Even if you use a groomer for haircuts, you may want to bathe your Havanese yourself. Weekly baths will keep your dog clean and sweet smelling. Brush and comb his coat thoroughly to remove all mats and tangles before starting the bathing process. Put a cotton ball into each ear to keep out water. A drop of mineral oil in each eye helps protect from soap or water.
Apply the shampoo/conditioner after you have thoroughly wet your dog down. Using your hands, gently rub it into the coat, beginning at the head and gradually working your way down the torso to the end of the tail. Be sure not to get soap in his eyes or water in his ears. Do not rub the coat back and forth or all the mats you removed will return. Next, work the lather into each of the legs.
After you have finished lathering the coat, rinse it thoroughly, being careful to remove all soapy residue. Hold his beard as you spray water over his head, down his back, and down his legs. Never spray water in your dog’s face. Again, be sure you have removed all shampoo/ conditioner.
When you’ve finished rinsing, wrap a towel around your dog and gently pat him dry. Again, do not rub the coat back and forth with the towel. When the towel is wet through, using another dry towel to get the remaining water out of the coat. Run a coarse comb through the coat, using the line brushing technique. You may choose to let the coat air dry at this point or use a hair dryer to blow it out.
Safety First
You can bathe your Havanese in the kitchen sink, laundry tub, or bathtub. Always ensure that your dog is safe in the tub. Never fill it more than a few inches (cm) deep, and make sure the water is not too hot or too cold.
At about 4 months of age, a puppy begins transitioning to the equivalent of an adolescent stage. He has lots of ideas about what he should do, and bathing generally isn’t one of them. I strongly urge all puppy owners to be sure to secure their dogs safely in the sink or tub.
This can be done by leaving his collar on while bathing and attaching it to his leash, which is shortened and tied around the water faucet. Once your dog learns to accept the process, this may no longer be necessary.
Bath Training Your Havanese
Before you actually bathe your Havanese puppy, it is helpful to acclimate him to bathing by making it as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. By practicing the following bath training techniques, he will gradually learn to trust you and accept bathing as part of his usual grooming routine.
First, place your puppy inside a dry tub (or sink if you will bathe him there) on a nonslip bath mat. Offer him some treats or a toy. Play with him by wiggling the toy in his mouth or ask him to sit and give him a treat—anything that will make the experience of being in the tub pleasant and rewarding.
You want your puppy to feel safe and secure there. Praise him lavishly for behaving and being calm. After a few minutes, remove him from the tub. Do this exercise every day for about a week, keeping him there a bit longer until he can remain in the tub for about 10 minutes.
Once your puppy accepts this calmly, move on the next step. Run some warm water into the tub, but only enough to cover his feet. Place your puppy into the tub slowly while speaking softly to him and playing with him to distract him. Let him get used to the water and wet him down if he will allow it.
Repeat the rewards and praise as you did before, offer him a treat when you are done, and take him out of the tub. Towel him dry and tell him what a good boy he was. Then offer him another treat. Do this exercise several times, until he is comfortable being in the water.
Once your Havanese is comfortable being in the water, it is time to have an adult doggy bath! Be sure to offer lots of praise and rewards throughout the entire process to keep the bath a positive experience.
