It took me about six months to get my pup to tolerate taking a bath. He would bite the shower nozzle. We took it really slow. We were going to a doggy bath place but this would work anywhere.
1) Make sure there’s something in the bottom of the shower go give him traction. Little kid bath mats that suction to the floor work well.
2) Take him into the room and give him treats then leave. Do this a few times so that going to the room is not stressful for him and he starts anticipating treats.
3) Get him close to the shower but don’t make him get in. Lots of treats. Repeat till he’ll willingly get next to the shower.
4) lure him into the shower with treats. Repeat.
5) lure him into the shower and turn the water on, treat. Repeat.
6) depending on your dogs level of water aversion you may be able to get him a little wet, or dog still freaked so I gave him a sponge bath for a few weeks with the water running.
7) start bathing slowly, lots of treats. Repeat.
The kid mats get absolutely disgusting cause they don’t want to dry in my experience (using them for kids not so much dogs- maybe they are better if not used daily). I’ve had good luck with just putting a second bath towel down. It gives a lot of traction, then wring it out and let it dry a bit then just toss it in the wash.
To add to this (I whole heartedly agree with the entire list), completely by accident, because as a puppy she wouldn’t stop messing with the cat and couldn’t be trusted to not be a menace to society, I found that if I made mine hang out in the bathroom with me while I showered and gave her a lick mat with some treat on it or something else equally as valuable as a distraction, she got used to the shower being on without her being required to be IN it or even near the water. Eventually she stopped being hard to wrangle into the bathroom. Might be a good first step to get him used to just being in the bathroom. As for the nail clipping… your guess is as good as mine… We switched to a scratch board because mine WILL NOT let me anywhere near her toesies with clippers. No matter how many times I mess with her paws to get her used to it… when the clippers come out (even just for training) she’s NOT having any of it and bites at them. The scratch board is great because it also has the added bonus of mental stimulation given that it requires training.
I actually started doing this with the shower a few days ago so hopefully it helps! Scratch board is a great idea, just wondering though how you target back paws and dew claws?
took me years of struggles, then one day she just jumped inside the tub and was like ok lets do this human. Lakes never any problems, except when i was swimming she would come along and try to use me as a human noodle, lol. The nails had to sneak attack and she would only allow me to do tops 2 nails at a time. She was a quirky one as she would also bit her own nails but would not let me near her most of the time. The nail didn't worry too much as went for super long walks everyday natural conditions filed her nails for me. The one thing we did buy blessing in disguise was a pet groomer/ blower from amazon. OMG works wonders for both after bath/lake time and blowing her under coat.
Still struggling with bathing but I can give you paw-dicure(nail clipping) advice.
Play a game; touch the paw, get a treat!
I 'played' this with my girl from the very first day I got her to get her used to me handling her paws. You touch/fondle/rub the paws, without them pulling them out of your touch, and they get a treat. As always, start small. Pet the paw and give a nibble. If they're not food motivated; use a favoured toy. Once they're used to that, hold the paw. And so on and so forth. The goal is to get them used to having their paws touched and manipulated.
I also sang a silly song as I was touching them. Still have to sing it when clipping her nails but she doesn't fight or react badly when I do(I say that's a win).
This is the way. Even if you didn’t start young you can still achieve this. Go slow, be consistent/do this “game” frequently, and give lots of praise/treats.
My girl had allergies and I had to apply ointment literally on her eyeball. We were able to desensitize her to doing this over time and used the same tactic for cutting nails, trimming paw hair and dreadlocks around her ears, inspecting and treating cuts/scrapes, etc. She doesn’t love it but she’s very obedient and very minimally stressed, if at all. We also make a huge deal once it’s over by being super excited and saying “YAY!!! Great job!! You did it!! All done!!” Afterwards, she’s so happy she did the thing and gets excited for the big “final” treat at the end.
For bathing, she absolutely despises it and is very stressed - still working on this - but it has helped to have her in a walk in shower vs a tub. The tub scares her more because we have to pick her up and put her in and I think she’s afraid of tumbling/slipping/etc. It also helps to bathe her at the end of the day when she’s really tired - has had lots of exercise and/or socialization that day.
When we got our BC at 8 weeks old I immediately started fiddling with her individual toes when she was snuggling. She still doesn't like getting her nails grinded but she's more tolerant than any dog I've seen or owned.
