Traveling with a small, stinky dog on your business trips? Or even a bigger, more smelly mutt? The down and dirty on the quick and easy hotel room bathing routine.
On business trips where I drive, sometimes I take the dog. Sometimes the dog is stinky. Well, I know just enough dog grooming to handle that...
Steps to bathe a small dog in a hotel sink:
- Place a towel in the bottom of your bathroom sink (the dog stands on this one and it gets wet)
- Have a clean, dry towel for after, to dry the dog
- Grab your Ziplocked Dog Bath Kit and lay out the doggie soap, conditioner and brush
- Grab your dog. Gently :)
- Brush him first to get out the matts and loose fur
- Turn on tap, make sure water is warm but not hot or cold
- Put dog in the sink and praise him for not jumping out. Or put dog back in if he did jump out
- Get dog completely wet but watch out for ears and eyes
- Rub dog with doggie shampoo or gentle soap. I use a gentle, cleansing moisturizing solid called Honey I Washed The Kids, from Lush. It smells like, no surprise, honey. Rub shampoo over and under dog, including scrubbing the privates but avoiding eyes and ears
- Rinse dog well. Keep praising
- Use a dog conditioner. I use a spray leave-on type to I don't have to rinse again, called Buddy Splash and made by Cloud Star. This one smells like lavendar and mint
- Squeegee water off dog with hands
- Rub dog in clean fluffy hotel towels to dry
- Let dog go to rub his damp hair all over your clothes and bed (it's inevitable, don't try to stop it)
- Brush dog again when dry
- Enjoy nicely-scented pet
Bathing the Big Dogs
You can repeat any of these steps with a larger dog in the hotel room's bathtub, if your hotel allows for bigger mutts and he's along for the ride. You will need more towels, maybe a leash to tie him to the tub, and you will 1. get wet, and 2. your back will hurt afterwards.
Using Human Products on Dogs
I am told dogs have a different skin and hair pH than people, so it's best not use our stuff on them. I am also told baby shampoos like Johnson & Johnson are gentle enough for dogs, and that a few of the Lush products are also suitable (ask at the Lush store for more info - we use Honey I Washed the Kids because it's gentle and I don't mind the smell).
Related, On Suite101
- Hotel Room Dog Bath (my stinky dog blog)
- Dog Grooming (topic at Suite101)
- Massage For Dogs (at Suite101 Dogs topic)
- Uses for Liquid Hand Soap While Traveling
- Lush (Lush index area)
- Hotel Room Safety Tips
