When Can I Give My Puppy Their First Bath?

If you’re wondering ‘When can I give my puppy their first bath?’, the best products to use for a puppy, or how to make sure you're giving your puppy the safest bath, then we have the answers for you below!

We also have a step-by-step guide for how to give your puppy their first bath and what you’ll need here.

Why do you need to be careful about giving your puppy a bath:

1. A puppy’s skin is up to 5 times thinner than a human’s and thinner than a baby’s
2. Puppy skin is also more more alkaline than a human’s so you have to be careful to respect the skin pH
3. In order to clean, shampoos strip the skin and hair of essential oils that are required to keep it healthy, and in the case of many short haired breeds to keep it waterproof. It’s important to replenish these oils with a good conditioner. 
4. Many products on the market contain potentially harmful ingredients that can irritate and cause allergies for your puppy’s sensitive skin. Look around for a quality product and make sure to avoid ingredients such as: SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate), Alcohols, Perfume, MIT (Methylisothiazolinone), Parabens and Lanolin\
5. Puppy’s can’t yet regulate their own body temperature - so it’s important to keep them nice and warm at bathtime and avoid any shivering.

Why is it important to give your puppy a bath:

1. If you can get your puppy used to bathing from early - as well as the sound of the hairdryer - it will save both of you a lot of stress and anxiety in the future
2. Many essential oils (such as Lavender and Cedarwood in our products) act as natural insect and flea repellents for your puppy so you can avoid the very strong chemical repellents
3. Your puppy’s fur will change to an adult coat around 4-6 months, often the adult fur will be rougher and wirier. You can keep this hair soft and nourished with a quality conditioner like Super Soft.
4. A good grooming regimen will keep matting at bay, as well as make sure you’re frequently checking in on your puppy for any lumps, bumps and injuries.
5. A good high quality product will be filled with nourishing ingredients that are healing for the skin and coat

When can I give my puppy their first bath?

So as long as you follow the guidelines above, and have a high quality natural shampoo and conditioner that avoids any of the nasties mentioned, we recommend to give your puppy their first bath after 12 weeks.

If you want to do it sooner, then some vets also recommend 8 weeks - we would just suggest that you water down your products to make sure they’re even more gentle for your pup. Our So Fresh So Clean Shampoo can be watered down at 32 parts water to 1 part shampoo, and our Super Soft Conditioner is packed full of moisturising properties to soothe and nourish their delicate skin!

We hope that helps! For a step-by-step guide on how to give your puppy their first bath, click here. If you have any questions feel free to get in touch by email: hello@wildfordogs.co.uk. Or click below to shop.