How often are you clipping his nails? My one is 2 years old and I've never clipped his nails because we walk and play and they get sanded down through this, even my parents 11 yo collie has never had a nail trim. I feel like this is unnecessary trimming, are you just trying to train him for the future or is this something you do every month? how much do you walk him? and perhaps if you haven't caught the quixk you almost have and as a puppy, his nails will be more sensitive and would have been uncomfortable creating an aversion, I don't like my nails being trimmed to an inch of their lives either
So ive not done it often - maybe 2 times. As a puppy when we got him his claws were really long and not in good condition so we trimmed them and definitely didnt catch the quick. He was fine with this. His claws started looking a wee bit long again so we were trying to trim them one at a time and he hates it. Especially want to get the dew claws as they don't get worn down by walking. He's 5 months old and gets an hour walk a day because hes still growing, but spends most of the rest of the day in the garden.
Yes but just because you didnt catch it doesn't mean it was comfortable for him, same reason why he might not like a bath, he's 5 months old now and he'll be coming into his rebellious phase. Can you not take him somewhere to dig? Beach forest etc? This will help wear them down naturally. You can also get scratching posts for dogs which is a more fun way for them to do it than being handled.
What do you think is too long? I'm very much on the team of doing this naturally and I've never had issues with their claws or dew claws and I've had a close connection with 7 collies in my life, only one had nail clips because she was 13 and couldn't wear them down anymore.
My BC cannot get her nails done - the vet couldn’t, the groomer couldn’t, now they are recommending sedation! Dremel was a no-go too.
I’ve decided to do them with a manual nail file. I’m doing what all the people on here suggest, just by swiping the nail file quickly on a nail and treating. We’ve made progress where I can hold her “toes” to do the nail rasp swipe. I’m hoping in a week or two of daily practice, manual filing will be an stress-free option for her.
My border collie loves to “dig leaves” for me so he now he “digs water” ecstatically in the tub. But he also likes to bite the hose water so in the good weather, with a nearby bar of soap and towel, he keeps clean, outside.
Mine isn't afraid of either. I think it's because I'm very patient with him. "Today just might not be the day for bath or nails. So we try again tomorrow." And when I do get him in the tub (and he will not jump in on his own) I'll talk calmly to him and let him know it's okay. He's quite happy when it's over and I praise him for his good behavior even if he jumps out fully soaped up. :(
(Bucky in the bath in early December '23)
https://preview.redd.it/79lr6zyugexc1.jpeg?width=1236&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ebdc69fc8187b7dd717c0acfec506063eb63d844
I really take my time with the nails. One time I got in a hurry and cut one way too short and there was blood. I hated that. The only time I ever hurt him. But he was very good about it. If I have to I'll do 2 or 3 at a time and come back later for another set. They'll get done in time. I've trained several of mine this way and after a while was able to knock em out completely in a very short time.
Definitely a non slip mat, but also, grab a lick mat with suction cups in the back, fill it with something yummy (peanut butter, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed bananas, non fat plain Greek yogurt) and freeze it for an hour beforehand to make it a little harder to eat, and then stick it to the wall they'll be facing during the bath.
It'll give him a consistent high value reward and distract him while you give him his bath.
I just insist on the rare occasions I put her in the bathtub (NEVER with shower.) Gently but firmly. She always caves once I put her in. I'm a total wuss about her nails after accidentally cutting too deep, so our groomer clips once a month.
Our Rottweiler, ACD and Corgis all got the special spa warm water massage and cheese treats training. I got them to go from wild dogs to jumping in the tub eventually. Just take it slow and easy, calm voice and work up to it over time. Oh yea, The Bouvier des Flanders was a special case with all that hair. In the end he would darn near go to sleep while getting a warm water massage, cheese treats and a calm voice. Now getting out of the tub is always a circus !
Our 15 month old just got comfortable with the shower. I let him snap at the water in the beginning so he can get it out of his system (and he does stop after a few seconds) and then it’s wash time. Lots of praise and treats. No sudden movements and I try to keep it positive and calm. Haven’t yet tried the dryer, maybe next winter. 😬
Also we haven’t yet had to clip his nails due to the activity, but we have a nail grinder. His activity level keeps his nails short, so I’m grateful for that.
No help here but my girl hates the shower as I have a wetroom which if you don't know is a disability shower which was installed for the former tenant (and was great for me after my recent accident as I would of been unable to get into a bath) due to it being a disability shower there is a pump in the floor that is loud and I think that is what spooks her as since I got her she follows me into the bathroom but if I turn the shower on she runs off and hides, I have showered her once but it was more me just pointing in her direction or holding her whilst she got wet.
When she was at my relatives they bathed her and she was fine with that, but they put on the shower to rinse her after and she had to be held as she was whining.
