Bath-Time Guidelines
Regular brushing and grooming often precludes the need for regular bathing, but there are times — especially when your beloved wiener dog has found something particularly rank and rotten to roll in — that it is necessary to bathe him. Here are some bath-time tips to make this experience a little easier on both of you.
Before starting the bath, there are a few things you will need to do to get ready. Brush your dachshund's coat and express his anal glands if necessary. Also be sure that your clothes and the dog's collar are all items you don't mind getting wet. Wash all of your dog's bedding so he'll have a fresh clean bed waiting for him.
Next, get the bathroom ready. You'll need clean towels for afterward, and either a spray nozzle attachment for the faucet or a large plastic cup for scooping up rinse water. Put a closed bottle of dog shampoo in the bathtub and let it warm up as you fill the tub with a few inches of warm water.
Do not use shampoos designed for humans on your dog. These shampoos are not designed for your dog's pH levels and will be exceptionally caustic to its skin. Instead, choose a quality shampoo from a reputable manufacturer. There are a wide variety of pet shampoos made for all types of coats.
Follow these steps for your dachshund's bath:
Bring the dachshund into the bathroom and shut the door.
Gently lift the dachshund, using the football hold, into the tub.
Thoroughly wet her coat.
Apply a small amount of shampoo and work into coat, avoiding eyes and inside ears.
Rinse thoroughly again avoiding eyes and inside ears.
Rinse again.
If you're sure there's absolutely no soap in the dog's coat, remove her from the tub and thoroughly dry her with towels.
If your dachshund has dry or flaky skin, open sores, redness, or signs of any other form of skin irritation — even excessively oily skin — it could be the shampoo you are using, particularly if you haven't rinsed it out thoroughly from your dachsie's undercoat. These conditions, however, could also be signs of a serious underlying disease. If you spot any of these symptoms, have your dachshund examined by your veterinarian as soon as possible.
Once your dog is out of the tub, keep her in a warm, dry area away from drafts until her undercoat or the hairs closest to the skin are entirely dry. You may want to consider using a drying agent (from your veterinarian) for her ears to prevent possible ear infections.
When the bath is over, watch out for the afterbath “wilds,” in which your dachsie runs in a joyous circuit around your home for several crazy minutes. Also make sure your dachshund doesn't try to “correct” her clean coat odor with something she finds more desirable (in other words, rank and dead) from the back yard.
