PUPPY BATH & GROOMING

Puppies! Perhaps very few can resist cuddling, petting, and playing with a puppy. Loving, gentle, funny, and adorably mischievous, they can lift the heaviest mood with only a sketch. Like all the babies of this world, they need care and positive training to grow up in good health, physically and mentally, and to accompany us with their outstanding personalities as companions and friends.
So, in the context of care comes the question: Do puppies need bathing and grooming?
The answer is yes. Depending on the breed, coat type, health status, and daily life, puppies from a few weeks old and onwards need bathing and grooming adapted in frequency and complexity. The essential factor here is that puppies should be trained and familiarized with bathing and grooming as early as possible and connect this routine with positive emotions and rewards.

Essential tips for puppy grooming.

When do we start grooming the puppy?

We advise starting bathing a puppy after the age of 8 weeks. This is because we need to avoid bathing the puppy before it completes its vaccination regime. Additionally, puppies should be with their mother and siblings at least until 8 (eight) weeks of age for their proper development, mainly their appropriate discipline and socialization. The mother makes sure to maintain their good hygiene, and she makes sure to discipline their puppyish behavior and teach them how to be a sociable and well-balanced puppy.
So - either with the mother or alone, if we are the guardian of a puppy, we should be aware that they still cannot regulate their body temperature on their own in these first weeks. Their skin is also still susceptible, so a bath, especially during the winter months, can cause a significant loss of temperature, which they cannot easily recover from afterward. This can lead to health problems for the puppy or associating the routine with stress and this becomes a traumatic experience for them.
If the puppy gets dirty and needs cleaning when under 8 weeks old, we can clean it with a dry-cleaning product such as Top Dog Dry Cleaning Shampoo by using a soft cloth.

Ectoparasites in a puppy.

In case a puppy is infected with ectoparasites (fleas, ticks, mites), the veterinarian is the one who will guide us to the suitable protocol with the appropriate medication for the immediate treatment of this severe problem. In any case, a bath cannot eliminate the ectoparasites, and in most cases, we should not wet the dog (puppy or adult) during the treatment.

Familiarization with the grooming routine.

So, it's a good practice to start our puppy’s bath after eight weeks of age, but that does not mean we cannot prepare our puppy for the bath and grooming routine before that. It is essential to start introducing our puppy to the grooming routine like brushing and keeping calm during the grooming process early on, as what a puppy learns within the first few months of their lives stays with them forever.
If possible, it would be a good idea to have at least the first few baths at a professional groomer’s salon so that the young pup will be smoothly introduced to the routine.
- We can help the puppy become familiar with the human contact on their coat, body, feet, face, and ears with tender play and gently petting them.
-We encourage the puppy to enter our bathroom by playing with them and showing them that they are in a safe and pleasant place. We let the tap water (in the kitchen or bathroom) run for a while to familiarize them with the sound of the water but do not splash or wet the puppy playing as this can scare them.
-Using the brush and comb on a puppy is very important also to familiarize them with being brushed all over their body. This creates a bond between you both and keeps the puppy’s coat healthy, clean and shiny.
Teaching puppies how to have their face and feet touched is extremely important for the grooming process and also invaluable in the future for veterinary visits.

Puppy grooming.

Before starting the puppy’s grooming routine, it is essential to know the basics about the hair and skin of dogs and, by extension, puppies.

Useful information about the coat and skin of dogs.