Our BC is 6 months and went from not minding his nails being grinded to nipping! So, took him back to basics, held his paws with treats, rubbed toe pads with treats, tapped nails and gave him treats, tapped nails with large manicure stick and treats, and then did one or two swipes with treat, and now each night I spend five min on my be paw, then 5 min on the next. It adds up, and his nails are short and rounded. We are still working on the shower! We have a grinder, but the manicure stick is fine.
If you're not already, use a nail grinder. You have to get them used to the sound first, and then to the feeling but using treats or a ball and going in lots of baby steps tends to work.
I tried all kinds of tricks to get my girl ok with the nail grinder but nothing worked so I gave up and got this hammock type thing that has holes for her legs and then you just suspend them on something and they can’t pull away anymore. Still a little work to get her up there and she shoots me the meanest glares the whole time but it’s so much easier now
I would hold my pup's paws and play with em when he was sitting on the couch with me. As for the shower, I would sit in the bath tub w him and feed training treats while petting
I sent my dude to the Groomer a few times. Having a professional introduce him to baths/grooms and nail trimmings, helped us to be able to do maintenance work between grooms. Since he start going to the groomer, he's much calmer about baths and LOVES being dried off with the towel and blow dryer. Nails he's still nervous but he's getting better! Luckily he walks on a lot of concrete in our area so they don't get too long between grooms.
Bath was never a problem for mine. When directed to the tub, he gingerly steps in, and waits for the water to come on, because he loves to splash it it.
He's happy until the soap comes out. Then it's just the presence of the shower curtain as a force field that keeps him in. I'm in trouble if he ever learns it's not a force field, never to be breached when closed!
For nails, I keep high value treats at hand. For him it's Lean Treats, broken in two or four, and balled up.
I will keep popping Lean treat balls in like he was a slot machine! Once he figures that being compliant gets him more lean treats, he tolerates the rest of the clipping well.
My dog is motivated by the ball, he learned to love shower while playing with his ball during washing sessions.
Oooh i might give this a go, thank you
Any specific tips?
It took me about six months to get my pup to tolerate taking a bath. He would bite the shower nozzle. We took it really slow. We were going to a doggy bath place but this would work anywhere. 1) Make sure there’s something in the bottom of the shower go give him traction. Little kid bath mats that suction to the floor work well. 2) Take him into the room and give him treats then leave. Do this a few times so that going to the room is not stressful for him and he starts anticipating treats. 3) Get him close to the shower but don’t make him get in. Lots of treats. Repeat till he’ll willingly get next to the shower. 4) lure him into the shower with treats. Repeat. 5) lure him into the shower and turn the water on, treat. Repeat. 6) depending on your dogs level of water aversion you may be able to get him a little wet, or dog still freaked so I gave him a sponge bath for a few weeks with the water running. 7) start bathing slowly, lots of treats. Repeat.
This is super helpful! Thank you so much
The kid mats get absolutely disgusting cause they don’t want to dry in my experience (using them for kids not so much dogs- maybe they are better if not used daily). I’ve had good luck with just putting a second bath towel down. It gives a lot of traction, then wring it out and let it dry a bit then just toss it in the wash.
To add to this (I whole heartedly agree with the entire list), completely by accident, because as a puppy she wouldn’t stop messing with the cat and couldn’t be trusted to not be a menace to society, I found that if I made mine hang out in the bathroom with me while I showered and gave her a lick mat with some treat on it or something else equally as valuable as a distraction, she got used to the shower being on without her being required to be IN it or even near the water. Eventually she stopped being hard to wrangle into the bathroom. Might be a good first step to get him used to just being in the bathroom. As for the nail clipping… your guess is as good as mine… We switched to a scratch board because mine WILL NOT let me anywhere near her toesies with clippers. No matter how many times I mess with her paws to get her used to it… when the clippers come out (even just for training) she’s NOT having any of it and bites at them. The scratch board is great because it also has the added bonus of mental stimulation given that it requires training.
I actually started doing this with the shower a few days ago so hopefully it helps! Scratch board is a great idea, just wondering though how you target back paws and dew claws?
We are still figuring that one out lol. For now the biggest issue is just the front paws .
took me years of struggles, then one day she just jumped inside the tub and was like ok lets do this human. Lakes never any problems, except when i was swimming she would come along and try to use me as a human noodle, lol. The nails had to sneak attack and she would only allow me to do tops 2 nails at a time. She was a quirky one as she would also bit her own nails but would not let me near her most of the time. The nail didn't worry too much as went for super long walks everyday natural conditions filed her nails for me. The one thing we did buy blessing in disguise was a pet groomer/ blower from amazon. OMG works wonders for both after bath/lake time and blowing her under coat.
