How To Clean Your Dog After A Day At The Beach
So how do I clean my dog after visiting the beach? To clean your dog after visiting the beach, firstly rinse off your dog before getting into the car. Next, towel dry your dog and then transport them home in a dog crate to protect your car. Once home, give your dog a bath with mild soap.
Should I wash my dog after going to the beach? Yes, you should wash your dog after going to the beach to remove the sand trapped in their coat as well as the salt on their skin which may cause an irritation. Make sure you rinse and dry their ears to prevent infections.
Can salt water irritate dogs skin? Yes, too much exposure to salt water can irritate a dog’s skin, making it dry, tight and flaky. That is why it is so important to wash your dog after they swim at the beach to remove the salt caught in their coat.
Should you wash salt water off a dog? Yes, you should wash salt water off a dog as it can irritate their skin. Salt water can make a dog’s skin dry, tight and flaky and also make their coat dull. That is why you should always wash salt water off a dog after swimming.
How to clean a golden retriever after the beach? The best way to clean your golden retriever after the beach is to do a rudimentary rinse and towel dry before getting into the car. Once home, give your golden retriever a bath with mild soap, massaging sand out of their coat.
How do I get sand out of a dog? To get sand out of a dog, wash your dog down with a hose to dislodge it. Then, give your dog a bath in mild soapy water, massaging the sand out of your dog. Towel dry your dog and brush him to remove the remaining sand.
Read Also: 4 Easy Ways To Get Sand Out Of Your Dog’s Fur
Table of Contents
1. Rinse Off Dog At The Beach
After your dog’s final swim of the day and when you are getting ready to go home, you should take the opportunity to rinse off your dog to remove extra sand and other allergens. You have two main options of how to do this – use the public showers or use a portable dog shower.
While Rinsing Your Dog Check For Injuries
A vital step before letting your dog into the car after his quick rinse is to check your dog for any injuries he/she obtained while swimming or running around at the beach. To do this well you should carefully look through your dog’s fur for any surface injuries on his body then move to checking his paws. Common injuries include paw injuries from discarded dishing hooks, stings from sea life, and sunburn.
2. Towel Dry Well
The next step is to towel dry your dog well before he/she jumps into your car. You definitely don’t want a wet upholstery in your car or even worse the wet dog smell!
Towel drying will further help loosen up any sand remaining in the fur and will make it even easier to remove while giving your dog a bath later on. You can use just a normal human towel or a specially designed microfibre dog towel for this step. Wearable dog towels are also super popular as you can leave them on while your dog travels in your car, adding an extra layer of protection between your dog and the car.
3. Transport Dog Home In A Crate
If you really want to keep the upholstery of your car clean, I highly recommend that you transport your dog home in a crate. This will keep all of the sand to one central location while will make it easier and quicker for you to clean later on.
As dogs often feel itchy after a day at the beach they will try to scratch their body to get it loose or shake themselves to help dry their coats. This often happens in the car on the way home so it is best to confine this activity to a dog travel crate like this one here.
Alternatively, you can set up a dog car hammock to protect your car interior. This is a good option for dogs who are not crate trained or larger dog breeds.
4. Hose Dog Before Entering House
This step is optional but is a good idea if your dog is still very dirty after the initial rinse off after the beach. The hose will also have better pressure than your portable dog shower so it will be able to dislodge even more sand, dirt and debris.
5. Give Your Dog A Bath With Mild Soap
Now it it bath time! Use a mild dog shampoo to lather your dog up. Start at the chest first and then gradually move to other areas of the body, making sure you are washing the undercoat. Also make sure that you avoid sensitive areas of your dog such as their eyes, ears, nose and mouth.
After bath time make sure that you give your dog lots of treats and positive affirmations. This will make your dog associate bath time with fun times and make him/her want to do it again next time.
Rinse & Dry Ears To Prevent Infections
Many dogs are prone to ear infections after a trip to the beach. Your dog would’ve been exposed to a variety of things while swimming such as dirt, salt, sand and other floating debris in the water and you don’t know what has gone into his/her ears and what hasn’t That is why it is so important to take the extra time and care to properly wash your dog’s ears on arrival home.
The best way to wash your dogs ears is to squeeze a vet approved ear cleaning solution into your dog’s ear canal and then massage the base of his ears for 20 to 30 seconds. These products dislodge debris and other build up in the ears. Consult with your vet about an ear rinse solution that would be best for your dog, especially if you have noticed that your dog get itchy ears after a trip to the beach!
Towel Dry Your Dog Again
Now that your dog has had a nice and relaxing bath you need to towel dry him again. Rub your dog’s coat vigorously with a plush or microfibre towel so he quickly drys and doesn’t catch a cold.
Don’t Let Your Dog Outside Yet!
Just because you have finished most of the cleaning of your dog after your day at the beach, it doesn’t mean that your dog can run wild in your backyard yet! Leave your dog inside your house until he is fully dry! Many dogs like to be dirty and having a damp coat is the perfect opportunity to roll around in dirt or grass. Do this step to save yourself having to clean your dog again!
6. Brush Your Dog
The final step is to brush your dog. There might still be sand in your dog’s coat and luckily it is most easily removed from a dry coat. Brushing your dog will a slicker or pin brush will dislodge any stubborn sand particles quickly.
7. Repeat Steps As Necessary Until All Sand & Debris Is Removed From Fur
Unfortunately going to the beach leads to one of the most difficult and time consuming clean ups for dog owners. Rarely all sand is removed from fur in one attempt, especially for long haired breeds. You might have to give your dog a second or even a third bath!
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