Your Dog and Your Cat 



are apt to irritate the skin. Strong alkaline soaps 

 are detrimental to the hair because of their oil 

 solvent action. Liquid soaps are more convenient 

 and cake soap may be reduced by cutting it in fine 

 pieces, and dissolving in boiling water. 



Bath. — Puppies are usually frightened during 

 their first bath and will try to get away. If badly 

 handled, they will always fight their bath, hence 

 great care must be spent in getting them used to the 

 procedure. The dog should be placed in a dry tub 

 and accustomed to it. His face and feet can be 

 washed first, with water from a basin. As he 

 becomes used to the water it can be poured into 

 the tub, little by little, until there is sufficient for 

 the bath. The hair of the body can be saturated 

 by scooping the water up by the hand. Dogs that 

 like the bath may be induced to lie in the water, 

 or it can be poured over them with a dipper. After 

 the hair is saturated, the soap can be applied, the 

 lather being thoroughly worked through the hair to 

 the skin in order to dislodge all of the dirt. The 

 soap is then washed out and the dog thoroughly 

 rinsed with clear water. The first water should be 

 hot and the rinsing water cooled as much as the dog 

 is able to stand. If the bathtub is used the water 

 can be gradually cooled by the shower arrangement. 

 The first bath should be made as short as possible, 

 both because of the dog's fear and the danger of 

 his contracting a cold. 



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