How to Wash a Dog in Cold Weather

Washing your dog when the weather is cold outside can take more thought and preparation than doing the same activity during the warmer times of the year. Because dogs are more affected by temperature than human beings, it is important that you are set up to keep your dog from getting too cold while they are being bathed and afterward before they are completely dry. It is best to wash your dog inside where the air is heated, but if that is not possible, you can bathe them outdoors if you are prepared to do it quickly.

Things You'll Need

  • Dog shampoo
  • Dog brush
  • Towels
  • Wool blanket (optional)
  • Hair dryer (optional)
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Prepare a warm area. It is best to bathe a dog indoors when the weather is cold. Turn the heat on in the bathroom that you will be using, or if you don't have heat controls in that room, you can hook up a small space heater. Fill the bathtub several inches with lukewarm water. If you must bathe your dog outdoors, try to hook up a hose to a hot water faucet so that you will not be dousing them with cold water in an already cold atmosphere.

    • 2

      Bathe your dog. If you are inside using a bathtub, soak the dog thoroughly before lathering with shampoo and then scrubbing deeply so that you get all layers of hair or fur as well as the skin. Be careful not to get soap into your dog's eyes or inside its ears. Pay attention to areas such as between the legs and under the tail. If you are bathing your dog outdoors, it is best to skip the soaking and go straight to lathering with shampoo and scrubbing down. Then rinse the dog as soon as possible, which will remove the dirt as well as the soap.

    • 3

      Dry your dog's coat. Once all of the soap has been rinsed from your dog, remove them from the bathtub and rub them down with a towel or a wool blanket. Pay special attention to the head, chest and neck area as these places are sensitive and can lead to your dog getting sick if it is wet in the cold air. If you bathed your dog outdoors, wrap the dog up tightly in a towel and bring it indoors as soon as possible. Leaving dogs to dry outside in the cold weather can lead to them becoming ill. Some dogs will behave while you blow dry their coat with an electric blow dryer -- set on low heat. Others will be too afraid to stand still for a hair dryer and must be rubbed down until their coat is dry.