How To Give A Rescue Dog A Bath: Setting Yourself Up For Success

Your new foster pup or newly adopted dog smells awful and you need to give him or her a bath stat! For dogs that have never had a bath before or maybe didn't have a good bathing experience prior, bath time might be a stressor. Given that they are already under some stress from their environmental change, (even happy and excited - there's still associated stress with changing up their environment and their people), you want to start this experience off as right as you can to make it positive for your new dog!
I pulled this adorable little pit bull mix from Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Care and Control and as much as I really wanted to let her get settled in for a few days before tossing her in the tub, she smelled something fierce and that just wasn't a good option for all of the close-quarter cuddling she kept wanting me to engage in with her.
So to make bath time more enjoyable for her given that i had no idea if she'd ever even had a bath before, I tool it slow and had a few tools to help me try and make it a pleasant experience for her.
Preparation is key. If the dog you are bathing gets nervous or tries to jump out while you are in the middle of bathing, the last thing you want to do is be fumbling for positive reinforcers or supplies. Here's my list of what to have ready with a few extra items you might want to consider:
1. Gentle shampoo. It's generally best to start with something without perfumes or dyes so as not to agitate the skin or irritate the eyes. You can grab a bottle of the Burt's Bees Oatmeal Shampoo I used on Amazon here: amzn.to/3buFJMR
2. Towel and Washcloth - this seems obvious but how many times have you jumped in the shower and forgot to make sure you had a clean towel waiting on the rack? If it's a big dog, grab a couple as the paws can soak up a lot form them standing in the tub. The washcloth is for their face - I prefer baby washcloths to carefully clean around their eyes and nose.
3. Shower attachment or cup. If you have a hand-held shower attachment, pull it down prior to turning it on. If you don't, you can order something like the Aquapaw that I use in the video that attaches to your shower head. The Aquapaw is more quiet than a typical shower head and the water comes out in a slow controlled manner that is less likely to startle your dog. You can grab the Aquapaw I use to wash my dogs here: amzn.to/2SAdJ1O
4. Positive reinforcement - bath time should be a good time for your new dog! We give kids toys to play with because the toys make it fun. Have a kong like I do in the video with some (xylitol free) peanut butter for your pup to lick while getting a soapy massage, or, you can get a slow treater that attaches to the wall that they can lick while you are bathing them. Here's a great example of a slow treater for the bath: amzn.to/2OL7JSU
Don't go overboard with the first bath. What I mean by this is you want to keep it short and sweet to just get the majority of the dirt and smell off. Keeping it short and positive will make bath time more likely to be enjoyable for your new pup the next time you go to bathe him or her.
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[@isaacdarga1154]

Good vid!

[@sparkle9482]

You Are Soooo Gentle with her and God Bless you for helping rescue animals🙏❤

[@shonellebode6619]

If you are using the cup method, a small bucket can be useful. I fill the bucket, and then pour it into the cup, so I don't have to keep worrying about temperature, and you don't have the noise of the faucet starting and stopping.

[@SaraOndrako]

Great suggestion!

[@PR-td2iu]

Thank you. This is a good idea.

[@plushpossum]

You're so good with her!!!! No trauma, no drama. Great video!

[@ACasualCustomer]

She's so calm!

[@SaraOndrako]

She does great with baths! You should see her out in the yard though - she's a ball of happy energy 😊🔋

[@KM-px8cs]

Great video, and finally someone who cleans the face of their dog!

[@JHofer1416]

This is so helpful, thank you! I pick up a 5 month old rescue this weekend, and the shelter recommended bathing right away. I’m nervous about bathing day one, but I hope she is as calm as yours in the video.

[@SaraOndrako]

Glad it was helpful!

[@chrismults1500]

What a beautiful girl. She is lovely & so calm. Great video!!

[@SaraOndrako]

Thank you! She was an amazing rescue that has a wonderful and loving home now 🥰

[@buzzedbrain]

She is so tranquil!

