How to Give a Dog a Bath in the Winter

Dogs get dirty when they go outside to play or use the bathroom. This still occurs during the winter months, but, because of the cold, a dog can no longer be bathed outside with your garden hose. To prevent your dog from getting frost bite or suffering from hypothermia, it is best to bathe your dog indoors during the winter. To keep your dog healthy, you must make sure your dog is completely dry before sending him outside to do his business.

Things You'll Need

  • Old clothing
  • Dog brush
  • Rubber mat
  • Water
  • Cotton balls
  • Mild shampoo
  • Towel
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Instructions

    • 1

      Put on a set of old clothing. Your dog is going to splash and get you wet so it is best not to wear clothing you don't want to get dirty.

    • 2

      Brush your dog's fur before you put him in the bath. During the winter your dog doesn't shed as much fur, but he still may have clumps of dirt or mats that need to be removed.

    • 3

      Place a rubber mat on the bottom of your tub. Your dog's paws will slip around if you don't, and this may be scary to some dogs. It is best to use the mat when indoors during the winter so your dog can get a grip and be still while you wash him.

    • 4

      Fill your bathtub with a few inches of lukewarm water. You don't need to make the water very high. In fact, if your dog is small enough you can bathe it in a sink instead of a tub. Dogs are sensitive to the water temperature, though, and don't enjoy warm to hot water.

    • 5

      Place cotton balls in your dog's ears to keep water from trickling in during the bath.

    • 6

      Wet your dog's fur with a cup or shower head, and apply a mild shampoo. You can use either baby shampoo or a dog shampoo. Some dog shampoos even treat for fleas so that may be an option you want to utilize if you spot any fleas on your dog. Lather your dog up with the shampoo, and let it sit for 5 minutes if you saw any fleas.

    • 7

      Rinse the shampoo out of your dog's fur. You may need to drain the soapy water and fill the tub back up with fresh, clean lukewarm water, and rinse a second time to get all of the shampoo out of the fur.

    • 8

      Use a towel that is very absorbent to dry off your dog. It is not a good idea to let a dog run around during the winter with wet fur.

    • 9

      Remove the cotton balls from your dog's ears and discard them.

    • 10

      Brush your dog's fur one last time.