Bathing a Lhasa Apso can seem like a challenge, simply because there is so much hair! But with the right steps, not only can a bath go smoothly, your Lhasa Apso will end up with a beautiful, shiny coat to boot!.

Bathing should be done on an "as-needed" basis. Most Lhasa Apso's need a bath every 7-14 days, which is a little more frequent than many other breeds. This is due to the fact that so much dirt, urine, and other un-mentionables can get trapped in the long coat. But frequency will depend on the individual pet.

To start off, you should always brush the coat before a bath. This will remove some of the debris and the tangles. However, never "dry" brush a dirty Lhasa. What I mean by "dry" is without using a spray while brushing. You can choose to use a little conditioner mixed with water in a spray bottle, or purchase a specialty grooming product. To read more about Brushing & Grooming Your Lhasa Apso, check out our other articles.

It is strongly recommended that you do not use a shampoo intended for human use. A dog's skin is much more sensitive than human skin and this can cause serious skin irritations, excessive drying of the coat, or flaking of their skin. Once you are ready to start the bath, put your Lhasa in a sink or a raised pet tub.

Using warm water, start at the head, and make sure you get ALL of the coat wet BEFORE you begin applying shampoo. Since they were bred in the Himalayan Mountains, their coats are designed to shed water/snow, similar to an otters. It's easy to think they're completely wet, only to find a dry spot as you apply shampoo. Work the shampoo in gently, moving from top to bottom only. Never rub in circles the way you would your own hair, as this will only mat their coat. And generally, any mat that is in their coat only gets worse when wet.

Once you've made sure you've cleaned all areas (especially oily areas like the feet, muzzle, and ears) rinse thoroughly. Then rinse again! You want to make sure you've rinsed all the shampoo out.

I like to place a clean dry towel on the grooming table, ready for the dog when he comes out of the tub. Don't towel dry the dog or rub him with a towel! Again, this can just mat the hair. Carry him in a towel to the grooming table, and stand him on the clean towel. Using a large pin bruch, begin to brush downward through the coat - this helps cover each hair with conditioner. You won't be trying to really "brush" the coat, so much as trying to spread the conditioner through it. Once you feel the conditioner is spread through the coat, then you can squeeze and pat the hair damp-dry with a couple of towels.

Lhasa's are considered to look best with their hair parted straight down their back. To do this, face them away from you, and check to make sure every foot is placed in an even rectangle, and that their body isn't curving or their legs sprawled out. Holding the chin gently in one hand, use the other with a long metal comb or knitting needle to follow the vertebrae of the backbone exactly, starting from the base of the neck. If the part is uneven, do it again - until the line is exactly straight. The trick is getting the dog to stand square, with his feet in line! Then part the neck with the dog facing you.

This may sound like a tedious process, but with a few tries you will find that it doesn't take that much longer than a normal bath. And the result is a very well-groomed Lhasa Apso!

To read more about grooming your Lhasa Apso, or traditional hair styles, visit our other hubs, or our Lhasa Apso blog.