How to Properly Give a Bearded Collie a Bath:

Bearded Collies will need a bath at least once a month, sometimes more. It is very important to keep them properly groomed so they do not become ill. Beardies have very long coats. Which is made up of a top coat and a bottom coat. It is important to keep both coats properly groomed. Most Beardies are outside a lot, so they do indeed get very dirty. The Bearded Collie normally enjoys playing and working in the dirt and mud. But when it comes to bath time that is a different story. The Beardie will normally run and hide when you say bath time, and I will tell you why.
The first step to bathing your Beardie, is finding a day that you have nothing else to do. Because they are good size dogs it does take up a good part of the day. You should allow up to 6 hours to groom an adult Bearded Collie. You will need to have: towels, shampoo, conditioner, rakes, combs, brushes, round-tip scissors, nail clippers, cutting comb, cotton swabs, cotton balls, large glass, ball, and some cookies or treats. You may need a blow dryer; this is optional. I suggest you to put old comfortable clothes on. Because you will get wet and dirty before you are done.
Now that you have gathered up everything you need, it is now time to get your Beardie ready for his bath. It is very important to thoroughly brush your dog out. You will start by holding the top coat up and brushing the undercoat thoroughly out. Make sure you get the legs, underarms, and behind the ears very well. It seems that it mats the most in those places. Next you will brush the top coat, face and tail. Once you are free of mats and tangles you are finished with the brushing. It is very important to trim the hair from the inside of the ears. Be careful not to puncture the inside of the ear. If there is a lot of wax or the ears stink, you will need to contact your vet. Chances are your dog has an ear infection. You will also need to trim the hair from around his paw pads. This will help prevent mud balls getting packed into their paw pads. Now your dog should be almost ready for his bath.
It has taken several hours to brush your dog. I suggest taking a break. Give your dog a cookie and I suggest telling him how well he is doing. You can also tell him how nice he looks. Beardies love to play ball, so I suggest playing ball for a bit. While playing you will want to clean up the area where you are grooming your dog. But make sure you keep an eye on your dog. If you do not, your dog may decide it is time to get all dirty again. If this happens then you will have to start all over.
It is now time to get prepared for the bath. First you must decide where you will give your dog his bath. I suggest if it is warm outside to do it there. Little kids’ wading pools are great for using as bath tubs for giving an dog a bath. You can also purchase dog washers. They are pretty expensive. They could run anywhere from $100.00 and up The third thing you can use is your bath tub. If you use your bath tub it is important to put something over the trap, so you do not clog your drain. If you are outside, I suggest using a garden sprayer to rinse your dog. That will easily hook to the water hose, which you will need also. I also suggest using a large plastic cup to wet your dog’s face. This will help unwanted water from going into the ears and eyes. Once you have decided where to give your dog a bath, you will need to fill your tub about a fourth of the way up with warm water.
Now that is bath time, and your Beardie has watched you prepare the tub with water, your dog is hiding. Your dog will probably not come when you call him. As a matter of fact he will not be in any of his normal places he lies. So you must go looking under the beds, under the sofa, in an open closet door, anywhere your dog may fit. Once you find your dog, he will probably not just run and jump into the tub as you want him to. So you must pick him up and carry him to the bath tub. Once you get him into the tub I guarantee you, your dog has decided you will get wet also. So keep in mind you can take a shower later. Do not let your dog know you mind getting wet. This will make the bath process go a lot better. It is easier to give your adult Beardie a bath, if you bathe your dog as a puppy. If you do that he will get used to bath time. This is still no guarantee he will like it, but at least he will hopefully stay in the tub.
Your dog is in the tub now. So now it is time for the dreadful bath, your dog has been waiting on. It is important to put cotton balls in your dog’s ear. This will help to prevent unwanted water from going into the ear canal. Excess amount of water in the ears can cause ear infections. Now it is time to spray your dog down with water. I suggest using a large plastic glass to put the water on his face. When the dog is thoroughly wet you must begin shampooing your dog. It is very important that you do not get soap into your dog’s eyes. Soap will burn your dog’s eyes. So be very careful around your dog’s face. Once you have gotten shampoo all over the dog, massage it in very well, just like washing your own hair. When done you will need to thoroughly rinse your dog. Use your large plastic cup to rinse his face. Be careful not to get soap into the eyes. You can also use a wash cloth. Hold the wash cloth over dog’s eyes. This will prevent soap from getting in them. It is very important to get all the soap out of the dog’s hair. When done, you can put conditioner on your dog. Massage conditioner as if you were doing your own hair. When done thoroughly rinse hair again. Remember to use your plastic glass on the dog’s face. Do not get conditioner in the dog’s eyes. Word of advice do not leave the side of the bath tub for one minute. Chances are your dog will not stay in the tub. Most generally your dog will jump out and find dirt to roll in. If you are bathing him outside that means you will be starting all over again. Now you are done. Most dogs will jump out willingly. When the dog jumps out of the tub you will need to begin towel drying, soak up all excess water off of your dog. If you are not prepared for drying your dog as soon as gets out, be prepared for a doggy shower. It is a dogs nature to shake off when wet. I feel you should not discipline your dog for something they do naturally. Now "The Bath" is done.
You may want to give your dog another cookie or treat now that we made it through bath time. It is now time to re-groom your dog. I suggest, brushing over your dog once real quick. Then you must do the bottom coat, then top coat, just as you did earlier. Remove cotton balls from your dog’s ears. Take cotton swabs and clean the inside of your dog’s ears. Be careful not to shove the cotton swab too far into the ear. You will need to clip your dog’s nails. Make sure you do not clip them too short. If you do not know how to clip there nails, I suggest having your vet show you how. You can also use a blow dryer on your dog to dry his hair. If you use a blow dryer make sure it is very quiet. You will also need to be able to control the heat on it, so you do not burn your dog. Dogs normally do not like things with a high pitched sounds to it. High pitched noises normally make them nervous and hard to groom. Brush the dog’s coat while blow drying. Once you have gotten all tangles out of your dog’s coat, you are done with bath, and the grooming.
Now that you are finished you will want to reward your dog, this will give him confidence that he is a good dog. I suggest rewarding your dog with cookies or treats. I feel it is a must to take a break and play ball with your dog. This will make your dog feel better about bath time. Make sure you let your dog knows how well he looks. Beardies love attention and compliments. I feel it is a must that you spend a good bit of time with your dog. You have just made his day miserable, so the least you can do is play with him. Your last step to bath time is cleaning up the mess. Put away all of your grooming tools. Wash up the dirty towels and such. If you washed your dog in the bathroom, you will need to clean your bathroom, thoroughly scrub your tub. Make sure you clean your walls and floors if your dog shook off in the house. Then when you are done you will need to take a shower and put on clean clothes. Now both you and your Beardie feel a lot better.
Now that I have had my own Bearded Collie for several years, I suggest teaching them bath time and grooming at a very young age. This will make your life and theirs a lot easier when they are older. Do not punish your dog during bath time. That will only teach them to hate it more than they all ready do. Remember Beardies love praise. Give them compliments and let them know how well they look. This will make them happier and will also make them except bath time more. There is no rule that "you can not give your dog cookies during bath time", so I highly suggest that you do so. Always remember that no two bath times are the same experience. There will be times when your Bearded Collie will enjoy his bath, and other times he will hate his bath. So always keep a smile on your face, let your dog know you are almost done, and that they are doing well. When you are done you will have a pretty dog that stills respects you, and a dog you are very proud of.

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