To wash a dog's face, use a damp cloth or a gentle stream of lukewarm water, protecting their eyes and ears, and use a dog-specific, tearless shampoo sparingly, focusing on wiping away dirt and food with the cloth and rinsing thoroughly to avoid irritation. The key is gentleness, control, and keeping soap and water out of their eyes and ear canals, using methods like a squeeze bottle, sponge, or just a wet washcloth for sensitive areas.
Comments Section We use Spa brand blueberry facial for the face. Any shampoo marketed for the face should be safe, usually they'll say tearless as well. I currently use tropiclean blueberry facial. There are many fearless facial shampoos out there. Any of them will suffice.
Carefully Wash Their Face
Washing your dog's face requires an extra dose of gentleness and care, making sure to avoid dripping water or shampoo into their eyes and ears. “For the face, use a wet washcloth to carefully wet your dog's face,” Askeland instructs.
Baby wipes contain alcohols, preservatives, fragrances that can irritate or harm dogs through skin/ingestion. Breeds with skin folds, allergies, and puppies face highest risk from baby wipe ingredients. Dog-specific wipes are pH-balanced and free from harmful chemicals like parabens and sulfates.
Cleaning Your Dog's Face and Eyes
Some dogs won't want water running down their faces. For those who do not like running water all at, a washcloth will do. Be sure to rinse it with clean water. When using any cloth, start with the eyes to avoid getting dirt and bacteria from the fur and skin into the eyes later.
Keeping your dog clean and well-groomed can help prevent issues such as hot spots, ear infections, and dental problems, leading to a happier, healthier pup. 3. Improved Comfort and Hygiene: Just like humans, dogs feel more comfortable and confident when they're clean and well-groomed.
By removing food, debris and moisture you make it much harder for bacteria and yeast to survive. Even if your dog doesn't have wrinkles, wipe their face clean throughout the day to help eliminate the source of the stink.
How Not To Wash Your Dog
I usually wash the face 2-3 times until it is squeaky clean, then towel dry really well and brush/comb it. Then I dry the rest of their body and turn it all the way down to finish their face. Most dogs tolerate this fairly well. Just obv make sure not to blow directly in their eyes/nose/mouth.
The #1 rule for grooming a dog is to prioritize the dog's safety and comfort, which means being gentle, patient, using appropriate tools, and creating a positive experience to build trust and prevent injuries or fear, as emphasized by professionals like Clipit Grooming, QC Pet Studies, and The Pets Workshop. This involves careful handling of tools like scissors and clippers, taking breaks, and recognizing when a dog has had enough.
The water should be lukewarm, between 90-98 degrees Fahrenheit. Anything above this temperature can be too hot for your dog to handle and could potentially burn them.
Skin pH Levels Matter
Dogs have different skin pH levels compared to humans. While human skin is more on the acidic side, a dog's skin is more neutral. Dish soaps, including Dawn, are formulated for human use and are often too harsh for your dog's skin.
The 3-3-3 rule for dogs is a guideline for new owners, especially for rescues, showing a dog's typical adjustment phases: 3 Days (overwhelmed, decompression), 3 Weeks (settling in, learning routine, showing personality), and 3 Months (feeling at home, building trust, fully integrated). It's a framework to set expectations, reminding owners to be patient and provide structure, as every dog's timeline varies.
The 3-Minute Rule in cleaning is a technique to overcome procrastination by tackling a specific, small cleaning task for just three minutes, using a timer to create momentum, reduce overwhelm, and build consistent habits, often by quickly clearing surfaces or putting away misplaced items until the timer stops, at which point you can choose to continue or stop. It works by tricking your brain into starting, as action creates motivation, making it easier to maintain a tidy home without massive cleaning sessions.
Dogs say "sorry" through submissive body language like tucking their tail, lowering their head, making "puppy eyes," licking, and rolling onto their backs to show they're not a threat, which are appeasement signals to diffuse tension after a conflict or misbehavior, often combined with whining or approaching and retreating. They recognize when their human (or another dog) is upset and use these signs to seek forgiveness, though it's more about reducing stress than human-like guilt.
In reality, most dogs don't need bathing that often since most dirt and mud can be brushed out of their coat once it has dried. So, for most dogs, bath time should be reserved for when they smell or after a particularly muddy and wet adventure!
The 777 Puppy Rule (or Rule of 7s) is a guideline for puppy socialization, suggesting that by seven weeks old, a puppy should experience seven different Surfaces, seven different Sounds, seven different Objects, seven different People, seven different Locations, seven different Containers, and seven different Challenges, all in positive, short, and safe ways to build confidence and resilience. It helps prevent fear and reactivity by creating positive associations with novel experiences during the critical socialization window (around 4-16 weeks).
Regularly use eye wipes around your dog's eyes
Good pet care involves cleaning the stains from around your dog's eyes regularly. You can use pre-moistened wipes on a daily basis to get rid of the dust, dirt and gunk that contribute to the brown stains around their eyes.
6 dog breeds prone to eye problems
Natural antibiotics for dogs
Some products that have natural antibacterial properties, include: Honey. Coconut oil. Oregano oil.