[@SaraOndrako]

She ended up having such a wonderful personality and found a fantastic home!

[@superbmediacontentcreator]

She is such a sweet and calm dog...

[@annad6519]

This is such a soothing video. The pup looks absolutely comfortable. I am so grateful for this demonsration and the explanations throughout.

[@SaraOndrako]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it.

[@ksenijarohrkamp5064]

Thanks a lot for the video. Picking up a rescue tomorrow who lived 5 years outside in a shelter. So he will definitely need a wash.

[@AlexiHolford]

Five years! 😫 Thank you for adopting him! I hope it has all worked out well.

[@jordanwhite5470]

One suggestion that I think should be added, especially for anxious dogs ---- be sure they go potty first !! You will be less likely to have an unexpected mess in the tub.

[@patticakes0071562]

omgosh what a sweetheart-mellow-should be really adoptable-I have a 85lb 2 year old...last time I bathed him at a pet store-he...poo'ed like 5 times...Charlie was also adopted from teh local animal shelter. going to try this with treats-my problem is he is waaaay to big for me to pick up and put in the bath tub-though I've caught him in it before...hmmmLOVE YOU VIDEOS thank You!!

[@ficlark3496]

She’s a little angel 😩😩😭😭😭😭

[@gabyarzola8060]

I am going to get my rescue. And this was very helpful. Thanks for sharing

[@SaraOndrako]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you for adopting!

[@slane_design]

She's really sweet. congrats! And thanks for sharing

[@hannahsstressed8101]

this makes me feel so much calmer about taking care of my water-scared, precious boy. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INFO BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY TAKING A RESCUED DOG AND NOT BUYING OFF A BREDDER🥺❤👏❤💖❤👏❤💖❤👏

[@morningrose4502]

She is so cute ❤

[@ljjackson7106]

We all want you to give us a bath now.....AWESOME JOB!!!!

[@SaraOndrako]

🤣 thanks!

[@lindagallagher3711]

Aweee she's gorgeous thank you for rescuing her great video

[@ClintonSiegel]

Such a beautiful show dog! You are so kind! Thank you!

[@ThankYouUniverse11-11]

Such a cute dog! Sooo Lovely ... very helpfull video... Thank you soo much

[@annad6519]

Thank you ❤

[@SaraOndrako]

You're welcome 😊

[@emgkarp2175]

She’s precious 😍 very useful video .. just washed our baby Titan .🤩

[@stevieray7203]

Sweet baby!🧡

[@SaraOndrako]

She really is!!

[@Juliet0301]

Oh my God, she was such a good girl, I'm in awe of her patience.

[@SaraOndrako]

She really was such a great sport about it all!

[@vestaalvesta786]

Have had a rescue for a werk now and terrified of bathing her. She stinks too....going to try it this weekend. Thank you do much!

[@PR-td2iu]

Hi. I have a question, buy first thank you very much for this video. It’s only one of two “reality-based” dog bathing at home videos I have found. I.e., getting the job done with the things you have at hand-in the bathtub. My question is about the lead you have hooked to something around your waist. Is it just a leash with a belt…? This seems like a good method but not sure what you’re using. Thank you!

[@bardan71]

This is exactly what I needed! Thank you!!!

[@SaraOndrako]

You're so welcome!

[@bardan71]

@@SaraOndrako I used your tips last night with my new rescue and I was so happy that it was a fun experience for him. Thanks again!! 🙏🏼

[@SaraOndrako]

Congrats on the new pup! Thank you for rescuing! 😊

[@amberhunt2127]

I love all your videos so far! you are so real!

[@SaraOndrako]

Thank you so much Amber! Glad you are here!

[@mellydevent7187]

Great video, this is so helpful. Thank you.

[@SaraOndrako]

You are so welcome! I'm glad it was helpful.

[@daskannweg9994]

What a good girl!!! Thanks for the instructions!!!

