# Is it ok to kill a dog? Rodney (AKA Planet Dog!)



## PlanetGen (Feb 12, 2009)

Hi all. As a new dog owner I need some advice.
I have been the proud owner of Rodney the dog for 3 weeks now. I decided it is time for his first bath.
Never before have I seen a loving dog hissing and foaming at the mouth! It turns out, whilst Planet dog loves nothing more than running through puddles and rolling in dirt, the idea of being clean simply does not comprehend!
He managed to clear the bath 5 times, leaving water everywhere. Soaked me to the point I have had a shower and I am sat in my dressing gown!
Dog semi clean, me spotless.
Do you have any advice for doing this painlessly and are there any pointers on keeping Rodney calm?
I will enclose some pics of Planet Dog, who no doubt you will all meet.


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## greenasthegrass (Oct 27, 2007)

aw think you must be pulling our leg that face is so sweet and innocent. Think you are just making it up and its definitely not true.

Send him to poodle parlour voila clean bathroom, clean house, clean dog and clean you. Cleaned out bank account too though!

Greenie HTH


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## GEMMY (Jun 19, 2006)

Cable ties round front and back legs, sorted. 8) 

tony :lol:


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## 101776 (Nov 13, 2006)

Posted by OH on another forum, reprinted with his permission:

"Well the OH and I are recovering, the big secret, the planning, the rehersal all the necessary resources being gathered.


The planning went well,

The secret was kept,

The resources were gathered,

The concept went reasonably well but those were the easy bits then came the hard bit, of the operation...



Persuading the Great Dane he wanted to get in the bath!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then it got hard!


Sealed off both ends of hall, only open door the BATHROOM!!!.


He entered and promptly laid down (as usual), 14 stone (85Kg) of horizontal dane, has to be elevated into the bath!! It is like picking up a 4 foot long sausage, it tries to keep slipping out of your arms!


Get the rear in (can't see where he is going), then lift the heavy front bit in, while OH makes sure rear stays in!

Wetting dog, he quivers so piteously,

The shampoing he loves almost purring, when being massaged,

Then comes the rinse, by now he wants out so more probably water on us than him, he keeps leaning into us trying to get past us.

Finally rinsed let out of bath, then we have a shower (he shakes of surplus water)

Then rubbing down with towels he loves that.

It's just the bit in the bath thats the problem, he does not hate it, fight it, just passively resists!! Actually enjoys parts of it!

Oh dear only 6months to next one!!!"

He is documenting tha last time, will get that from him!!


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## PlanetGen (Feb 12, 2009)

Thanks all for the advice, I really like the cable tie idea! Wouldnt want to Bath a Great Dane, my Heinz 57 is hard enough.
Also you look at the Puppy dog face when you have found him laying on your pillows!
Tried dog shampoo which was rubbish (£4 Asda) ended up using half a tun of Original Source Lemon!!! 
Dog smells lovelly, like lemon curd!
Went to give him a treat as he is sprawled out in front of the fire and found all his treats have been eaten as I discovered mice droppings in the dog cupboard! 
Poor Rodney!


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi

He does look a friendly mutt, so I think that you should show willing and compassion and get into the bath with the dog... that way he will feel much more at ease.... you could share in a game with a plastic duck. :lol: 


Mike


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## Kees (Jan 15, 2009)

Hi

We used to have the same problem. Then one day we decided to try giving him a shower instead. Amazing difference. I wouldn't say he enjoys it, but he sits there and accepts it. We take the hose off its bracket and carefully avoid his face. Worth a try with your dog?

Kees


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## locovan (Oct 17, 2007)

Yes we shower Louis and he puts up with it better.

Love the pictures though he does look a very placid dog really. :lol:


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## greygit (Apr 15, 2007)

We shower our two outside using watering cans .........tepid water.....you can also run for it when they shake!

Gary :lol:


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## LadyJ (May 9, 2005)

Hi Simon

He looks as if he has a bit of Lab in him, most labs love water but not bath water :lol: I would hose him down in the garden make a game of it, when we had a Lab he used to think this was great fun. Once you have him used to hose then try shower in the bathroom put your swimming trunk on first though :lol: 

Jacquie


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## Rosbotham (May 4, 2008)

Yes, showering is the only way.