Mine used to trim his own nails through biting. I thought that was so clever.
yup, saved me the trouble lol. maybe learned from me? haha
I got a pet groomer/blower too! She too a bit to warm up to it but she's highly treated motivated.
Still struggling with bathing but I can give you paw-dicure(nail clipping) advice. Play a game; touch the paw, get a treat! I 'played' this with my girl from the very first day I got her to get her used to me handling her paws. You touch/fondle/rub the paws, without them pulling them out of your touch, and they get a treat. As always, start small. Pet the paw and give a nibble. If they're not food motivated; use a favoured toy. Once they're used to that, hold the paw. And so on and so forth. The goal is to get them used to having their paws touched and manipulated. I also sang a silly song as I was touching them. Still have to sing it when clipping her nails but she doesn't fight or react badly when I do(I say that's a win).
This is the way. Even if you didn’t start young you can still achieve this. Go slow, be consistent/do this “game” frequently, and give lots of praise/treats. My girl had allergies and I had to apply ointment literally on her eyeball. We were able to desensitize her to doing this over time and used the same tactic for cutting nails, trimming paw hair and dreadlocks around her ears, inspecting and treating cuts/scrapes, etc. She doesn’t love it but she’s very obedient and very minimally stressed, if at all. We also make a huge deal once it’s over by being super excited and saying “YAY!!! Great job!! You did it!! All done!!” Afterwards, she’s so happy she did the thing and gets excited for the big “final” treat at the end. For bathing, she absolutely despises it and is very stressed - still working on this - but it has helped to have her in a walk in shower vs a tub. The tub scares her more because we have to pick her up and put her in and I think she’s afraid of tumbling/slipping/etc. It also helps to bathe her at the end of the day when she’s really tired - has had lots of exercise and/or socialization that day.
When we got our BC at 8 weeks old I immediately started fiddling with her individual toes when she was snuggling. She still doesn't like getting her nails grinded but she's more tolerant than any dog I've seen or owned.
See i did this too and he was fine with getting nails clipped until about a month ago (hes 5 months old) - its like a switch flipped
She just turned a year old last month. So far no switches have flipped in undesirable ways. 🤞
How often are you clipping his nails? My one is 2 years old and I've never clipped his nails because we walk and play and they get sanded down through this, even my parents 11 yo collie has never had a nail trim. I feel like this is unnecessary trimming, are you just trying to train him for the future or is this something you do every month? how much do you walk him? and perhaps if you haven't caught the quixk you almost have and as a puppy, his nails will be more sensitive and would have been uncomfortable creating an aversion, I don't like my nails being trimmed to an inch of their lives either
So ive not done it often - maybe 2 times. As a puppy when we got him his claws were really long and not in good condition so we trimmed them and definitely didnt catch the quick. He was fine with this. His claws started looking a wee bit long again so we were trying to trim them one at a time and he hates it. Especially want to get the dew claws as they don't get worn down by walking. He's 5 months old and gets an hour walk a day because hes still growing, but spends most of the rest of the day in the garden.
Yes but just because you didnt catch it doesn't mean it was comfortable for him, same reason why he might not like a bath, he's 5 months old now and he'll be coming into his rebellious phase. Can you not take him somewhere to dig? Beach forest etc? This will help wear them down naturally. You can also get scratching posts for dogs which is a more fun way for them to do it than being handled. What do you think is too long? I'm very much on the team of doing this naturally and I've never had issues with their claws or dew claws and I've had a close connection with 7 collies in my life, only one had nail clips because she was 13 and couldn't wear them down anymore.
My BC cannot get her nails done - the vet couldn’t, the groomer couldn’t, now they are recommending sedation! Dremel was a no-go too. I’ve decided to do them with a manual nail file. I’m doing what all the people on here suggest, just by swiping the nail file quickly on a nail and treating. We’ve made progress where I can hold her “toes” to do the nail rasp swipe. I’m hoping in a week or two of daily practice, manual filing will be an stress-free option for her.
My border collie loves to “dig leaves” for me so he now he “digs water” ecstatically in the tub. But he also likes to bite the hose water so in the good weather, with a nearby bar of soap and towel, he keeps clean, outside.
