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Monday, September 3, 2012

Getting a Bath for Labor Day!

Today Athena got her very first bath since being adopted!  She wasn't very stinky when we got her so we figured that we would wait a bit to give her a bath because we thought that it would probably be a traumatic experience for her.  Well, she started to get a funky smell so we decided that it was time to get a bath!

We brought her to U Can Do It Dog Wash and gave her a self-service doggy bath in a nice big tub!  Athena wouldn't climb up the stairs into the tub even with treats held in front of her face, so B had to pick her up and put her in the tub.  She seemed to be pretty afraid of the situation and shook during the entire bath.
I don't know about this whole bath thing!
After being scrubbed with some nice oatmeal shampoo to help Athena's itchy skin, we took her out of the tub and brought her over to the DIY drying station.  Once again, Athena wanted no business with walking up the steps to get onto the table, so B had to pick her up again.  She shook for most of the time that we were drying her off, but seemed to feel a bit more comfortable towards the end.


Overall, we had a great experience at the self-service wash.  It was great to use a large tub with a handheld shower head, nice oatmeal shampoo and conditioner, ear cleaning solution, heavy duty dryer, towels, aprons, and all of the brushes/grooming tools that we could ask for!  Athena also got a few spritzes of doggy cologne and a treat before she left!
All shiny and clean!
Do you take your dog to a self-service wash, or do you give them a bath at home?  How often do you give your dog a bath and what products do you like to use to keep them smelling good?

-A

6 comments:

  1. Looking good Athena!

    We tried a self service dog wash for Boomer and Dottie once and it was a mess, not the wash but the dogs. Instead we use a hose in the back yard on the deck in the summer and the bathtub in the winter, it's easier that way for us. But, a self service bath is really nice for people w/ dogs who don't freak out like mine!

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    1. I'm glad that Athena didn't totally freak out at the dog wash, but I do feel bad that she was so afraid! But, it's all part of getting her to try new things!

      I think we might try the backyard hose/bathtub route in the future for convenience and cost reasons. It would be nice just to be able to give her a bath at home and not have to make a trek to the dog wash. And it would be nice to save $16! But, I did appreciate the handheld shower head sprayer thingy that we got to use at the dog wash because it made the rinse much easier! I also liked their professional dryer and grooming tools since we only own a hair dryer and one brush.

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  2. I love that last photo of Athena looking up at her dad like, "was it worth it? Are you happy now?" Too cute!

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    1. haha I'm sure that's exactly what she was thinking!!

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  3. I wash my dogs in the bathtub myself-- it seems to be a love/hate for them because it gives them anxiety to be in there with the loud running water, but in exchange once they understand they are getting clean they are happy about it!

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    1. I feel like that's how Athena would be if we washed her in our bathtub. She loves prancing around in the sprinkler and the hose outside, so I think that she will learn to love splashing around in the bathtub too!!

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