In order for a puppy acquired or found on the street to grow up healthy and strong, he, of course, needs to be properly cared for. First of all, a small dog should be vaccinated on time. Also, the owner of the puppy will have to take care of his coat: bathe and comb. Of course, the owner of such a dog needs to ensure that it does not have fleas.
When can I bathe my puppy for the first time?
Sometimes breeders sell puppies from the age of 1.5 months. It was at this time that the kids were given the first vaccination in their life. But more often, nevertheless, breeders sell pedigree puppies to pet lovers from the age of 3 months. It is at this time that the new owners usually bathe the acquired doggie.
Some pet lovers are interested in whether to bathe a puppy per month. Most veterinarians do not advise doing this. The same breeders of their puppies usually do not bathe before the sale at all. Most often, for the first time, a dog takes a real bath just in the owner’s house. The fact is that before three months of age, the immunity of children is not too well developed. Therefore, when swimming, a very small doggie can simply catch a cold.
Growing puppies too often is also not recommended. The fact is that until the age of about 6 months, the hair in dogs still has practically no outer hair. Moreover, it is much less common than in adult dogs. The danger of private bathing for small puppies lies in the fact that the protective grease film on their skin is still insignificant and easily washed off.
Veterinarian Tips
So, we found out when you can bathe your puppy for the first time. Usually this procedure is performed no earlier than 3 months. But what if a very small puppy got very dirty? In this case, experienced veterinarians and breeders are advised to simply wipe the pet's hair with a damp cloth or a special mitten.
The owners of puppies are often troubled by the smell of urine coming from them. The paws of small doggies are still short. And having made a puddle on the floor, puppies usually also dip their ass into it, and often pass along it and their paws.
Bathing a puppy in this case is also optional. Doggie you just need to put in a basin with a small amount of water, wash it and rinse your paws. The place where there was a puddle, experienced breeders recommend definitely wipe with vinegar. The smell of this substance lasts a long time. And more puppy in this place will not leave puddles.
The breeders who just bought the 3-month-old doggie immediately don’t advise bathing either. The change of environment causes quite a lot of stress in puppies. And swimming at this moment can exacerbate the problem. A puppy brought home must first be accustomed to a new home.
Foundlings fleas
Sometimes people take home and very young puppies thrown into the street. Such dogs can, of course, be infected with fleas. The answer to the question of when you can bathe your puppy for the first time is, as we have found, an age of 3 months. If a very small foundling is infected with fleas, it is not worth washing it with antiparasitic shampoos.
In this case, first remove all debris from the puppy’s hair and wipe it thoroughly with a damp cloth. Next, you should wait for the moment when the dog’s fur dries up and use a spray or drops from fleas, according to the instructions from the manufacturer. To acquire for the removal of parasites, of course, in this case you need a tool designed specifically for small puppies.
Frequency of procedures
When you can bathe your puppy for the first time, this is understandable. But how often do you need to carry out this procedure in the future? Unfortunately, a definite answer to this question does not exist. The frequency of puppy water procedures depends on many factors.
If a dog, for example, was purchased to guard a private house and is kept on the street in a booth, of course, you may never have to bathe it at all. If the dog is bought to live in the apartment, he will most likely have to take water procedures quite often.
The frequency of bathing the puppy depends primarily on how quickly its coat is contaminated. In autumn and spring in wet weather, washing a doggie will most likely have to be done more often. In summer and winter, the dog’s coat is polluted more slowly. Accordingly, the animal will have to take water procedures less often.
Usually, the owners of the puppies, when keeping them in the apartment, bathe them once every 1-1.5 months. In any case, before 6 months, washing the pet too often is not recommended.
General rules
The answer to the question of how often it is possible to bathe a puppy, thus, depends on the degree of cleanliness of the last, season, etc. But of course, the owners of such pets should know not only about when to introduce them for the first time a bath and with what frequency to wash subsequently. The owner of the dog must also have an idea of ​​how to properly bathe the puppies.
Experienced breeders recommend washing such pets after evening walks. The rules when performing this procedure are recommended to observe the following:
All your household chores should be postponed for a while. Leaving a little puppy in the bathroom alone is not worth it.
A rubber mat should be placed on the bottom of the bathroom. Otherwise, the pet's paws will slide.
About half an hour before bathing, the puppy must be fed. The dog should not experience any concern while taking water procedures.
Most of the puppies like to wash themselves, unlike kittens. But very small doggies, not yet used to swimming, may experience little stress in the bathroom. If the puppy is afraid, the owner should try to calm him down. While bathing, the pet needs to be stroked, talking to him in a calm, invigorating tone. Of course, the owner of a little puppy should not make any sudden movements when swimming. Also, you do not need to open the taps in the bathroom too much. The noise of a jet of water can scare the pet.
