How to Remove Pine Tar From Dog Fur

Dogs love to play outside and roll around on the ground. Unfortunately, that means they often get into something sticky that you then have to try to wash off. Pine tar, or the sap from pine trees, is one of the things that sticks to fur like glue. Before you cut off the dog's hair in frustration, be aware that you already have products in your home that will make this job easier than you might think.

Things You'll Need

  • Vegetable oil
  • Paper towels
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Grease-cutting dish detergent
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Instructions

    • 1

      Massage vegetable oil into the affected area and allow it to penetrate for at least 20 minutes. Periodically rub through the fur with your fingers and remove any large globs of sap. Apply more oil if needed. Oils of corn, canola, olive, peanut or any other vegetable oil will work. If you are dealing with long, tangled mats of hair, butter or shortening will adhere better than liquid oils.

    • 2

      Comb through the fur and gently work the sap out in small bits.

    • 3

      Rub the fur with paper towels or absorbent cloth to remove the oil.

    • 4

      Saturate the sap area with rubbing alcohol. This acts as a solvent and will further break down any remaining tree resins, making them easier to remove. Allow alcohol to penetrate, and then wipe off the fur. Hand sanitizer gels have a high alcohol content and the gel will cling to the fur, allowing it to penetrate better.

    • 5

      Comb through the fur again, and gently work more of the sap out in small bits.

    • 6

      Lather the treated area with a grease-cutting dish detergent. This will remove any remaining oils and resins, leaving the fur clean.

    • 7

      Rinse the fur thoroughly with water to remove all traces of your cleaning treatments.