MY FIRST BATH !

I had my first bath today and my hoomans ensured that I had fun. I hear so many of my pupper friends and their families find such a fun activity very tedious. So, I decided to put down all about our baths that you guys need to know. 

WHEN IS THE RIGHT TIME FOR A PUPPY'S BATH? 

My first bath happened after 3 months, i.e, after 12 weeks, after all my vaccinations were done. Before that I only had sponge baths, mainly because there was no real need for it as I was not stepping out of the house as much.

My parents say that they will bathe me once in 2 weeks in summers and bring it down to once a month during winters. My hoomans bathe me on sunny days so I can dry well in the sun and not end up feeling cold and ultimately falling sick.
If puppers like me are bathed too often with a shampoo it is likely to disrupt the natural balance of our skin and fur.  

Under our fur is a little world of friendly bacteria that help us maintain our skin at exactly the right level of acidity. Altering that balance with shampoo may reduce our natural resistance to skin problems and infections. 

Also, our fur has a natural waterproofing which is created by oils from our skin. It helps to keep us keep warm and comfortable when we go swimming or go out in the rain. Excessive baths disrupts this natural working for us. 

WHAT PRODUCTS TO USE?

Never use your shampoo on us. Our skin is less acidic than hooman skin and therefore you need to use special puppy shampoos for us. This will ensure a healthy fur and skin for us. My hoomans used Captain Zack's Puppy shampoo for me. 

HOW TO BATHE ?

Wet us properly with lukewarm water before you apply shampoo, but don’t be surprised if this turns out to be a little difficult. Some of us might not enjoy bathing as much.

Spread a little slick of shampoo down our spine, then with wet hands start to work into our coats. Do each leg in turn and then our tummy and bottom. This is also a great time to check for any ticks or insects as our scalp is relatively easily visible.

Don’t shampoo our faces unless absolutely essential, and keep the shampoo strictly away from the eyes.

Keep adding a little more water to spread it around nicely and then rinse thoroughly with your plastic cup or shower spray. Rinse us thoroughly to ensure that no shampoo remains. This whole process might be easier with two people.
In the whole process please ensure you are not wasting too much water, we also care about our future generations.

WHAT TO DO AFTER A BATH?

After we have been thoroughly rinsed off all shampoo, rub us nicely with a dry and clean towel. Most of us will find this rather fun and exciting, so be prepared for playful nipping and grabbing at the towel.

When you put us down, we will however shake ourselves, this is our natural way of drying ourselves. Make sure that you keep us in a clean and dry place at this time as damp hair will attract more dust. 

You can also dry us using a hairdryer. But some of us might not be comfortable with the sound of it, in which case it is better to avoid using the dryer.

Also, don't go overboard with the use of dryer as excessive use of that might make our fur very dry. While using put it on a low, warm setting and focus the stream of air from the dryer through your hand with your fingers spread out, so you can make sure the temperature isn’t too hot for our skin.
And after we are well dried don't forget to brush our hair.

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER A BATH?

A lot of us want to pee soon after the bath, followed by a crazy playtime. 

While you give us a bath, it is serious work for us too, so don't be surprised if you find us sleeping more and far deeper sleep than our usual.  :)

The most important thing is to make it a fun and enjoyable thing to do and you hoomans can totally do that <3