Shampoo puppies begin to wash from the back. Then they move to the sides and then to the paws. The head and tail are washed last. To prevent water from pouring into the ears of the pet, special plugs can be inserted into them, which can be purchased at the pet store.
Water for bathing puppies should be used exclusively warm - about 38 ° C. After taking water procedures, the pet should be wrapped in a thick terry towel, blotted and then kept wrapped for 20 minutes. Toddlers with long beautiful hair after a bath are sometimes also dried with a hairdryer.
From what age can I bathe a Labrador puppy and how to do it right
This breed is very popular in Russia today. Labradors were bred as hunting dogs. Often they had to bring prey to the owner, including swimming. The immunity of such dogs is strong and they rarely catch a cold. Therefore, a three-month-old puppy of this breed can be washed completely without fear.
Some experienced breeders, answering the question of how long it is possible to bathe Labrador puppies, even call the age at 2 months. The breed is really strong and accustomed to water. So even a small labradorchik after swimming, most likely, will not get cold.
Such puppies are absolutely not afraid of water. So, owners will most likely not have any problems with their swimming. Experienced pet lovers recommend giving the labrador puppy in the bathtub complete freedom of action. Such a doggie will definitely want to frolic in the water and the owner should allow him to.
Labradors are usually washed without shampoo. The coat in these dogs is very thin and can begin to break when applied with chemicals. Breeders recommend using shampoo when bathing Labradors no more than 3 times a year, and only if the dog is very dirty.
German Shepherd
Such dogs are most often used, of course, as watchdogs in the courtyards of country houses. However, in most cases, German Shepherd puppies are never bathed. But if such a doggie is kept in the apartment, of course, you will have to wash it from time to time.
At what age can I bathe a German shepherd puppy? For the first time, such dogs as representatives of most other breeds are usually washed no earlier than 3 months. In the future, you should try to bathe such a baby as rarely as possible, and even more so using shampoos. The protective grease film on the shepherd’s hair and on their skin is very thin. With frequent bathing, she will wash off and dandruff will begin to appear in the puppy. The coat of the dog will become brittle and will cease to perform its functions well.
German shepherds are usually bathed no more than three times a year. At the same time, this procedure is not performed in winter. A German Shepherd puppy can catch a cold very easily.
How to wash a little poodle
This breed of dog belongs to the hypoallergenic group. The hair of poodles practically does not fade and does not smell. However, care for it in any case should be the most thorough. Up to six months, poodle puppies are usually bathed once every two months. An adult dog is washed more often. Poods older than six months are usually bathed 1 time per month.
Many owners of such pets are interested in including whether it is possible to bathe puppies of this breed using shampoos. It is not only possible to use such products for cleaning poodle wool, but it is also necessary. Such household chemicals do no harm to the skin and fur of representatives of this breed, including small ones.
Since how many months can I bathe a poodle puppy? Of course, the answer to this question is of interest also to the owners of such decorative dogs. For the first time, poodles are washed in 2.5-3 months.
Before proceeding with water procedures, such a pet must definitely disassemble the coils, if any. Wash poodles with warm water, trying to wet the coat to the skin. In this case, shampoo is usually applied to the pet’s body at least 2 times. At the final stage, the pet's hair is lubricated with balsam. Rinse detergents from the puppy as thoroughly as possible. Otherwise, the poodle’s fur will quickly fall off. After bathing, such doggies are usually dried with a hairdryer.
Yorkshire Terrier Wash
Such puppies are supposed to bathe even more often than poodles. Normal Yorks are washed twice a month. Exhibition and do bathe once a week. The water used to wash these small dogs is warm - about 38 ° C. Shampoo the hair of such puppies is washed twice, and then apply conditioner.
Drying a Yorkshire Terrier with a hairdryer is optional. Usually, after bathing, such doggies are simply wrapped in a towel.
Owners of such pets, of course, will also be interested when you can bathe your puppy for the first time. Yorkies, like other dogs, are also usually washed for the first time at 3 months.
Vaccination schedule
Caring for a purchased or found puppy, of course, will consist not only in feeding and bathing. A pet must be vaccinated on time. For the first time, puppies of almost all breeds are vaccinated in 1.5-2 months. They vaccinate babies at this time from the plague.
In the future, the pet vaccination schedule will most likely look like this:
the second vaccination - 2 weeks after the first (from the plague);
the third vaccine - at 6 months, after the change of milk teeth (from rabies).
In subsequent puppies, vaccinations are usually given once a year. In two months, vaccines for predisposed breeds can be vaccinated not only from the plague, but also from diseases such as parvovirus enteritis, infectious hepatitis, parainfluenza, leptospirosis. In all these cases, after two weeks the procedure is repeated.
Useful advice
Some pet lovers are interested in including whether you can bathe your puppy before vaccination or not. Doing this, veterinarians and breeders do not advise in any case. Immunity even in 6-month-old puppies is weaker than in adult dogs. Therefore, a redeemed pet after vaccination is sure to get sick.