Rudy, the character in my avatar, is a bit smaller than what you're having to deal with...but it also means he's quick and b. difficult to catch. And he's white, so bath-night is once a week...

Only other advice is to get it over as quickly as possible, plenty of rewards afterwards.


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## Rainbow-Chasers (Sep 2, 2008)

If you have a bath with mixer taps and shower head on, you are laughing!

Just put a little tepid water in jsut to cover his ankles. Leave the shower head running, and hang over the taps to keep the temp regulated.

Chuck him in, and shower him that way - with the plug in and keep the shower head running, but low in the water. It gets him used to bath water as he won't notice it rising. May help to get someone to keep his head end occupied, gives him something to focus on.

Ours hates baths too, but once in he just rests his head on the edge of the bath and gives you a look just to remind you of how cruel and heartless you are being!


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## PlanetGen (Feb 12, 2009)

He was ok after a while providing I wrapped my right arm round him to keep him in. 
Had to use showergel and shower head one handed! Was good fun!
The difference is amazing now though, he smells of lemons, (after the smell of wet dog had gone!)
First thing he did when outside, was to start digging!

Next question, any pointers for stopping him jumping up? He gets very excited when he first meets people, he is fine when he has calmed down, but dont want to take him to Rallies or Shows if he does this!


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## christedman (Aug 5, 2009)

Having owned several dogs over the years I have always failed to see why bathing a dog is necessary. On occasions a dog will roll in something disgusting, which will need removing. Apart from that, dogs do not need bathing. Their coats will need brushing, according to the breed requirment, and that is all. Dogs were never designed to be shampooed!
Chris.


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## PlanetGen (Feb 12, 2009)

Do you not find they get smelly if you dont? I am sure we were designed not to be as well! I know what I smell like after a day rolling round in the garden!!


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## andybodoyd (Oct 6, 2009)

Must admit we have never bathed our lab. She loves water and mud and just rolls and smears it everywhere. We just usually try and find some cleaner puddles/river /stream or dry her off and brush the dirt out when dry.


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## LisaB (Apr 24, 2009)

I laughed at this post earlier and my penance? Boris has just rolled in cow dung and OH is at work, so I have just been soaked and the bathroom written off! Charming! :wink:


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## Spacerunner (Mar 18, 2006)

1. completely clear the bathroom except for many towels and dog shampoo.

2. run about 6 inches of tepid water in bath.

3. make sure you have an extended (6 feet) shower hose.

4. lure dog into bathroom, making sure taps are not still running..

5. Remove all clothes and throw them out of door and then close door.

6. make sure dog is still present.

7. persuede/bundle dog into bath and let him stand a bit to realise its just warm water.

8. wet out dog's coat with shower and apply shampers.

9. rinse thoroughly, you will be wet through now and have shoved Fido back in bath about twenty times.

10. once rinsed allow Fido to crash out of bath, using a toreador's technique cast a towel over his back and secure with a safety pin.

11 allow and encourage dog to shake, remove wet towel and replace with a dry one, may take several towels.

12. shout down stairs, "mad dog running", open bathroom door, pick yourself up off floor nursing bruised bum. In the melee that follows you wont see the dog exit, but believe me he will be gone as will the tangle of legs and arms.

12. do not allow Fido access to any cultivated area, only concrete, tarmac etc.

13. remove what appears to be a dead sheep from bath, in fact its fur that Fido shed.

14. take a shower yourself.


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## Hezbez (Feb 7, 2009)

Do what the gypsies do at Appleby Fair with their horses....

take him into the river, cover him in fairy liquid and rinse it off!


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## patp (Apr 30, 2007)

I agree with others that bathing is only necessary in extreme circumstances 8O 8O

My dog prefers showers.

Always strip off yourself  Remember to take the dog towels in with you :roll:

Jumping up?

First thing to know about dogs is - they do what they find enjoyable (what a lovely philosophy).

