"Washcloth":

I hate bathing my dog, Ajax. Hurts my back, wet dog in the house, lather rinse repeat, and sometimes it seems like once you bathe them, they even need it MORE. Like you're stripping natural oils from the coat and not just the dirt.

So, I lazy-way it. I use a hot wet washcloth, "almost drippy" and as hot as I can get it to wipe my atopic-dog down. I got against the grain of the hair. Then I get it hot again - and go with the grain. And maybe one more time for good measure. Then I might blot him dry with a dry hand towel.

GoodWill is my friend for beater-towels for Ajax to get his 'wasshcloth-baths' in.

How do you know when they need a 'washclothing'?

If you think these "skin cases" would pass a 'white glove test' - you're in good shape.
But if you think we'd run him down with a damp white cloth, and come up with 'stains' of any kind, from waxy, to oily, to brown or black, he needs to be brushed and thoroughly 'washclothed'.
I mean sure, you could bathe 'em. What a pain in the neck. And rarely endeavored simply for that reason.

But wash cloths are super-easy.
MOST dogs have no itching from clay, sand, dust, settled smog, leaf-litter, pollen and moulds on the ground (and embedded in their coat) but: For those dogs that ARE itchy from those 'dusts' (ATOPY) - being 'white glove' clean is critical. So, how would THIS dog do if I used a damp paper towel on the coat today?

Would a white glove come back clean?

Doc Johnson

See also: Washcloth

See also: The other-other Washcloth