Since your new "baby" is a puppy, he is fairly easy to handle. It's scary for a new puppy to come into your home and have to endure the loud faucet, the carpetless tub, and the slippery floor . So it is very important that you make every effort to make him feel as comfortable as possible in this new adventure. He can see that you are big and he is small and he probably feels pretty helpless in this situation.

First, you're going to need to set up. Make sure to have a towel ready so you can pick the puppy up with it and dry him off at the end. Selecting a shampoo for your puppy is sometimes a difficult decision. Involve your vet and she may tell you a certain brand or specific shampoo to use. I like using Johnson's baby shampoo because it leaves the coat shiny & soft. Sometimes I use just a little squirt of Head & Shoulders because my puppy Tucker is 7 months old now and gets a little dandruff once in a while. There are plenty of puppy shampoos out there and you really don't need to splurge on the high priced ones.

Now that we have the towel ready and the shampoo picked out, where do we bathe the little guy? If the dog is very small, you may want to clean out the kitchen sink (or large laundry sink if the thought of the dog on the kitchen cupboard grosses you out) and wash him there. Some people prefer to use the bathtub. When Tucker was really little, sometimes I would take him in the shower with me so he could cuddle close to my heart and not feel so vulnerable. It's very important to make him feel safe and let him trust you.

Ok, I've got the shampoo, towel, and the puppy in the sink, how hard should I scrub? While bathing your puppy, hold him steady with one hand and scrub with the other. You don't have to scrub too hard but clean him gently making sure to reach all those little crevasses (on his face-NOT around his eyes, under his legs, on his belly, very gently under his tail, scratch his neck, etc). Most shampoos with tell you to leave it on for a few minutes (follow directions on the bottle). In this time, sing to your puppy, talk to him, pet him, and hold his ears to make sure he doesn't get too cold. When it's time, rinse him thoroughly making sure to keep the water from the faucet from directly hitting his face. If soap is left on the dog, it doesn't keep him clean, it makes him dirtier. Soap left on a puppy promotes itching, flaky skin, and actually attracts dirt more.

Once he is thoroughly rinsed, you have one clean little puppy! Pick him up out of the tub with the towel and make sure to dry him as much as possible. When you let him down, he will most likely shake, so be prepared by putting the towel up. Also, he'll probably want to run around the house and land in a huge pile of warm blankets. Make sure you let him know what a good boy he was (even if he was far too squirmy for your liking) and give him a treat and a kiss on his head!