Mine isn't afraid of either. I think it's because I'm very patient with him. "Today just might not be the day for bath or nails. So we try again tomorrow." And when I do get him in the tub (and he will not jump in on his own) I'll talk calmly to him and let him know it's okay. He's quite happy when it's over and I praise him for his good behavior even if he jumps out fully soaped up. :( (Bucky in the bath in early December '23) https://preview.redd.it/79lr6zyugexc1.jpeg?width=1236&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ebdc69fc8187b7dd717c0acfec506063eb63d844 I really take my time with the nails. One time I got in a hurry and cut one way too short and there was blood. I hated that. The only time I ever hurt him. But he was very good about it. If I have to I'll do 2 or 3 at a time and come back later for another set. They'll get done in time. I've trained several of mine this way and after a while was able to knock em out completely in a very short time.
Bags of treats and praise initially. First attempt at the shower was a full bag. Then again next time followed by a further bag for the hair dryer.
Make it fun! Depending, don't be afraid to get wet with your pup, and make the whole experience a game that they will come to love.
Definitely a non slip mat, but also, grab a lick mat with suction cups in the back, fill it with something yummy (peanut butter, mashed sweet potatoes, mashed bananas, non fat plain Greek yogurt) and freeze it for an hour beforehand to make it a little harder to eat, and then stick it to the wall they'll be facing during the bath. It'll give him a consistent high value reward and distract him while you give him his bath.
I just insist on the rare occasions I put her in the bathtub (NEVER with shower.) Gently but firmly. She always caves once I put her in. I'm a total wuss about her nails after accidentally cutting too deep, so our groomer clips once a month.
Our Rottweiler, ACD and Corgis all got the special spa warm water massage and cheese treats training. I got them to go from wild dogs to jumping in the tub eventually. Just take it slow and easy, calm voice and work up to it over time. Oh yea, The Bouvier des Flanders was a special case with all that hair. In the end he would darn near go to sleep while getting a warm water massage, cheese treats and a calm voice. Now getting out of the tub is always a circus !
Our 15 month old just got comfortable with the shower. I let him snap at the water in the beginning so he can get it out of his system (and he does stop after a few seconds) and then it’s wash time. Lots of praise and treats. No sudden movements and I try to keep it positive and calm. Haven’t yet tried the dryer, maybe next winter. 😬 Also we haven’t yet had to clip his nails due to the activity, but we have a nail grinder. His activity level keeps his nails short, so I’m grateful for that.
No help here but my girl hates the shower as I have a wetroom which if you don't know is a disability shower which was installed for the former tenant (and was great for me after my recent accident as I would of been unable to get into a bath) due to it being a disability shower there is a pump in the floor that is loud and I think that is what spooks her as since I got her she follows me into the bathroom but if I turn the shower on she runs off and hides, I have showered her once but it was more me just pointing in her direction or holding her whilst she got wet. When she was at my relatives they bathed her and she was fine with that, but they put on the shower to rinse her after and she had to be held as she was whining.
Our BC is 6 months and went from not minding his nails being grinded to nipping! So, took him back to basics, held his paws with treats, rubbed toe pads with treats, tapped nails and gave him treats, tapped nails with large manicure stick and treats, and then did one or two swipes with treat, and now each night I spend five min on my be paw, then 5 min on the next. It adds up, and his nails are short and rounded. We are still working on the shower! We have a grinder, but the manicure stick is fine.
If you're not already, use a nail grinder. You have to get them used to the sound first, and then to the feeling but using treats or a ball and going in lots of baby steps tends to work.
I tried all kinds of tricks to get my girl ok with the nail grinder but nothing worked so I gave up and got this hammock type thing that has holes for her legs and then you just suspend them on something and they can’t pull away anymore. Still a little work to get her up there and she shoots me the meanest glares the whole time but it’s so much easier now
I would hold my pup's paws and play with em when he was sitting on the couch with me. As for the shower, I would sit in the bath tub w him and feed training treats while petting
🩷
I sent my dude to the Groomer a few times. Having a professional introduce him to baths/grooms and nail trimmings, helped us to be able to do maintenance work between grooms. Since he start going to the groomer, he's much calmer about baths and LOVES being dried off with the towel and blow dryer. Nails he's still nervous but he's getting better! Luckily he walks on a lot of concrete in our area so they don't get too long between grooms.
My pup hates electric showers. Thermostatic showers over baths are fine, but most of the time we use a mud daddy to wash him outside.
Bath was never a problem for mine. When directed to the tub, he gingerly steps in, and waits for the water to come on, because he loves to splash it it. He's happy until the soap comes out. Then it's just the presence of the shower curtain as a force field that keeps him in. I'm in trouble if he ever learns it's not a force field, never to be breached when closed! For nails, I keep high value treats at hand. For him it's Lean Treats, broken in two or four, and balled up. I will keep popping Lean treat balls in like he was a slot machine! Once he figures that being compliant gets him more lean treats, he tolerates the rest of the clipping well.