Initially, it is essential to know why we should use special dog shampoos and grooming products and never products designed for humans.
Unlike human skin, whose pH ranges from 4.8 to 5.8, the pH level on the outer skin of dogs ranges from 6.8 (e.g., Maltese) to 8.0 (e.g., Labrador) with an average pH of 7.5. This varies depending on gender, race, part of the body, diet, hormones, and any existing skin condition.
However, the significant differentiation from human skin is not the pH per se but the fact that dog skin is much thinner than human skin. Dogs don't have the so-called acid mantle. The acid mantle surrounds the human skin externally and protects it from the formation of fungi, yeasts, and bacteria, making it more resistant to infestation. Our skin is directly exposed to environmental factors without any impact, while in dogs, the whole body is covered by hair, and virtually all skin is protected by it. Therefore, the paramount need to maintain the skin barrier on dogs’ skin should be considered.
Human shampoos and cheap skincare pet products are designed for frequent washing, producing very rich foam. They have a more powerful irritating profile, usually containing sodium sulfates (SLS, ASLS). They offer excessive cleansing to the extent that this becomes irritating for the skin. These products are pretty economical, and as a result, their purchase is more tempting. Their pH can range from 5.0 (cream soaps or shower gel) to 6.5 (so-called baby shampoo for human use).
Although the pH of human shampoos is slightly more acidic than the pH of dogs' shampoos, what makes their use a deterrent is the very strong irritating profile of the cleaners used, as well as the fact that baby shampoos that are usually recommended are not explicitly designed to cater the dog’s hair and skin needs that is an essential and they lack those ingredients that will make sure our pets’ skin barrier works appropriately.
The use of human shampoos on dogs' skin can lead to disruption of the sensitive, thin skin barrier as early as the first use, resulting in the exposure of the skin to harmful bacteria, fungi, or yeasts immediately after bathing. This leads to long-term skin sensitization to these substances. At the same time, the cleansers are so powerful that they altogether remove the thin, oily substrate secreted by the hair, leading to faster and more sebum formation thus more intense odors. The above creates a vicious circle of problems that unfortunately extend to the future.
Therefore, what distinguishes a suitable dog shampoo from inexpensive grooming products and human shampoos is primarily the zeroing of the irritant profile, the ability of the shampoo to clean thoroughly and eliminate odors, and at the same time maintain proper hydration and keep the skin and hair moisturized.
Furthermore, we should differentiate dog shampoos based on the type of coat and desirable results (different types of shampoo for hard coats, long and silky, short, double, atopic and irritable skin, unpleasant odors, volume boost). The last parameter is the pH which is simply a comparison number of the acidic and alkaline profile of a system and not an indication of how irritating a product is. For example, honey has an average pH of 3.5, while lemon has an average of 2.5, but although they are very acidic, they are not irritants. In contrast, the cleansing raw material SLS (Sodium Lauryl Sulfate) has a pH of 7.2 and can cause severe irritations.
Top Dog Shampoos are designed in the pH range of 6.8 (Keratin Complex) to 8.0 (Whitening Shampoo) with an average pH of 7.2. They are highly concentrated and contain a high proportion of very mild, high quality, and hypoallergenic raw materials having zero irritating profile.
Top Dog shampoos have a high content in natural raw materials that ranges from 88% to 96%, while they do not contain SLS and ASLES. They provide excellent textures based on the need of each hair type. They can be safely used often, while some products such as Green Clay and Derma Equilibrium that are focused on specific skin needs are suitable even for everyday use.
So, we understand how important it is to use grooming products suitable for dogs on the even more sensitive skin and hair of puppies.

It's time for our puppy’s first bath

How often do I bathe my puppy?

Unlike brushing, young puppies do not need to be bathed very often. From ages 8 weeks to 6 months usually, every 4-6 weeks is enough. Depending on your puppy’s coat type and activity, they may require bathing and grooming more often. This is why brushing at home is paramount to keep your puppy’s coat knot and dirt free.

How I bathe my puppy. Basic tips

Once we have made sure we have trained the puppy for the process, we can attempt his first bath.
Remember to:

• Make the bathing process positive and give your puppy confidence.
• Give lots of praise and reward for being a good puppy. Ignore any negative behavior but do not scold them as this can put a negative view on the bath.
• Get the right accessories and tools in advance (brushes, towels, hairdryer)
• Ensure the room is warm and not take the puppy out after bathing for at least 6 hours in winter and 4 hours in summer.
• The procedure itself does not differ from that of bathing an adult dog, having made sure that we have a shampoo suitable for puppies, such as Top Dog Baby Powder, and adjusting the duration by making it as short as possible not to stress the puppy.
• Rinse the coat very well, making sure not to leave shampoo residues and, of course, dry very well, not leaving moisture on the skin and coat.

Bathing and grooming for all dogs are essential. It not only keeps them healthy, but it also keeps our homes that we are sharing with them hygienic. Setting a puppy up in life with positive, early-on experiences will make for a well-balanced, happy dog in the future.

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