“it’s bath time!” bath tips and bathrobes for teacup-size chihuahuas!

“… it’s bath time mommy! i’m ready to go! … let’s rock and roll!”

not all chihuahuas are as excited about bath time, but it has to be done! here are a few helpful tips to help you bath your teacup chihuahua with their cooperation or without it:

• prepare yourself for the task in advance, have your towel, dog shampoo and chihuahua bathrobe ready to go.
• brush your chihuahua before a bath. matted hair can hold water, leaving your long-haired chihuahua with irritated skin.
• put a cotton ball in each of your chihuahua’s ears to keep water out; this also helps to prevent ear infections and irritation.
• use lukewarm water. your chihuahua’s skin is different from ours, and hot water can burn their skin easily. bath water should not be hotter than what you’d run for a human baby.
• talk to your chihuahua in a calm and reassuring voice. some chihuahuas will eventually learn that you’re not torturing them, although others will continue to hide under the bed or table whenever you get out a towel.
• use dog shampoo. it’s less drying to their skin than people shampoo. work the shampoo into a gentle lather and massage it all over your chihuahua’s body, being careful not to get soap in their eyes.
• rinse well. any soap left in their fur can irritate your chihuahua’s skin once they are dry. rinse, rinse, and repeat the rinse.
• air-dry. hot air from a human blow-dryer is too hot for their skin. either air-dry or use a blow-dryer designed for dogs; its lower temperatures won’t cause itching or dandruff.

• keep your chihuahua warm and bundled up in a dog bathrobe (preferably one thats super-soft, plush micro-fibre, with soft flannel cotton) if you are not in a warm setting or if there is no sun for them to bask in afterward.
• and finally, reward your chihuahua with abundant praise, petting, or play. many a damp chihuahuas love to vent their frustration over bath time by playing exuberant tug-of-war with the bath towel–or just running away with it after it’s over.