How To Give A Bath To A Chihuahua

Bathing Chihuahuas is one of the most important parts of their grooming routines. Chihuahuas must be bathed regularly no matter you own a smooth-coat or long-coat variety. Giving a bath to Chihuahuas is not only helpful in keeping them clean but also keep their fur free of any tangles. According to recent research studies, bathing your Chihuahua regularly can keep him safe from several illnesses and diseases. When you give a bath to your Chihuahua, he feels fresh, healthy, and energetic which makes it easy to train and groom him. Your Chi needs a bath just like you need to stay clean and prevent build-ups of dirt. So, giving a bath to your Chihuahua is very important, if you want your Chi to be clean, healthy, and fresh. 

Unfortunately, many Chihuahua’s owners don’t know how to give a bath to their Chihuahuas effectively and allow them to go un-bathed for long periods of time. If an adorable pet like Chihuahua stays un-bathed for a long period of time, it could open a door to several illnesses and ailments of skin on him. Staying un-bathed for a long period of time can cause a build-up of debris layer on the skin surfaces of Chihuahuas which can make the cleaning process highly difficult. So, if you are a Chihuahua owner, you must know how to give a bath to your Chi effectively and regularly. 

If you are wondering what is the best way to give a bath to your Chihuahua, don’t stop reading this article because we are going to discuss the best and the most effective way of giving a bath and cleaning your Chihuahua. 

What is the best way to give a bath to Chihuahuas?

Before you can give an effective and proper bath to your Chihuahua, you will first need to collect a few important and basic items. It would not be difficult for you as most of these items are usually already present in your home. For some items, you may need to visit the local pet stores. The necessary items require for Chihuahua bating are very cheap and easily available. 

You need to collect the following necessary items before giving a bath to your beloved Chi:

• Premium Dog-Formulated Shampoo (Avoid using people or ordinary shampoo because it can be too harsh for the delicate skin of Chihuahuas).
• Dry Towel
• Wash Cloth
• A large bowl or pitcher to hold water
• Some treats to distract Chihuahuas

Brushing Chihuahuas before bathing

After you collected all the necessary items, it’s time to start the bathing process. You can make the bathing process less messy and easier by removing any excess fur in Chihuahua’s coat through a good brushing. Although it is not compulsory, it will save your time while bathing by removing all the loose fur that would otherwise end up in your bathtub or sink. Brushing a Chihuahua is very easy, just hold a soft brush in your hand and move it through Chihuahua’s coat gently. Don’t use excessive force during brushing as it can cause damage to Chihuahua’s skin. After completing the brushing process, you can move towards to major process of bathing. 

Make bathtub ready!

Bathing a Chihuahua is not very much different from bathing any pet. Some owners usually choose a large sink to do it, while others prefer a small bathtub or tin bucket. If you are not suffering or sensitive to backaches while bending forward then it is usually best just to bathe Chihuahuas in the bathtub. There are many advantages of using a bathtub instead of a tin bucket. For example, a bathtub is a readily available source of water that provides a perfect cleaning experience. 

So, we recommend using a bathtub for bathing your Chihuahuas. After removing the bathtub stopper, turn the water and wait for it to reach a comfortable, lukewarm temperature that is not too cold to freeze your Chihuahua and not too warm to scald him. 

Place Chihuahua in the bathtub

Now, as the water is ready with a favorable bathing temperature, it’s time to place your Chihuahua in the bathtub. It is naturally common in some Chihuahuas that they are more standoffish of getting bathed than others; for this reason, you may have to involve them in a little canine version of hid-n-go-seek play before placing them in the bathtub. Always try to make them relaxed and comfortable as much as you can because in case they are anxious or nervous before getting bathed, you may feel difficulty during the process. You can use a tactic of taking or petting to calm them down. Typically, this behavior plays a very helpful role to make Chihuahua get used to the bathing routine. After placing your Chihuahua in the bathtub, the process of cleaning will be started which is considered a major part of bathing a Chihuahua. 

With your Chihuahua in the bathtub, you will start the bathing process which consists of the following major steps:

