“Maybe he rolls in stinky stuff to get rid of those fragrances you put on him,” a friend said about my dog Victor.
Victor rolls in poop for other reasons, a few we explored in a previous post: Why does my dog roll in that?.
But I do like it when Victor doesn’t smell like dog. I prefer lavender; he prefers decomposition.
Victor’s curly tight black cocker/poodle fur makes him a canine air filter, walking through the world gathering any and all the dirt you can imagine. Yes, a week after a grooming appointment, he smells a bit ripe.
But it’s when I see all that brown water filtering down the drain during a Victor bath I realize exactly what’s snuggling up in my bed each night. Ick.
Yes, pets are family and that means they share our furniture. Therefore, I’ve reminded Victor many times he has to be cleaner than his outdoor relatives.
When Espree all natural wholesome pet care sent us a box of assorted grooming products after I won a contest at SuperZoo last summer, I knew Victor was about to get show dog treatment. Yay!
He wasn’t as excited.
Victor is usually good about getting a bath and I’ve had no complaints from groomers. Today, though, he’s getting shampoo and conditioner, plus a hydrating spritz.
Step One
1. Lather thoroughly with Espree Natural Hypo-allergenic Shampoo. (affiliate link Canada). The scent is beautiful and the consistency a bit gel-like so it takes a few squeezes to get enough to cover the entire dog. There’s little to no lather, which makes sense considering it’s detergent and paraben free, biodegradable, and contains no dyes. You just have to rinse more carefully when you can’t see the lather.
Step Two
2. Apply conditioner. Again we used the Espree Natural Hypo-allergenic Conditioner (affiliate link US) with organically grown Aloe Vera. This one smells even better and the creamy texture flows over the dog easily.
I towel him off with a Soggy Doggie two-handed drying cloth that’s one of my favourite dog products of all time.
Step Three
3. Wipe his gunky eyes with Earthbath eye wipes. (affiliate link)
Final Step
Victor gets spritzed with Espree Natural Aloe Hydrating Spray (affiliate link). Again, this product is all about the Aloe Vera and designed to combat dry skin if you part the fur better than I did, and spray directly on the skin. Massage it into the fur and blow dry if you do that. I don’t.
The spritz is beautifully scented … so much so Victor got annoyed about smelling more like a department store perfume counter than a barn. When you love the scent of cow poo, rosemary and lavender send you over the edge.
I loved the end result. Victor’s fur is dog show soft with zero smell.
What did Victor think? After I wrapped him in his bathrobe (still damp), he was so mad about the extended bath he jumped onto my spot on the couch and peed.
That’s right. PEED! Apparently, Victor is determined to keep our home stinky .. and gross. Got a spritz for that?
CONTEST!
Win an Espree Natural dog shampoo prize pack containing: Hypo-Allergic Avocodo Oil Shampoo, Avocado Oil allergy relief spray and Dog Rainforest Colonge (aprox. value $52) (Amazon Affiliate links)
Simply sign up to receive dogtrotting.net via email (if you don’t already) and comment below before April 30, 2018. Does Your Dog Like Baths?
A winner will be randomly selected and contacted via email.
Open to Canadian and US residents.
[…] There are medicated shampoos available from the vet for dog dandruff, but likely all you need is a dog oatmeal shampoo to help reduce itching. Never use human shampoo on dogs because the pH level is different. Look for […]
We’d love to try this!! Mango LOVES his baths!!! He’s such a good boy.
There are six Portuguese Water Dogs in our pack and we collect dirt and leaves and sticks in our curly coats. We love water so baths don’t bother us. The other three pack members have smooth coats and they love to roll in stinky stuff. All three hate baths so they sometimes don’t smell too good. We could use some good smelling shampoo.
Six! That’s incredible. Sounds like quite the family. I understand my dog is going to get muddy – especially being close to the ground. But it’s the rolling that gets me.
Luckily I have a dog (Sasha) who loves the water. She practically baths herself. All that’s missing is a rubber ducky
no, my girls hate baths, they run and hide when they see me taking out the grooming box, towels, going into the wash room. after they are washed, blow dried, they go and run around and try to mess up the hours i spent grooming them.
I bath my dog in my bathtub and when I take a bath my dog comes over and looks in likely thinking, “I can’t believe you’re doing this.’
🙂 Yes they enjoy bathes but like to try to jump out
You won. You were randomly selected to receive the dog shampoo. I emailed but haven’t heard from you. Could you please email me (stelenko@hotmail.com) by May 30 if you’re still interested. Thanks!
He rolls in.. WHAT? MOUSES! Good thing you have those nice shampoos and stuff. As a cat, I’m quite careful of what I roll around in. Sand is a favourite thing. It doesn’t smell all that bad. purrs
My dog sometimes rolls in dead mice too… the cats, perfectly clean. Thanks for visiting!
What a wonderful prize pack! I just signed up for your emails. Our dog, Layla, tolerates baths but does not like them. She does love running around the back yard as fast as she can after a bath to dry off.
She’s smart. My dog rubs on furniture to dry off… doesn’t work as well.
Well, I have three dogs. Kenji HATES baths (he’s torn down the shower curtain and knocked half the things down in the bathroom before). While Seiji, my biggest, doesn’t really like baths, he’s good and just stands in the tub (looking rather dejected) and lets me bathe him. Megumi is my newest – and smallest – and I haven’t had to bathe her since I adopted her recently, but will have to very soon. I’m hoping she’s cooperative and doesn’t freak out in the bath.
Wow. That’s a lot of work. Fortunately, Victor generally tolerates baths … he just let’s his displeasure known after the fact.