[@kellezok]

Thank you so much 🥰

[@SaraOndrako]

You’re so very welcome 😊

[@normaperez2990]

Good video, but how do you get a large, heavy dog into the tub? He’s not food driven, and I adopted him recently. He runs away when he knows I’m going to try to bathe him. Thanks!

[@dianeabernathy2083]

Helpful video. We are new to having a fur baby and had concerns about the dog hair going down the drain and the shake off getting all over everything....but I guess that's part of it! I'm hoping I can channel your calmness when we do this today.

[@gailinprocess]

Excellent vid. I would love a vid with larger dog 🐕 such as a Malinois

[@Kyng88]

great video. i will say you should always clean a dogs head first to force any fleas backwards towards tail area

[@SaraOndrako]

Excellent point for a rescue dog!

[@ASMRCountingSheep]

Super helpful, thank you!

[@PeachPie9]

Sara, thank you! ⭐ Also thanks for omitting "Hey guys" at the beginning. 😜 I use a rubber bathmat or thick towel layer on the bottom of the tub to prevent it from feeling slippery underfoot. 🐕 A little less scary for him. Also partially close the shower curtain to contain some of the spray when he inevitably shakes himself. 🔄

[@PeachPie9]

​@@RaindropsOnLichen Grow up.

[@milenarodriguez1353]

Hi. What a nice puppy. I just have one question, how did you connect that hose to the shower? Thanks

[@polimana]

great video!! I'm adopting a new rescue boy tonight! I'm curious though, can you talk about what operation sidekick is??

[@nfarv78]

thank you for sharing this video. What steps should I take if my rescue dog won't let me touch her back and tail? Should I just give her more time before attempting to give her a shower?

[@kaganatkins3296]

Can you show us with a dog that doesn’t want to be bathed. My new puppy will lose it’s mind!! if you do any of these things. Anybody can bath a nice dog like this.

[@SaraOndrako]

Hi Kagan - I didn't know she was going to be a nice dog - we did this video on the fly and my idea was to help viewers adjust based on how this went with this dog at that time while offering some general advice. I'm happy to make a video with a more difficult dog - just need to get my hands on one :)

[@margarettaft7362]

Very very true. This dog is so complaint and serene I suspect she’s been bathed in that bathroom many times before. Also, she’s a short hair white dog and looked very clean. Before she was bathed

[@SaraOndrako]

@@margarettaft7362 - incorrect - she had never even been in that bathroom prior to shooting the video, let alone in that bathtub. She also was filthy coming straight from the shelter environment despite it appearing to you that she "looked" clean.

[@samanthas8340]

Rescues are are decompressing day one in a new enviornment - they are just being downloaded with stimuli and can even be in a sort of shock which might explain her behavior and why she was so compliant. My rescue was on his best behavior for weeks before his true personality started to come out and he was comfortable breaking rules and showing me his true dislikes (one of which I've learned is bath time 🤣😮).

[@Jackson833Yt]

Good video

[@tiffanysullivan3655]

My rescue dog is afraid of going into the bathroom 😓 she's so confident in so many way except the vet and bathing.

[@tiffanysullivan3655]

I try to be as patient as I can but as a human, it's so easy to forget my pup needs a lot more time than i think. She's about a year & a half, and we've been together for 2 months now. She has a short coat so it doesn't collect that much dirt and I've wiped her down here & there, but she just reeally needs a bath soon . . . How often do I need to do training to let her get comfortable with bathing? Multiple times in a day, once a day, or once a week? I don't want to push her limits but there are also so many important things for us to continue working on. Thankfully we have a good, trusting relationship and a strong bond so far. She's a real sweetheart and we've made so much progress together over the last couple months. I just get stuck sometimes since I'm caring for her on my own and haven't found a trainer yet.

