# Recirculating Bathing Systems



## KarMar (Jan 14, 2016)

We've never used any fancy bathing techniques on Mario as he is almost always kept in a puppy cut (his hair is currently 3.5 inches long...longest it's been in awhile) and a quick lather-rinse-condition-rinse cycle takes not much time at all. However, our new addition will be shown, so we will have a dog in a full coat (and one that needs to look nice, at that). After doing some research, I'm really liking the idea of a recirculating bathing system. Similar to the Bathing Beauty, except I refuse to spend $600 on something I could make on my own for under $80.

My question is this: those of you who keep your pooches in full coat and have used a recirculating system, how did/do you like it? Those who keep their dogs in full coat but don't use this system, what do you use and what do you like and dislike about it?

Just trying to get all my ducks in a row before puppy comes home (24 days y'all!)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KarMar said:


> We've never used any fancy bathing techniques on Mario as he is almost always kept in a puppy cut (his hair is currently 3.5 inches long...longest it's been in awhile) and a quick lather-rinse-condition-rinse cycle takes not much time at all. However, our new addition will be shown, so we will have a dog in a full coat (and one that needs to look nice, at that). After doing some research, I'm really liking the idea of a recirculating bathing system. Similar to the Bathing Beauty, except I refuse to spend $600 on something I could make on my own for under $80.
> 
> My question is this: those of you who keep your pooches in full coat and have used a recirculating system, how did/do you like it? Those who keep their dogs in full coat but don't use this system, what do you use and what do you like and dislike about it?
> 
> Just trying to get all my ducks in a row before puppy comes home (24 days y'all!)


I'd talk to your breeder about this one, but I don't know ANY Havanese breeders who use anything like that. It looks like it would be VERY harsh on a long, soft, potentially fragile coat.

Also, Havanese shouldn't get dirty enough to need something like this on a regular basis. (well, sometimes Kodi does when we're in the woods, but that's another story! )

I have 3, as you know, two in full coat, one who will be, and who we hope will be shown in conformation as well as performance sports. I have to be efficient about it, but it's also important to me that they look their best. At this point, I can get through baths/blow-dries in 2 hours for the three of them, though that will go up somewhat when Panda's coat gets longer. It's really the drying part that is time consuming, not the bathing.

I've found that it is important to find the RIGH products for your dogs' coats. And that will differ from dog to dog. I'd suggest starting with whatever your breeder likes, since she knows what works on the coats of her line of dogs, and branch out from there if you want/need to. You will probably need a whitening shampoo if you get the "panda" pup... can't remember how much white the other one has. But the good whitening shampoos contain no bleach and will not harm a colored or black coat in any way. My favorites are Bio Groom Super White and CC White on White. Both do an excellent job. SO FAR, my favorite conditioner is CC Spectrum 10, except that it is very thick, and a PITA to get out of the bottle. But, that means it goes a long way, too!

On Karen Collins advice I've been playing with the CC Proline combo shampoo and conditioner. This seems to work great on the two younger ones, and means I only have to rinse them once. It's not "conditioning"enough for Kodi's full coat, and it also doesn't whiten enough. So I was having to soap up his feet and belly separately with the White on White, which doesn't save any time or rinsing. But my dogs spend more time outdoors than many Havs do, so YMMV.

As far as technique is concerned... for me it's kitchen sink all the way!  I lay towels out on the counter to warp them in as soon as they are done, and have a Shamwow right beside the sink to get as much water out of their coats as possible. I used to have a divided sink, which was workable, but not great. Kodi is a larger Hav, and didn't fit comfortably in either side. So he stood with his back feet in one side, and his front feet on the divider. It worked, but we did get a fair amount of water on the floor!  When we remodeled our kitchen, TOP PRIORITY was a Havanese-bath tub-sized single basin sink,with a pull down sprayer faucet. This works MUCH better!!! Even Kodi has room to not only stand in it, but turn around in it.

I start by mixing some shampoo into a pitcher of warm water, and use that to wet the dog. Plain water doesn't penetrate the coat very fast, so trying to just wet them with the sprayer takes a long time. A little soap in it, and it sinks right in. Then on the white footed ones, I apply full strength whitening shampoo to their feet and bellies and lather it in. That stays on while I wash the rest of the dog. Next I lather up the rest of the dog, and rinse. I use the pitcher to rinse their heads... they mind it much less than the sprayer. When you think you're done rinsing, rinse again.

Then I mix the conditioner into a full pitcher of water and pour this over the whole dog, making sure it saturates all parts of the coat. Then rinse the conditioner out with the sprayer (except the head... use the pitcher there). How MUCH you rinse out becomes a matter of feel. Pixel's coat is VERY fine, and much conditioner left in her coat weighs it down. Kodi has more coat, and it's a bit heavier, so I leave him feeling a BIT "slippery" when I stop rinsing.

If you've got a really dry coat, which has only happened once or twice with Kodi, during blowing coat, I put full strength conditioner on, work it completely into the coat and wrap the dog in towels for 10 minutes before rinsing out. But I find that the pitcher method works great for regular, weekly baths. (also be careful about over-conditioning puppy coats... it can weigh them down and make them look greasy)

Washing really doesn't take long... it's drying that can take FOREVER if you don't have the right tools. I'd spend my money on BOTH a good stand dryer and a force dryer before bothering with that fancy washing thing. I put the dog in a grooming slip on my grooming table, with the stand dryer blowing warm air on them gently, then I use the force dryer to do the legs, feet, and areas that stand dryer doesn't reach easily.

Pam King taught me that with young puppies with short coats, holding them in a towel, against your chest and exposing just one section at a time to the stand dryer keeps them warm, comfy, and introduces the whole bathing process gently.

So, with just one puppy, even if you just use a hand-held human dryer, it's not going to take you THAT long to bathe your puppy. Depending on how dense a coat he develops, even with just one, it can feel like a real chore drying hand-held. I got my force dryer (A CC KoolPup) when Kodi was a couple of years old. I added the stand dryer just before we got Pixel. I LOVE having both.


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