Re: bathing--ahhh...fresh, fluffy, clean puppies!
In a message dated 12/31/2002 8:49:06 AM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: So how did I do Vilma? Is this what you go through every 3 weeks??:) Rhona, Yeah, that's pretty much it! I think you got it all down, including the most essential ingredient, a sense of humor! :-) It's addictive, I just LOVE the way my freshly bathed Berner babies look and smell.and the Corgi has to go along too, much to his dismay (ever seen a Corgi w/ sideways ears? This is not a happy Corgi!) I bathe them all about every 3 weeks, their coats are always very healthy and shiny. I figure my champion, Bean, should LOOK like a Champion and my others also need to look -- and most importantly, smell -- their very best. After all, being a snuggle quality dog is even more important than being show quality. I try to comb/brush them out about every other day (easier to do in the summer when the hair can fly free outside) and that helps keep down the amount of loose hair flying around at least a bit. Ya just know you are going to end up at least as wet as the dogs, so old clothing is key to bathing them. If he is too uncooperative, try to find a way to tether himattach his leash to something or even just hold it. Laugh and smile and talk to him, dont get mad. And feed him treats frequently thru the bathing so he has a good attitude about your silly insistance that he not smell like anal glands, deer poop, and swamp water. Then cuddle your sweet smelling, fluffy baby endlessly!! :-) Vilma Briggs Mt. Gilead, OH U-UD Mocha Java Slurp, UDX, HIC, TT Ch. Brighteye Expresso Bean, UD, NDD, TT U-CDX Our Little Buddy, UD, NA, TT Thirdtym's A Charm, CGC and Ted
Re: bathing--ahhh...fresh, fluffy, clean puppies!
I have a few hints for bathing your Berners in your bathtub. First, Get yourself a rubber mat so your Berner feels secure in the tub. There's nothing worse than a sliding Berner who is then leary of the whole process. Winston loves to get a bath and jumps right into the bathtub onto the rubber mat. It also helps a great deal to have something like a Shower Pic attachment so you can use the gentle spray to wet your Berner down and rinse them thoroughly. Second, Get one of those drain filters that catches the fur before it goes down the drain. That way it won't collect in the drain until it can stop up the water flow some day. Third, It makes life a lot easier if you get a plastic bottle (a pop bottle with a sipper top on it is great) - that way you can dilute the shampoo in it and squirt it where you want it. Fourth, Teach your Berner the command, Shake! After Winston is done with his bath and thoroughly rinsed, I close the shower curtain on both ends and say, Shake!and he does. I repeat it at lease three or four times and then open the curtain and towel dry him before he gets out of the tub. Fifth, Don't open the bathroom door until you have used at least three towels on him. Sixth, Put towels all over your bed!!! I just know that the place Winston is going to end up on is our bed, so I've learned to put towels on the entire bed. Otherwise, he lies on the few inches that do not have a towel on them. Seventh, Enjoy the process. I usually end up just as wet as Winston is, but we both have fun. Eighth, Snuggle with your nice clean Berner!!! Ninth, DON'T even try to get the fur off the walls in the bathroom until it is dry. Then you can just use a soft broom and slide the Berner fur onto the floor and into your dust pan. You can use the shower attachment when the bath is finished to wash the fur off the shower stall walls, collecting it in the drain filter. Hug those berners - they are so very precious! Joye Neff and Winston (Samantha and Ben) Mt. Lebanon, Pittsburgh, PA
