Cocker Specific Discussion > Grooming

Bathing

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Loraine:
I gave Candy a bath today and oh my goodness it was such an ordeal.  I have a baby bath as she has grown out of the basin I was using before and she seemed so distraught and kept trying to climb out and the water went everywhere.

Then when it came to the drying, I tried to use my hair dryer and she was TERRIFIED and jumped off the table.  In the end I just towel dried her but she was damp for ages as her coat is so thick now and holds so much water.

Has anyone got any tips on how I can settle her down as she seems to be getting worse when I thought she'd be getting better.  I am thinking of taking her to the grooming parlour but I'm skint so have to do it myself!!

Is it possible that she's scared of water, she doesn't even like going out when it's raining and tries to go back inside - just a thought.

Thanks in advance.                    

*Jay*:
Vegas was the same when he got his first(and only) shower. My bathroom was sailing and he hates the hairdryer too. You could try associating the bath with nice things - ie maybe put a couple of toys in(obv when there's no water in!) and play with her for a few minutes and then praise her and take her out. You could then gradually build up the time that she stays in the bath. You could also try feeding her in there. Then you can maybe start adding a little bit of water and take it slowly. You won't have to rush the process as they don't need bathed very often so you'll have plenty of time if there are any setbacks. With the hairdryer you could always put it on a low setting in another room and play a game with Candy so that the noise will be very low and again she will soon have a positive association with it. You can then gradually move the hairdryer closer to the room that Candy is playing in and leave it on for a bit longer. The important thing is to take it slowly and build up gradually. It might be a good idea to have someone hold her when you try and blow dry her the next time as she may not like the sensation and they can also give her the treats throughout which might make it a bit more pleasant. I feel like I've rambled so I hope it makes some sense :)                    

Jane S:
Just be careful using treats though - you don't want to reward Candy for being afraid of the bath/drier & this could happen if you give treats throughout the "session". I would tend to only give treats afterwards myself, but that's just what works for me. I have to give a lot of first-time baths to puppies & have found that they get over their nerves more quickly if you just plough on regardless, ignoring any signs of fear. I often sing a jolly song quite loudly too while I am bathing a nervous puppy - it either stuns them into silence or it comforts them, but either way, it seems to work ;D I haven't had a puppy in for grooming that hasn't got over these early fears pretty quickly so it's worth a try if the softly, softly approach doesn't work.                    

Michele:
Hi Loraine,
Gill has covered most things I could think of (thanks Gill ;D)

When you bathed Candy did you wet her head first?
If so when you bath her next leave her head till last and she will not shake as much. Have you ever seen one of those slow motion shots of a dog shaking. It always starts at the head and works its way down the body.
Again, with a lot of puppy things, it pays not to make a big deal of it......you get worked up & then so does the pup :-
I'm sure in time Candy will get to enjoy her bath  :D                    

Pammy:

--- Quote from: Jane S on November 19, 2002, 10:43:30 PM --- I often sing a jolly song quite loudly- it either stuns them into silence or it comforts them,
--- End quote ---

I now have this mental image of Jane singing at the top of her voice and a really puzzled looking Cocker looking up at her with that "look" on its poor little face ;D                    

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