Bathing Secrets

Sawyer begging me to give him a bath.

It's no secret that everyone loves a clean dog. When I picked Sawyer up from the humane society, he was filthy- his fur was matted and he smelled awful. They said they couldn't give him a bath before I picked him up because they had neutered him, and could not get the area wet. Because he had just been neutered- it meant that I couldn't give him a bath either. So, what to do with a filthy dog? I took him to the vet the next day, and begged her to let me bathe him. She agreed as long as I could keep his wound dry.

Because I said I would keep his incision dry, it meant I probably had to bathe him myself to ensure that the proper precautions were in place. Selfishly, I didn't want to bathe him in my house (he was thaaat dirty), so I started asking around. One of my neighbors referred me to "Dirty Dog," a self-service grooming place (shoutout to Austin, Texas). I figured I'd give it a shot.

I got there and didn't know what to expect, but the staff was super friendly. Basically, you walk in, and they have bathing tubs lining the walls. Each bathing station has its own shower sprayer and dryer. They also come equipped with shampoo, conditioner, ear wash, cotton balls, towels, etc... But you can bring your own if you want as well.

They rolled out these huge green steps, which allows your dog to climb right on into the tub. Sawyer climbed right on in. Well- that was a lie.... I actually had to coax him to the top of the steps with a dog biscuit, and then I had to lift him into the tub. But hey- if that is my biggest problem, I guess I'm doing alright.

Once he was in the tub, I hooked him up so he could not escape, and started spraying him with water. I thought he would like it.... nope- poor dog looked so pitiful. Once I had shampooed and conditioned him several times (remember he was filthy), it was time to dry him. And let me tell you- those dryers they have- changed my life. They are the big dryers with a vacuum hose, and they work really well, especially on long-haired retrievers. I was able to thoroughly dry him in much less time than I would have been able to with my own hand-held blowdryer. Sawyer actually loved it.

Once he was dry, I put the finishing touches on him- the puppy cologne. I thought the staff was crazy when they suggested I try it out. No way was I going to put puppy cologne on MY dog-son. But, once I smelled it, I couldn't help myself. Sawyer got a healthy dose of the cologne, and I'm happy to say that I'm a committed user of the product every time I go back. It.Smells.Delicious.

Don't have a Dirty Dog in your area? There are a ton of self-service grooming places out there. I have no cons to using one. There are only pros: no dirty bathroom, no clean-up, easy drying, no wet dog smell in your house.. annnnd the puppy cologne!

Once I brought him home, Sawyer was so proud of his fresh and clean smell!