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Even dogs who feel that a bath is cruel and unusual punishment have to get one once in a while. While some dogs with short coats can get away with just water, most dogs need shampoo.
Why do dogs need their own kind of shampoo? Manufacturers say their products are gentle enough to prevent the natural oils in a dog’s coat from being stripped, but strong enough to get out the dirt.
And here’s an item that may not make you feel very good about your own beauty regimen: Some of the shampoos designed for human hair may irritate your dog’s skin because they can contain harsher detergents. So use shampoos labeled specifically for dogs, or a gentle human shampoo
Medicated shampoos can help you deal with certain problems–like helping keep away fleas, ease itching, and heal mange. It’s much harder to use, though, for the simple fact that in order to be at all effective it has to remain on your dog for 10 minutes before rinsing.
That’s 10 solid minutes on a soaking wet, icky-smelling, annoyed canine who thinks 30 seconds is a long time–so cover the bathroom floor with plenty of towels before you begin the process.