Amanda from Oregon wrote: "What is the correct water temperature for washing a dog?"

Many groomers tend to bathe dogs with too warm of water.  This can be uncomfortable for the dog and in some cases: dangerous.  If the bath water is too warm, you can overheat the dog.  Adding a hot dryer to this and you could cause a problem especially with large breeds and dogs that are overweight who have a difficult time cooling down.

For water to feel warm to your touch the temperature must be higher than your body temperature which is 98.6.  Water that feels warm is over 100 degrees, much too warm for the dog's bath. 

Water that is between 70 and 80 degree is perfect.  It should feel "room temperature" to you.   Protect the dog from chilling after the bath by wrapping in a towel and using a warm (not hot) dryer.

This tip is for groomers who are not using a bathing system. Those of you who do have a system may also find a nugget of knowledge here.  (We will be discussing bathing systems in a future newsletter.)

The way I was trained to bath a dog was to pre-wet the dog then work in the shampoo a little at a time starting at the head working down toward the tail.  This costs time and can use a lot of shampoo.  Some areas get more shampoo than others and the shampoos can be difficult to rinse out. Soap residue in the coat can cause dandruff, itching and skin problems.

Here's my trick:  Mix a small amount of shampoo to a quart of water in a 1 quart squirt bottle.   Shake to mix and apply directly to the dry coat.  Work the diluted shampoo into the coat with your hands (or a slicker brush for thicker coats.)  When you have covered the entire dog, rinse with clean water. 

Applying shampoo this way eliminates several basic problems. 

You never again wonder whether or not you cleansed the entire dog.  If the area is still dry, it wasn't bathed.
The shampoo spreads evenly throughout the coat.
The shampoo is much easier to rinse out.

This technique also saves you time by eliminating the extra step of pre-wetting the dog and they rinse much quicker. 

An ounce of shampoo to a quart of water is a good starting point although you may want to add more or less depending on the dilution rate of the shampoo.  You definitely want to dilute it 3 or 4 times lighter than the shampoos recommended dilution rate.  (This will not work for medicated shampoos, which may need to be used straight, and flea and tick shampoos that have a definite dilution rate for effectiveness.)  No matter what type of shampoo you use, also keep a diluted tearless shampoo bottle handy for the face. 

Good luck and good grooming.

Peggy