My dog bites and growls during baths. How can I bathe him safely?

Poor Munna! It sounds like he's frightened and uncomfortable about being bathed, which is a common problem in dogs - this often causes struggling, growling, and biting since this is the only way that he can tell you he's afraid. You can work with him to help make him more comfortable about getting baths by using lots of treats and praise, and going very slowly. For example, you might start by putting a handful of treats in the empty bathtub, or smearing some peanut butter or spray cheese along the side of the tub - let him decide to get in and eat them at his own pace. Do this for several sessions, until he is jumping happily into the tub as soon as you get out the treats. At that point, you can run a small amount of water (just an inch or two) in the tub while praising and giving lots of treats - then let him out. Repeat this until he's comfortable, etc. Gradually work up to being able to give him a full bath - use peanut butter or other treats so that he can be eating the entire time, and stop if he becomes upset. With time and patience, all dogs can learn to tolerate and even enjoy bathtime - so it's definitely worth working on :)

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfortunately, I cannot prescribe any medications for Marley without having examined him myself. If he is extremely aggressive while being groomed, you may want to consider having him sedated and groomed at your vet's office. This will mean that Marley is closely monitored during the sedation and supported with fluids and heat if necessary. Your vet can also perform a thorough exam, and ensure that Marley's heart and lungs are healthy enough to handle the sedation. At home, you can try calming chews available in most pet stores, and consider getting Marley a muzzle to keep yourself safe.

Baths can be fun or really scary. I would work in desensitizing your pup about baths. You c am do this by making the bath a positive experience. I would work with really yummy treats and putting them in the tub. No bath. Just getting used to getting in the tub and having a treat. You could even start putting his food in there (as long as she can reach). Keep working on this until she goes in and out easily on her own without much coaxing. Then next time I would have treats in one hand and turn the water on and off. Keep offering lots of treats and praise. Still no bath. Do this daily until she’s no longer worried about the water. Then you can start to work on getting her wet and progress until she’s comfortable with that too. Secret trick is smearing peanut butter (all natural of course!! Make sure it has no sweaters and NOT XYLITOL, it’s highly toxic). It usually keeps them busy working on that while you bath.

The trick that worked best for my dog, which was absolutely terrified of the tub to the point where he would dig his claws into my arm and try to climb over me, was to smear peanut butter all over the sides of the tub. It worked like a charm for him and I've recommended this trick to several other owners of dogs that do the same thing and they all seemed to have nothing but positive results. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Hello, thank you for using PetCoach. Allergies are extremely difficult to manage especially with a dog that is not amenable to treatment. The strongest oral sedatives available can only be gotten from your veterinarian. They cannot be purchased over the counter without a prescription. The best over the counter medication I have seen work well is called Zylkene. It is not cheap but I think it is worth a try. He would need the large dog size and would get one per day. I would give one per day and use it everyday until the bottle runs out (30 days) and if it works, great, you can keep him on it. If it doesn't work, then you can stop. ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=115875 ) I would also recommend a leave-on mousse instead of a shampoo. These are medicated and work very well either in between baths or for dogs that are not amenable to bathing. I would use the "CALM" when he has no lesions on his skin. If he does have lesions on the skin (hot spots, etc) then I would use the S3 PYO until the lesions are healed and then go back to the CALM. You don't have to do his whole body - just the major affected areas. You need to make sure it gets on his skin and not just on the hair. You can use it every day if necessary - you will just need to see how he is doing which will dictate how often to apply it. ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=153532 ) ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=145608 ) Finally, I would recommend putting him on a fatty acid supplement if he is not already on one. This helps to maintain the integrity of the skin. I like this one: ( https://worldtails.securevetsource.com/itemView/view/223965_HomeDelivery.pml?productId=118404 ) Honestly, the best option is to take him to your vet and discuss with them a medication called Apoquel. It works great at keeping allergies under control, it is an oral tablet so typically easy to give and it will keep him from scratching and itching and having all the allergy symptoms. This way he is comfortable and you don't have to force topical treatments on him. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Try smearing a dab of peanut butter on the wall of the tub or shower. As Jack licks it, you can bathe him. Don't use too much though or he may develop some stomach upset. Make sure the peanut butter does not contain xylitol. Use warm water. If it is very hot outside, you can use cooler water.

You can try an over the counter calming supplement such as zylkene or composure in combination with offering rewards during the bath such as treats. It will work best if you have two people, one to bathe the dog and one to feed treats while the bath is going on. You can even take a long wooden spoon and put peanut butter on the end so they can hold it in front of her face and she can lick the spoon while being bathed.