Hello Green Spotters! Everyone likes a clean dog - we're pretty sure that's a fact! In this blog, we talk about our suggested bathing sequence, shampoo, and bathing your dog safely and efficiently. Wether you bathe your dog in our Spot Washes, or bathe at home, here are some tips to help your dog's bath go smoothly.      

First up, here's our recommended Bathing Squence Tips!           

  1. Brush out your dog's coat at home (to save time in the wash!)
  2. Book a Spot Wash with us, or use the walk-in Spot Wash tub.
  3. Wash your dog. Pay attention to our tub safety tips below!
  4. Towel dry your dog.
  5. Blow dry your dog thouroughly. 
  6. Clean your dog's ears AFTER their bath to remove excess moisture and prevent ear infections.
  7. Once completely dry, brush your dog's coat again to grab any additional loose fur.

Read on for more details on each step!           

Brushes 
Different coat types have different needs when it comes to brushes! At the Green Spot, we have a full selection of brushes avaiable for purchase, with something for every coat type. Stop by the store today and ask a team member for assistance in selecting a brush for your dog (or cat). We recommend brushing your dog's coat out at home before coming into the Spot Wash to save time for drying your dog.    

Safety in the Tub During Your Dog's Wash
Here are our tips for a successful and safe bathtime:     

  • Exercise your dog and potty them before getting them into the tub.
  • ONE dog in the tub at a time, facing their head away from the door/window. Use the side stairs to get large dogs into the tub or ask a team member for help.
  • Place provided safety restraints over your dog's head. To ensure their safety, it's required that at least ONE (1) tether is attached to the tub. Staff will happily assist if unsure.
  • Gently place cotton balls inside your dog's ears to prevent water from entering. Remove cotton balls & use provided ear cleaning supplies after finishing washing your dog.
  • Press the GREEN button on the wall for staff assistance or to request additional supplies during your Spot Wash!
  • Shampoo carefully, particularly around the face. Rinse & repeat if needed. All-natural shampoos provided may not suds up. An extra rinse at the end helps ensure all shampoo is removed!
  • When you're finished rinsing, towel dry your dog. Happy Hoodies are provided to help dry their face & ears and reduce the dryer's sound. Gradually increase the dryer speed to acclimate your dog.
  • Keeping the dog tethered in tub, blow-dry until dry. Do not point dryer nozzle at your dog's ears, eyes, nose, or sensitive areas. Forced-air dryers create heat over time, so keep plenty of space between the dryer & your pet's skin & move the nozzle constantly. Dry long or curly-coated dogs completely to prevent matting.
  • Put your dog's collar & leash on them before removing safety restraints. Most dogs need another potty break after bath time!
  • The vacuums in our Spot Wash rooms are for staff use only, so just leave the mess with us when done & enjoy your clean & happy dog!

Shampoo 
We believe the ingredients that touch your pet’s coat and skin (and yours!) should be as naturally effective, non-toxic, and gentle as possible. That's why we use EarthBath shampoos in our Spot Washes. EarthBath products are developed and blended with the finest ingredients, such as renewable plant-derived and coconut-based cleansers, essential oils, and sumptuous extracts and fragrances. The company is are committed to using the best natural and organic ingredients, while constantly reviewing and improving their formulations. For your pet's health (and yours!), EarthBath products are always non toxic, paraben & sulfate free, phthalate free, phosphate free, dye free, and soap free. Being soap-free means Earthbath shampoos will not produce suds like many other shampoos do. Earthbath shampoos are also ultra-concentrated out of the bottle. In our Spot Washes we appropriately dilute these ultra-concentrated shampoos to provide even and efficient coverage while also being easy to rinse off. Being a thinner shampoo means it's easier to squeeze out of the bottle, so if you ever need more shampoo during your dog's bath, just ring the bell to let us know!  Check out Earthbath Shampoos and Conditioners        

Blow Dryer Use
Let's talk about blow drying efficiently and safely. At The Green Spot we have high-velocity blow dryers in our Spot Wash rooms, avaiable for your use! These dryers have variable speeds for use with any dog. Getting your dog used to the blow dryer can take time. We recommend giving lots of tasty treats while blow drying as using the dryer can be scary for some dogs. Here are our high-velocity blow dryer tips:        

  • Keep the blow dryer nozzle moving, never hold it in one spot for more than a few seconds. While the dryer will not get too hot, sensitive skin may be irritated by blowing warm air in one spot for a long while.
  • Avoid blow drying sensitive areas like the eyes, nose, and mouth. Towel dry around these areas. Gently hold ears forward while blow drying behind the ear.
  • For shedding dogs with a double coat, the high-velocity blow dryer is FABULOUS at removing extra/loose undercoat! For extra efficiency in removing excess undercoat, blow against the natural direction of the coat. (Then blow dry in the direction of the dog's coat afterwards)
  • Use a purple "happy hoodie" to cover your dog's ears if they are sensitive to the blow dryer
  • In the winter, ensure your dog is completely dry before going outside. They can catch hypothermia quickly when wet or damp in cold weather.

Cleaning Ears   
In our Spot Washes, we offer Xymox ear cleanser and cotton balls for use in your dog's ears. Xymox ear cleanser is a gentle, non-toxic, no-sting product that  combines protein, enzymes, and surfactants to gently cleanse. This ear wash also helps dry ears out after exposure to water due to baths and swimming. For this reason we recommend to clean your dog's ears AFTER their bath, to help cleanse and dry out any water that may have gotten in their ears (and in doing so prevent ear infections!). How do you clean a dog's ears? It's pretty simple! Use cleanser and a cotton ball or cotton pad to gently remove any debris from the ears. After removing debris, you can use a clean cotton ball with cleanser on it to clean deeper into your dog's ear canal to remove any remaining dirt. Your dog's ear anatomy has a 90 degree turn in the ear canal - the ear drum found deeper in the inner ear canal, after the turn, so you do not need to worry about cleaning too deeply and touching the ear drum. If you suspect your dog has an ear infection (brown gunk, head shaking, red skin in ears, scratching ears), we have other products available in store to help relieve and solve an infection. (Or see your veterinarian) Check out Xymox and the other ear cleansers and solutions we carry.        

Enjoy your freshly bathed and brushed dog! If you'd like to book our appointment only Spot Wash Tub, click HERE. If appointments aren't your jam, we welcome you to use our second Spot Wash Tub, which is for walk-in use only. For either Spot Wash Tub Room, the last wash of the day begins one hour before closing time. Appointment times are 45 minutes long and include: private tub room, apron, high-velocity blow dryer, towels, shampoo, a brush, ear cleaner and cotton balls, and happy hoodies. Buy 6, get your 7th Spot Wash FREE when you join our Bonus Bones in-store loyalty program!     

Pssst... Thanks for reading this far, here's a bonus tip: If you stand in front of your dog's head when they shake off, you'll get much less water shaken onto you! ;)      

The Green Spot is a family-owned, independent pet supply shop. We've been helping pet parents like you aid their pets to a better life via nutrition since 2012. We're glad you found us and hope you'll come into our store for a visit! Our inclusive events, supportive pet-parent community, and certified pet nutrition pros are what set us apart - thanks for supporting local!