Cold Water

[brumbie]

I hope this doesn't sound too silly but I need advice.

When Mily needs a bath, is it ok to hose her down in the yard with cold water?

She swims in the local river (which must be freezing) but I bath her in warm water!! To be honest, it would be so much easier to hose her down, shampoo, rinse her and then bring her in to dry her.

Any advice gratefully received!

[bracken]

I always bath mine in the shower with warm water but I'm soft 

They love the river too 

Wouldn't like my babies to get cold      I   have been attacked  by my son with the hose it was freezing and painful 

Warm water and conditioner all the way here 

Jo

[CarolineL]

We've recently had a new bathroom fitted and Hurley isn't allowed upstairs 

So now he gets hosed down in the garden, he does whimper a bit but he doesnt cry when he goes swimming in the freezing pond so Im sure he's fine.

[Michele]

Apart from the comfort of the dog, I'm not sure that the shampoo would be as effective with cold water??

I've never had the heart to hose mine down...... softeeeeeeeeeee 

[Nicola]

Mine get a quick rinse with the hose on their legs and bellies after muddy walks and wallowing sessions no matter what time of year it is but generally if they need a full bath I take them into the bathroom and use the shower attachment and warm water although seeing as they break the ice on the reservoir in the winter so they can swim in it I think their hangdog performance when they get hosed outside is a bit of an act    For special events like yesterday's whale rolling session they get shampooed outside, there was no danger they were getting in the house with decomposed whale goo dripping off them   

[Elmo]

For a quick rinse off if they are muddy then cold hose would be fine if its a warm day but if its for the purpose of porper cleaning and getting rid of the grime and dirt and grease then it has to be warm water. I wouldnt wash my own hair with cold water so wouldnt do my dog with it either

[wend]

Mine get hosed down in the garden after walks then straight into their dry bag,  but have a warm bath if they need shampooing.

[Joules]

If I am doing proper shampooing, I use warm water but if it is just a rinse after a walk and the weather is not tooooo cold, I often use the hose.  Coco is not to keen on that though - she has been spoiled with the warm shower   

[Cob-Web]

I hose and shampoo mine outside with cold water - unless it is really cold & windy in the middle of winter.   

Neither of them like it much, and it can't be very comfortable for them; but it doesn't do any harm and is no more distressing for them than the alternative; our home layout and room sizes make taking them upstairs and using the bathroom a logistical nightmare 

[KellyS]

Mine would be horrified

[ali]

barkley has always been washed off outside with cold water. he tolerates it.  i always make sure he can dry off quickly in the warmth indoors afterwards. he swims in far colder water, and then happily pootles about absolutely soaking wet, when he's out on walks.

[Beth]

I think it depends on the dog too.... Jarvis is an "ice breaker" and swims in any weather so i wouldn't hesitate to bath him outside, whereas Rudy  tiptoes around water, and has only swam once, by accident, when he followed a duck into a pond. So i'd probably bath him inside.

(Lucy gets bathed in the sink, 'cos she's a midget. )

[Sharon]

When my girls get that mucky, I filled two watering cans with warm water and wash them off outside, I must be a softee too 

[Karma]

If Honey gets too muddy then it is the hosepipe for her - she is getting used to it.  I did try a tub of warm water, as I felt guilty about the temperature, but she was worse with that, and the water got everywhere - I hate to think what state our house would be in if we tried to bath her!!!!
At least with the hosepipe, it's over quickly, and she gets dried straight off and I always put the fire on so she can snuggle up and get warm quickly!

 

[joanne_v]

I use a cold water on hose on all the daycare dogs. Feel a bit mean as they certainly dont enjoy it but all of them will happily jump into freezing cold water on walks so they obviously dont feel the cold like we do! If I had warm water I'd use it but its not an option and neither is sending them home filthy! My own lot get put in the bath after walks as I dont have a tap outside.