[@SaraOndrako]

Hi Tiffany! So glad to hear you are making progress - hang in there - progress not perfection is key. When a dog is fearful of something like the bathroom, I work on it at least 3 times a day for about 5 minutes or so at a time (going at the dog's pace to push longer or pull back shorter). Try setting it up to where it's fun to be in there by her choice rather than trying to coax her. If you can leave the door open when you go in, throw some treats in there and walk away so she can explore on her own. Give her a fun chewie like a CET chew and sit with her in there while she enjoys it. Just normalize the bathroom prior to attempting the bath if you can. Once she's comfortable, normalize the bathtub as well. Pop her in there but no bath yet. Try letting her enjoy a snuffle mat while you use pup wipes the first time or two. For fear at the vet hospital you can reduce this significantly often by incorporating fun visits. Fun visits mean you just hop in the car, ride to the vet hospital, walk in, get a treat from the front desk and leave. Next time you might take a quick walk around the hsopital with a tech, get a treat, then leave. Next visit you might take a moment getting on the scale, off the scale, on the scale, off the scale, then getting a treat and leaving. The more you visit without anything concerning happening, only fun stuff happening, the more she can associate the vet hospital as a place she wants to be rather than is forced to be where people invade her space. Hope that helps!

[@donnaallgaier-lamberti3933]

What is the blue plastic shower attachment called and where did you buy it? I have a new rescue that I have acclimated to coming in and out of my shower stall and she has watched me shower and she loves to come into the stall and lick up the water for me (we have no bathtub.) I have also acclimated her to my touching her/massaging her everywhere on her body. I appreciate your tips.

[@michaelhoward5051]

this was a fantastic video, my dog charlie anne never has liked her face washed and now i know why, someones getting the baby wash cloth method!!!! hahahaha noice

[@SaraOndrako]

Love the baby wash cloths - makes it so much easier! 😊

[@michaelhoward5051]

@@SaraOndrako I had to use a big cup and it took forever!!!! Will definitely be grabbing one of the shower hose attachments. I like when there is good water pressure and specific one u recommend I want something that will get through her coat and get the soap out. Thanks for replying!

[@cikazuba3928]

What do u do if your dogs tries to lick the shampoo off?

[@KhooGuoXianJamesZhenghuass]

Why did the dog accidently lick you when you were trying to shower her

[@divinemonkey9999]

😘🥰

[@jaywalker8033]

, odMy rescue hates the water he,s over 60 lbs trying to bath him is like wrestling an alligator ,and no scented oils or delicate anything is going to change that. He came with anxiety dope.. which I quickly stopped, till ĺast nights bath, no difference...Looks like we,ll be using the wet cloth method ,which will be tough enough.

[@latosa18]

I always used to hook my dogs to the shower bar above your shampoos but then we moved and now bathing these guys is awful!

[@SaraOndrako]

Try a licky mat! You can slather them in baby food or peanut butter, toss them in the freezer overnight, then pull them out and stick them to the bathtub wall for the dogs to enjoy a tasty treat while getting a wash-down. You can get one here: amzn.to/371EuF1 Hope that helps 😊

[@deshgouri]

That's not your average rescue dog! 😑 mine would tear down the whole house if she's picked up and put in a new place like a tub 😭

[@MrXapheth]

I just watched another video and the guy on it DOESNT recommended that shampoo…oh well…

[@roxianealexander]

"poop"? We need to find a better way to describe a natural function that doesn't sound like you're three.

[@SaraOndrako]

Defecate. 💩. Tend to the toilet. Drop the kids off at the pool. #2. Dung. Feces. Excrement. Droppings. Deuces. Doo doo. Scat. Are any of these more to your liking or preference?

[@mzsaintsquare8923]

Is dawn dish soap okay ?

[@SaraOndrako]

Hi! It is okay initially (especially if fleas are present or difficult sticky/dirty substances on their coat) but once the initial grime is off, switching to a perfume-free, dye-free gentle shampoo is advisable. Hope that helps! :)