Washing your dog is more complicated than you might expect and there are various factors to consider that will help to ensure that you meet the needs of a dog's more sensitive skin and coat.
In this post, I intend to break down some of the most significant parts of washing your dog that will help you to achieve a lower-stress bathing experience.
#1 - Temperature Control When Washing Your Dog
Dogs typically have a resting internal temperature of between 37.2 and 38.9℃ with most groomers using this as a guide to setting water temperature, however this does not reflect an accurate surface temperature. For the purposes of bathing dogs, the skin's surface temperature should be used to decide how hot/cold water should be, along with any existing health disorders.
Typically, the skin surface temperature seems to vary between 29.4 and 32.2℃, with the latter being used as a physiological reference for most DAATA groomers.
If a dog has inflammation or a known skin disorder such as dry/flaky skin, the temperature can be put cooler to avoid aggravating pre-existing conditions, while warmer water can help to remove grease from hair alongside shampoo so long as all of the product is thoroughly rinsed off.
Being mindful that there are some bathing products that require a certain temperature for maximum benefits, and it is important that instructions are followed as per the manufacturer's instructions, or avoided if a warmer temperature isn't suitable for a specific dog.
There are now bathing systems that can be manually set for a specific temperature for each dog but if this is not an option, it is suggested that water should be set to 32℃ as this temperature is acceptable for most dogs.
#2 - Monitoring pH When Washing Your Dog
While there have been few studies on the pH of dogs, some studies have suggested that the smaller a dog breed, the more acidic the skin will be and the larger a dog breed, the more alkaline. When aiming for the perfect water pH to bathe a dog in, it is good to try and get as close to a dog's natural pH possible.
Since this is a relatively complexed factor, to keep it simple trying to aim for pH level 7 for the majority of dogs to make the water as neutral as possible is most desirable (this may be altered specifically for dogs with skin related health disorders, where knowing and understanding more about the influence of pH levels is important).
Investing in a water filtering system to help remove any lead, chlorine, micro-organisms and drug residue can be worthwhile in an attempt to purify water and keep it consistent, thus making it softer and more neutral as well.
Having a pH meter to test water pH regularly to get an idea of the quality of water you are using is a good idea, regularly checking and being mindful that it can change depending on the season and other environmental factors. A pH meter can also be used to test diluted products (shampoo for example) prior to using them, with information noted down on a data sheet for other members of staff to refer to prior to using the product on a dog.
#3 - Pressure & Direction When Washing Your Dog
Too much pressure from a hose will damage the skin and hair follicles as well as cause a dog discomfort and possibly fear.
Medium pressure may be suitable for dogs with an undercoat in need of being removed, though in most cases it is important to individually assess a dog's individual needs and remember that the sensitivity of the skin is far higher than a humans.
Furthermore, the direction in which you manipulate the water flow will help set the hair up for a specific finish - much of the "styling" of a dog can be done naturally and low-stress through proper bathing processes. If you pre-plan your intention you can remove the need for excessive brushing that may cause a dog unnecessary stress by simply learning how to use water pressure and the direction of flow cleverly and mindfully.
#4 - Wet Brushing When Washing Your Dog
It is popular opinion that a dog should be brushed once the coat is dry, but actually dry brushing leads to unnecessary friction against a dog's sensitive skin and can also damage the hair follicles.
When the skin is wet, it is more elastic and supple which means it can take a little more pulling of the hair from brushing with less breakage. Wet brushing also prevents static which also helps to aid in detangling knots.
Good brushing and combing technique while the dog is still wet will not only lessen the time styling later on, but ease out any potential matting with least stress on the dog.
Think about how you might remove a ring that's too small on your finger with soap - the same idea is used when removing knots, using shampoo and/or conditioner to assist to make the process as gentle on the dog as possible.
Once a dog has been bathed and pre-dried (see next point) you may proceed with going over the coat once more to ensure there are no knots left - this is ok since the skin will still be slightly damp.
To learn more about which tools you should not be using for brushing your dog, why not read my blog '3 Surprising Grooming Tools That Could Be Hurting Your Dog'.
#5 - Pre-Drying and Ambient Drying
Pre-drying a coat simply means manually removing excess moisture from the coat - this is done through the use of a good, aqua-absorbent towel by very gently squeezing hair to avoid rubbing and knotting hair. The coat should be matt and tangle free to allow for some final brushing preparation before the last step of the bathing process.
So long as the temperature of a room can be controlled, the healthiest way to dry a coat is by allowing a coat to dry naturally - this is referred to as 'ambient' drying. This is because there is no intervening with the skin and coat and no risk of burning.
For short to medium coated dogs, ambient drying is the most ideal and safest approach especially if they have skin issues or sensitivities. It will not be as ideal for dogs who require brushing or flat/straight hair (drop coats for example).
For more information on the DAATA Method, please follow this link here.