dryer. However, most elderly dogs and many
cats enjoy the comfort of a sleep in the warm surroundings and quite often it
is difficult to get them out! In a salon situation, the cabinet dryer is best used in
conjunction with a high velocity dryer to minimise drying time.
CATS
Before bathing a cat, try to use a hair dryer on it first as some cats will not tolerate
either the force or the noise of the dryer and you will end up with a soggy cat.
For bathing a cat, select an appropriate cat shampoo as not all shampoos are
suitable for them due to the sensitivity of their skin. It is important to have all your
equipment at hand before you begin as you cannot fasten a cat in the bath.
• Hold the cat by the scruff of the neck and if it wants to, let it rest its front feet on
the edge of the bath.
• Rinse the coat, keeping the shower hose close to the skin, ensuring that the
water is warm. It is important that the water is not cold as cats cannot tolerate
cold water. Do not wet the cat’s head because if water enters the ears of a cat it
can cause serious problems.
• Start shampooing from the neck, down the body, to the tail. Pay particular
attention to the base of the tail, as this area can be very greasy. Shampoo the
legs, remembering to wash the feet (Fig. 6.13). Rinse thoroughly. Wipe around
each ear and each eye using four separate pieces of damp cotton wool.
• Squeeze the excess water from the coat with a moisture absorbent cloth
(Figs 6.14 and 6.15). Some cats will tolerate the blaster, which can be used after
placing the cat in a basket or on a towel (Fig. 6.16). Then towel dry thoroughly
(Fig. 6.17).
