My dog is scared of baths, any advice please?

I wanted to ask as well, if you could help, as our staffie is petrified at the thought of having a bath, (even getting her feet wet outside, she will avoid puddles), and my partner said that she does not need to be bathed often at all. I can understand why as they have an easy maintaince coat, but should a Staffie be bathed every so often to keep them clean, the only real bath she gets is a splash in the summer in the garden maybe from the paddling pool! Can anyone, help, Im frightened to bath her too much in case it irritates her skin, but dont want to not bath her when I should be, could someone advise?

Hi ntriggs as long as your dog doesn't get smelly a lot of baths are not really that important on smooth dogs. Check the skin is ok regularly and give 'sponge baths', that is ringing a cloth out in warm water and sponging the dog down...keep ringing out in clean water and sponging ...no shampoo because you can't wash it out properly...then towel dry

When your dog really does need a bath instead of standing her in a bath of water mix a little shampoo in water and instead of wetting her first just rub this on, then rinse off with a jug and bucket of warm water so she is not standing in a bath of water. You could do this outside with someone holding the dog on a lead..try to make it fun with lots of praise, most dogs enjoy a good rub down with a towel

Don't be tempted to use dry shampoo type things..they are not good for the skin

My staffie's have quite a few baths, as we live in the country and they love to jump in a bog! they need it..But neither of them like it, mention bath and they disappear, they also hate the rain, would never walk through a puddle!!

All my dogs hate bath times with a passion so there few and far between unless Harvey goes in the fields and finds something "nice" to roll in I don't bath them very often.

You know those cheap rubber mats with suction feet on you can get for the bottom of the bath well I did find that they are a little better with one of those in place as they don't slip around so much and can stand alot easier

My staffie has survived to fourteen and a half months without a bath! She simply hasn't needed one - she's sweet smelling and fresh and on the very few occassions when she's got muddy I've let it dry then brushed it off. That's the good thing about staffs - low maintenance coats!
She likes to paddle in the sea or river but hasn't dared to swim yet!

sounds like a staffie thing mine all line up on bathday waiting for there turn ......

Both Tam1, Tam2 and Jas loved their baths altho they weren't too keen on the shampoo bit

I bathed them every other month