Hey Woofa’s,

Each year when Winter hits I tell myself to stop whinging about it and just take one day at a time.

Winter is cold!

Do you hesitate to bath your dog during the colder weather?

Should your dog be bathed during Winter – ABSOLUTELY!

Should YOU be the one to bath your dog during Winter – that depends!

There are many things to take into consideration when bathing your dog at home, let alone during winter.

SHOULD I BATH MY DOG DURING WINTER?

Ideally we should only be bathing our dogs monthly!

It generally takes 21 days for the natural oils and minerals to come back through our dog’s coat.  If you’re washing that away before it happens it can cause all sorts of issues.

If YOU want to bath your dog at home during winter there are a few things to consider first –

1. Bathing your dog outside in the cold weather – with the hose is not an option during winter!
2. How big your dog is?  Given your dog’s size do you have the right kind of bathing container – laundry sink, own bathtub or shower to bath them in comfortably?
3. Your dog’s coat length!  It’s harder to thoroughly wash and dry a Border Collies or Huskies coat than what it is to dry a Staffy’s coat!
4. Do you have something you can tether them to?  This is so they can’t jump out of said bathing container and hurt themselves or yourself!   Or so they can’t run off during mid bathing.
5. Are you set up to use warm water?  The last thing you want to be doing, especially in Winter is to be bathing your dog in cold water.
6. Have you obtained dog safe shampoo and conditioner?  Using human grade shampoo and conditioner is not a good idea.  It’s imperative to use dog safe shampoo and a conditioner that’s suitable to your dog’s coat.
7. Do you have an area where you can dry them safely and comfortably?  Again, you don’t want your dog running off and shaking all over the house while you’re trying to dry them.
8. Do you have correct equipment to dry your dog with?   Here I’m talking about towels, lots of dog towels, and a dryer.  You’ll need to dry your dog thoroughly in winter, leaving them wet is not a good idea.
9. Most importantly – do you have the patience to bath your dog yourself at home?

Some people are quite capable of bathing their dogs at home and that’s fine.

This is just a bit of a check list to see if you want to do so.

WHAT DO I DO IF I DON’T WANT TO BATH MY DOG MYSELF DURING WINTER?

That’s fine if you don’t want to bath your dog yourself during winter.

I have customers that only come to me during winter because they aren’t able to wash them in warm water and dry them thoroughly.

They recognise the need for it to be done by a groomer.

YES that’s my answer if you don’t want to do it yourself, find yourself a trusted Dog Groomer.

If you don’t already have a trusted Dog Groomer, ask around.

Ask who your friends, family or other dog owners in your area use.  Ask about their experiences with said Groomer/Grooming Salon and how the Groomers relate to their dog.

WHY SHOULD I USE A DOG GROOMER?

I’m not here to toot my own horn, just to point out the benefits of using a trusted Dog Groomer.

1. You don’t have to do it yourself;
2. no stress for you;
3. no mess for you to clean up at home;
4. the groomer will brush your dog before and after the groom;
5. dog groomers have the proper equipment to groom dogs;
6. dog groomers have dog safe shampoos, conditioners, colognes etc for dogs;
7. most dog groomers have been trained to groom dogs;
8. most dog groomers have patience while grooming dogs;
9. you can choose whether you want a groomer that comes to your home or to take them to a grooming salon;
10. if you choose the right groomer your dog will build a bond with them.
11. yes you’ll have to pay your groomer but it’s worth it : )

Not many dogs love the whole grooming process but they will put up with it – especially if there’s play time or treats at the end of it.

It’s important that bathing your dog goes as smoothly as possible so there’s no stress to you or your dog.

WHAT DOES ALL THIS MEAN?

Your dog still needs to be bathed each month during winter.

If you do it yourself there are some things to take into consideration before you do so in order to take the stress out of it for you and your dog.

However, if you choose not to do it yourself and have a groomer do it for you, make sure you take time to do some research.  You want to find the right Groomer for your dog!

Writing this reminds me, Billy is due for his bath soon!!!!

IN THE COMMENTS BELOW – BILLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW – WHETHER YOU HAVE A GROOMER OR IF YOU BATH YOUR DOG YOURSELF?