Most Dogues de Bordeaux LOVE the water. They love swimming. They love to get wet. They love dunking their heads under water. Still, whether your Dogue de Bordeaux is crazy for water, or not so much, bath time is a whole other ball game. Wash days are quite an event in your Dogue’s life. You may wonder though why does my Dogue de Bordeaux run around after baths?
WHO LET THE DOGS OUT?!
Even dogs who enjoy baths will usually emerge from the water with a burst of super canine speed. I liken it to a mini hurricane in my very own living room. They shake like crazy, then lunge for something – dry carpets or couches when they’re inside or patches of dirt when they’re outside-to rub and squirm against. Sometimes they are dirty again before all of their fur is dry!
“When you bathe dogs, you have them totally controlled,” says Bernadine Cruz, D.V.M. “When they finally get out of the water, they’re like kids who have been turned loose on the playground after being cooped up all day.” Love it or hate it, they emerge from the water totally stimulated. They just have to have a little running frenzy to release some of that energy.
“I DON’T SMELL ANYTHING…”
The concept of a bath is to remove dirt and odor. This is totally lost on your Dogue de Bordeaux as he is perfectly happy to smell like whatever it is he was rolling in last week. Dogues de Bordeauxs who tear around madly around after baths, rolling in the dirtiest thing they can find, could be trying to make themselves smell more like a dog again and less like the stink of the shampoo.
SOLUTIONS
1.) Try a dry bath. Waterless spray products keep your pup dry without the house-drenching frenzy.
2.) Gather all of your bath supplies, towels, shampoo, brushes, etc., and get organized BEFORE Hooch enters the bathroom. Then act quickly. Make bath time less exciting and more business-like. Wear your grub clothes because like it or not, you have a center seat in the splash zone.
3.) As soon as the bath is over, snap a leash onto your Dogue’s collar and get him outside. There is no way to stop dog’s from shaking off excess water, but you can take them to a location where the mess won’t be a problem.
4.) Keep your Dogue de Bordeaux in the bathroom after the bath is complete. The post-bath burst of energy usually only lasts a few minutes and then simmers down. After the wash and rinse, give him a quick towel off, then leave the bathroom and shut the door. He’ll still zip around, but the mess will be confined and he will not have a chance to get dirty.
FUN FACT – WHY DOGS SHAKE WHEN WET
Birds and mammals (humans excluded) get rid of excess water by giving themselves a good shake. They have to do it because the sensation of water on their fur is akin to having a tickle in their throat. It’s irritating. Giving a vigorous shake is like having a good cough, making them feel better right away, says Benjamin Hart, D.V.M.
Dogs do the most shaking when fur high on their bodies gets wet, Dr. Hart adds. The shake begins high up on the body, then works down to the toes, with the tail shaking last. A dog with only wet ankles will do nothing more than lick off the excess moisture.
Shaking isn’t so good for our walls, but it is very good for our dogs. It removes a lot of water quickly and prevents health problems such as ear infections and skin irritations.
***DISCLAIMER – The photos in this post are purchased stock images and are NOT my own personal Dogues***