Getting your dog ready
The first thing you need to do is ‘be prepared!’ So have plenty of treats and a lickie mat primed and at the ready. Have towels, shampoo you would use on the dog and anything else that you think you would use in the bathroom for your dog’s bath/shower.
You are NOT going to be using any of these things yet as you will NOT be using any water yet. But it is important that you dog becomes accustomed to the smell and sights of these products and does not react unfavourably to them.
Steps to make your dog comfortable with water
- Encourage your dog into the bathroom using food and/or toys.
- Have the shower cubicle door open and make sure that it is left open, even when your dog is in there. It is important that your dog knows that it can make the choice to come out if and when he has had enough. (remember that we are not using water just now)
- Have the lickie mat primed and on the wall of the shower cubicle at the right height for your dog to be able to access it easily.
- Toss some treats on the bathroom floor and have your dog happy about being in the bathroom.
- Making sure there is rubber matting in the shower tray so that the dog does not slip, toss some treats into the shower tray.
- Once your dog is happily going into the shower tray and is accessing the lickie mat you can open the bottle of shampoo and allow the dog to sniff at it. Any attention your dog pays to that bottle of shampoo should be rewarded.
- Take the showerhead and lay it on the shower tray but DO NOT TURN IT ON! Scatter treats all over the shower tray and allow your dog to eat these. Recharge the lickie mat if required.
- Have a small jug with hand warm water in and gently pour a little onto the floor of the shower tray, making sure that a small amount can touch your dog’s feet. Feed treats.
- Try gently drizzling a little water up your dogs legs. Feed treats.
- Try gently drizzling a little water over your dog’s back end and tail area. Feed treats.
- Eventually working your way up to wetting your dog all over with the exception of his head, with water from your jug BEFORE thinking about turning on the shower. Most dogs don’t like having their head wet or having water running down their faces, so this would be the very last place to wet – having made sure that your dog is 100% about being showered everywhere else first!
- Once your dog is totally happy being wetted from the jug, you can turn the shower on but very slowly. We only want a trickle coming out. Feed treats.
- Slowly build up the pressure that you have the shower on. Feed treats.
You can see how slowly and carefully you need to introduce the whole shower/bath experience to a dog. Your dog must be absolutely happy and showing no signs of fear, anxiety or stress (FAS) before moving onto each step.
Meet Mary – our certified behaviourist
Our dog behaviour service is led by Mary Howat, who many of you may recognise from our Blairgowrie team!
Mary started working with Thrums in 2003, and has progressed to qualify as a certified animal behaviourist and certified Elite Fear Free professional. She also runs her own dog behaviour and training consultancy, K9INTUITION, taking veterinary referrals, behaviour consultations, one to one sessions with puppies and their owners and also providing advice for clients on choosing a puppy and before they have brought their puppy home.
She shares her life and home with her husband and their Labrador, Murdo and cat, Harray.
Call our Kirriemuir team today to book an appointment on 01575 572 643.