Bathing - The right water temperature

Many people tend to bathe dogs with too warm of water. This can be uncomfortable for the dog and in some cases: dangerous. If the bath water is too warm, you can overheat the dog. Adding a hot dryer to this and you could cause a problem especially with large breeds and dogs that are overweight who have a difficult time cooling down.

For water to feel warm to your touch the temperature must be higher than your body temperature which is 98.6. Water that feels warm is over 100 degrees, much too warm for the dog’s bath.

Water that is between 70 and 80 degree is perfect. It should feel “room temperature” to you. Protect the dog from chilling after the bath by wrapping in a towel and using a warm (not hot) dryer.