‘Mucky pup’ is the operative word for an absolute mess – with very good reason. Alexandra Fraser explains how she manages to keep Wilf well-groomed, while still allowing him to having his fun outside.
I love a long drive with Wilf sitting on my lap in the passenger seat for two reasons.
One – he’s very cute and cuddly.
Two – I keep a Denman’s comb in the passenger seat side pocket to brush him until he’s smooth and shiny.
Try not to let them bring sticks inside – you will be picking up twigs for days.
It has to be said, I like a tidy home. I’m a do-the-dishes-before-bed, iron-the-sheets, vacuum-every-day kind of person. So when I was faced with the prospect of a mucky puppy running through my house every day, I had to find a way to keep him clean, and fast.
Puppies either like bath time or they don’t. Wilf, besides his first bathing session, is a definite no to the whole getting clean thing. I’ve tried everything – and here’s what I’ve learned about bathing a young puppy in a small bathroom in winter.
‘Holding him in a bath is a disaster and will lead to someone having to pick him up and rinse shampoo off of him in the shower fully clothed. This is unideal.’
I’ve found that the best way to clean him solo is to run a shallow bath, pour a cup with one part shampoo, four parts warm water over him, rub it in and use the cup to rinse. He doesn’t like it, but a little peanut butter on the edge of the bath can work as a distraction. Treats do not work at all. Having a towel ready.
If there’s another person involved, holding him in a shower, rubbing him down with shampoo, rinsing under the head and passing him out into a waiting clean towel is easier. He likes it more – probably because he gets cuddles at the same time. We just need to make sure that his claws get clipped regularly because otherwise they hurt.
A handsome boy on his favourite walk.
Holding him in a bath is a disaster and will lead to someone having to pick him up and rinse him in a shower fully clothed. This is unideal.
Dry off as much water as you can, let him shake, dry again. This way you protect your bathroom walls from the splash zone.
‘I’ll rinse the mud off his legs before drying him and giving him a quick once-over with a slicker brush or a detangling comb. Hey presto – he’s pub ready.’
When it comes to after-bath-care, a brush is necessary to stop those tangles forming again. I towel dry Wilf then brush him with a slicker brush to make sure all the dirt and tangled fur has been cleared away. We’ve also started using a conditioning spray, because I’m vain and I like my dog to be shiny.
When we’re out and about, it’s a little more difficult, but I discovered the ultimate life-hack. I keep a squeezy water bottle in the car and when Wilf goes on a muddy walk, I’ll rinse the mud off his legs before drying him and giving him a quick once-over with a slicker brush or a detangling comb. Hey presto – he’s pub ready.
The other option is to live next to a beautifully clear chalk stream and hope he chooses to jump in every now and then. But not everyone can be so lucky.
The Itchen – a perfect, chalk-filtered bath.
My top five grooming products (for spaniels and other longhairs)
A Denman’s curly hair comb. Ok – I know this product is for humans, but it works on spaniels so well, especially when it comes to detangling and brushing mud out of a long coat.
Puppy shampoo. Puppy shampoo is milder than dog shampoo. Mix it with four parts water and use sparingly – that way if you don’t manage to completely rinse it off, it’s not the end of the world.
‘Wilf doesn’t like being sprayed (who can blame him) so I tend to spray onto a soft-bristled brush first’
Deodorising spray. On those days that he’s a little muddy but I can get it off with a slicker brush, I brush the mud off and give him a quick spritz of puppy deodoriser spray to keep him super fresh. Wilf doesn’t like being sprayed (who can blame him) so I tend to spray onto a soft-bristled brush and use that to brush the spray into his fur.
A squeezy water bottle. It’s like an outdoor shower, but portable.
Conditioning spray. Believe it or not, your puppy is not going to want to get back under the water for round two, so a bottled conditioner is a no go. If you want your puppy to have that extra shine factor, get a leave-in conditioning spray instead. Same rules apply to the deodorising spray – if your puppy doesn’t like a spray, put it on a soft-bristled brush and brush it into their fur.
New to The Puppy Diaries? Catch up on the rest of Wilf’s journey here.
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