Giving your pet a bath can be one of the easiest or one of the hardest parts of grooming. If your pet is cooperative it can make bathing an enjoyable experience for both of you. The easiest way to get your pet to enjoy being bathed is to start early. If your pet is calm during the process, reward him with a treat. Don’t forget to talk to him to help keep him calm too.

The first thing you want to do is get your bathing area set up. For a small animal, this could be in the kitchen sink, for a larger animal the bathtub will work. Once you decide where you want to bath your pet, you’re ready to gather up your materials.

To bathe your pet, you will need:

• Your pet’s brush or comb
• A pet shampoo, such as Pearls Au Lait Milk Bath Shampoo
• Cotton balls for your pet’s ears
• A spray nozzle or a plastic pitcher
• A non-slip mat
• A drain screen, to keep any hair from going down the drain
• 3 or 4 big fluffy towels
• A washcloth
• A blow dryer if your pet will let you use one
• Treats

Once you have your materials in your bathing area and have them all properly positioned, you’re ready to prepare your pet for bathing. The first thing that you will do is brush out your pet. You want to be sure to remove any tangles or mats before bathing, as they can become worse with the addition of water. Once your pet is brushed out, it’s time to add him to the bathtub or sink.

Place your pet in the bathtub or sink on the non-slip mat. Gently place the cotton balls in your pet’s ears. Do not force them into the ear canal, as they are just to keep any water out.

Turn on the water and allow it to come to temperature. Remember your pet’s body temperature is warmer than yours, so water that feels good to you will feel a little cooler to him. Don’t make it too hot, if you are unsure of the water temperature; check it with the inside of your wrist.

Wet your pet from the neck back to his tail. You will wash your pet’s head last, so keep it dry for now. Once your pet is good and wet, you can get out the shampoo. Using a small amount of shampoo, start soaping at your pet’s neck and work your way back. Don’t forget those hard-to-reach areas, such as the belly, armpits and between the toes. Finish with the tail.

Rinse your pet completely with warm water. Be sure to get all of the soap out as it can cause skin irritation if left on your pet. If your pet has longer or dense hair, you will want to re-soap and rinse again.

Once your pet’s body is clean and completely rinsed, you can move on to his head. Using a washcloth carefully wash your pets face, making sure to keep soap away from his eyes. Rinse his face and entire body one more time. Double check to make sure that you have gotten all of the soap off.

Remove the cotton balls from your pet’s ears. At this point, your dog will be ready for a good shake and your cat will probably be ready to bolt for the door. Dry your pet with a towel. For shorthaired pets, you can rub them dry, but for a pet with longer hair you will want to pat dry as rubbing can cause tangles.

Dry your pet as best you can with the towels. Then if your pet will allow it, you can use a blow dryer to finishing drying. If not allow your pet into a warm room until his coat dries completely.

Once your pet is completely dry, you can brush him out with a FURminator tool, which will remove any loose hair and help control shedding.