1. Wet the skin with water – In the first step, fill a bowl or pitcher up with the lukewarm water, and gently pour it over the body of your Chihuahua. Make user you hold his head with your free hand in a shielding way while pouring down the water. 
2. Shampoo the fur coat of Chihuahua – Now, it’s time to shampoo the fur coat of your adorable Chi. However, it is highly recommended to tread to the label of the shampoo you are using to bathe your Chihuahua. Read the directions printed on the label about the amount needs to be used and safety instruction. As Chihuahuas are a small dog breed, they only need a very small amount of shampoo while bathing. 
3. Apply Shampoo in the fur coat – Now, lather the shampoo into the fur coat of the Chihuahua. To apply shampoo in the fur coat you can use either a washcloth or even your hands if a washcloth is not available. While applying shampoo to the fur coat, try your best to prevent shampoo from going into the eyes of Chihuahua because it can easily cause pain and discomfort. The best way to avoid shampoo entering Chihuahua’s eyes is to hold his head shielding during the process. 
4. Allow Shampoo to settle down – After applying shampoo to the fur coat of Chihuahua, wait for a couple of minutes to allow settling down of the shampoo. It will certainly help freshen Chihuahua’s coat. 
5. Rinse Out the Shampoo – Now, fill the bowel or the pitcher you using, up with water again and pour it over Chihuahua’s body to rinse out all the shampoo from the fur coat. Run Chihuahua’s coat continuously with the help of your hands while pouring down the water over his body. It will help work out the shampoo. Repeat this steps again and again until the water comes out of the fur becomes clear and shampoo-free. 
6. Dry Chihuahua’s body with the help of a dry towel – Now, as your Chihuahua is clean and fresh, you can take him out of the bathtub and start the drying process. For this, wrap him up in a dry towel and gently rub the towel against his body to increase the speed of the drying process. 
7. Don’t forget to present your Chihuahua with his favorite treat – As your Chihuahua did a wonderful job during the bathing process, give him their favorite treat after a lot of praising and petting. 

How can you make the bathing process more easy and comfortable for your Chihuahua?

You can make the bathing process easy and comfortable for your Chihuahua by following our special bathing tips, which are as follows:

• Due to some unknown reasons, some Chihuahuas usually don’t like to get dried with a towel after taking a bath. They usually make aggressive noises and may growl sometimes when you wrap them up in a hot and dry towel. For such types of Chihuahuas, use a hairdryer to dry their body instead of traumatizing them by wrapping them up in a dry towel. With the hairdryer, they will not only enjoy the drying process but also don’t make aggressive noises to annoy you. 
• If your Chihuahua doesn’t like the hairdryer either, let him air dry after they get out of the bathtub. Although it will take a longer time than a dry towel method or a hairdryer, they will still enjoy it and you will also save yourself from bothering of drying your Chihuahua’s fur coat. However, it is highly recommended to keep an eye on your Chihuahua to prevent him from getting up on anything you want to keep dry.  

How often should you give a bath to your Chihuahua?

While giving a bath to your Chihuahua regularly is an essential aspect of his grooming routine, you should also avoid overdoing it. It is common in some Chihuahua’s owners that they bathe their pups multiple times a week. It usually may not be a big deal to them but bathing your Chihuahuas multiple times in a short period could possibly damage their skin coat with other complications. 

So, how often should you give a bath to your Chihuahuas? Well according to the experts, giving a bath to your Chihuahua around once every 2-3 weeks is considered a good rule of thumb. It can be a good practice to keep your Chihuahua safe and healthy while also cleaning and refreshing them. 

However, the number of times you give a bath to your Chihuahuas also depends on several different factors such as how much time they play outside, the extent of their outdoor activity, the shampoo you are using for bathing your Chihuahua, and the variety of their fur coat. 

There are some conditions in which bathing your Chihuahua is necessary for his safety and health. For example, in case your Chihuahua has picked up fleas and they are cat fleas, you have to give him a bath because bathing is the most effective way of getting rid of fleas. While bathing your Chihuahua to kill fleas, don’t forget to put a ring of soap around his neck to stop fleas from running up your Chihuahua. We recommend nee oil shampoo to bath your Chihuahua to kill fleas because it has naturally occurring insecticides. 

You might be thinking that what you can do to keep your Chihuahua clean if you don’t give him a bath multiple times a week. Well, the best practice in this situation is to wash the body parts of your Chihuahua having dirt buildup on them. For example, the most vulnerable parts of Chihuahua’s body are paws. The paws can get dirty after a muddy walk. In this case, you should fill a bowl with water and dip your Chihuahua’s paws into it to make them clean. You can also use a bowl of hot water and dog shampoo for this purpose. If you want to keep your Chihuahua’s paws healthy and active, this is the best practice. 

Safety precautions while bathing your Chihuahua

While bathing your Chihuahua, don’t forget to take the following safety precaution:

• Before giving a bath to your pup, check the water’s temperatures to make sure it is lukewarm because too hot or too cold water can be dangerous for Chihuahua’s skin health. 
• Read the expiry date of the Dog shampoo you are using to bathe your Chihuahua. Make sure it is not expired. 
• Before giving a bath to your Chihuahua, don’t forget to check the weather conditions. If it is too cold, don’t bathe your Chihuahua until temperate weather. However, you can use hot water if you want in this situation. 

We hope that you have got the comprehensive answer to the question “how can you give a bath to your Chihuahua?” Thank You very much for your precious time!