This is called "reinforcement". In order for him to carry on doing what he is doing he must be getting reinforcement. 
With jumping up this usually comes in the form of touching (to push him off) and talking (telling him to get down). 
Even using harsh words and hurting them can be reinforcement 8O

To stop the reinforcement of his actions you have to fold your arms (can't touch him) and turn away so that he drops to the ground. Do not speak. Repeat repeat repeat (and repeat again) until he looks at you in puzzlement.

Once all four feet are planted you reinforce the behaviour. This means talking to him and touching him.

He will, of course, jump straight back up again! This is where all the patience comes in :wink: If you keep chanting the mantra:-

*"Reinforce the good behaviour - ignore the bad behaviour" *

it will not be long before you have a dog that keeps his feet on the floor in order to get your attention. Do not disappoint him :lol:

Then you have to train all the well meaning souls who say "Oh it's all right I love dogs :evil: "

Give them a treat and tell them not to touch the dog until he is sitting :lol:

Report back in a couple of months to let us know how you are getting on 

If you need support then look up The Association of Pet Dog Trainers (APDT) motto "Kind, Fair, and Effective", to find one of their members in your area. I would not use any other dog trainer. These are the only ones who are required to undertake continuous professional development.

Good Luck


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## DTPCHEMICALS (Jul 24, 2006)

Take him on hols to France.
Apear to be wealthy drunk and vulnerable. 
When you have been gassed and his resistance is low, grab him and take him to the shower block.


Ours love playing under the water sprinkler and it has become a game, so washing is easy.
DAve p


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## littlenell (Aug 1, 2008)

Hi there,

Our dobes occasionally need a hose down due to lying in chalky puddles up to their necks, or finding badger/fox poo and shimmying through it.

If the heft into the bath option does not work, then we use the bucket and large soapy car mitt option, and this appears to be almost as good! 

I also use some stuff from eqyss which works well without hosing off to remove yukky stuff and it smells nice too. Works on humans, horses, dogs etc, so has become to standard shower stuff etc for our van!


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## PlanetGen (Feb 12, 2009)

Thankyou all for the advice. 
So in theory, in order to avoid getting drenched I should not bath him at all. If he does really need a bath then take to france, and let him get gassed? 
The jumping up is something that I have already put into practise and the tips I had for taking him on the lead. 
My main worry still is the show, and Lady J and a few others have said they would love to meet him, I want to bring him when he is ready.
We still have all the time in the world as its not his third birthday til December.
Simon


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## Annsman (Nov 8, 2007)

Tried and tested method for cleaning a dog.

1 Buy some Weebox Beef Jerky from ASDA.

2 Take out the dog and let him/her roll in stuff.

3. Return home. Leave dog in car boot. Close all internal doors except the bathroom. Put towels, shampoo and shower head at arms distance.

4. let dog out of car and take/enter bathroom.

5. get dog to jump into the bath without water or shower running.

6. Reward with beef jerky, (small piece).

7. Start shower and wash dog with luke warm water.

8 With towels on the floor get the dog to jump out of the bath, (easy bit!) onto towels then cover the dog with a towel before it starts to shake off excess water, ( great dexterity needed!) Then dry the dog using the towel.

9. Reward with small piece of beef jerky.

10. Allow the dog to lie in front of the fire, on a towel, to dry, then give final large piece of beef jerky.


By the time you've done this plan three times you can cut out the points 6 & 9 as the dog will love the jerky so much he/she will run straight from the car, jump into the bath and eagerly await point 10!


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## PlanetGen (Feb 12, 2009)

Do you find things like that can give a bad tummy to dogs?
Rodney has only eaten dry food, and when he is treated with things like Sausages it gets messy.


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## Rainbow-Chasers (Sep 2, 2008)

Treats are bad! LOL! I do recall one experience with my mother, who looked after Lorcan for the day whilst we were out shopping.

She has very spoiled cats who live on prawns and tuna - anyway, for a treat she decided that she would give some to Lorcan for a treat.

The next day, we were at a show with the hire motorhomes, showing people around when his after effects developed - killer bad wind! It was disgusting, and totally stank one of the vans out!

I wonder why no-one booked that one! It stank to high heaven!


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