If you choose to bathe your Australian Cattle Dog at home, there’s a few things you need to know before getting started. Well kept Cattle Dogs are literally odor-free and frequent bathing is unnecessary.

Dog show exhibitors use coat care products that adhere to the Cattle Dog’s hair and most exhibitors bathe their dogs before shows. Even at that, some owners do use so called “dry bath” products rather than the tub and shampoo method.

When your Australian Cattle Dog does require a wet bath, you will need to gather the necessary equipment ahead of time. A rubber mat should be placed at the bottom of the tub to keep your dog from slipping and thereby becoming frightened. A rubber spray hose is absolutely necessary to thoroughly wet the coat. It is also necessary to remove all shampoo residue.

A small cotton ball placed inside each ear will prevent water from running down into the dog’s ear canal. Be very careful when washing around the eyes as soaps and shampoos can be extremely irritating.

It is best to use a shampoo designed especially for dogs; the pH balance is adjusted to keep drying to a minimum and leaves the hair shining and lustrous.

Bathing Technique

When bathing, start behind the ears and work back. Use a washcloth to apply the soap, and rinse around the head and face. Once you have shampooed your dog, you must rinse the coat thoroughly and when you feel quite certain all shampoo residue has been removed, rinse once more.

Shampoo residue in the coat is sure to dry the hair and could cause skin irritation.

As soon as you have completed the bath, use heavy towels to remove as much of the excess water as possible. Your dog will assist you in the process by shaking a great deal of the water out of its coat on its own.