Help with getting large DDB in the tub

[musicdeb]

I've always had problems getting Titan into the tub but he would follow the treats and jump in. In the last month, the treats no longer work. He weighs 110 lbs and I'm not able to lift him (it's Titan and me in our pack).

I tried for 3 hours yesterday to get him into the tub with no success. I had to stop because I was getting extremely frustrated.

I bathe him every week due to his skin issues. I can't afford to take him to the groomer every week at $30 a pop.

Any tips or hints? ray:

 

[ruthcatrin]

Does he like peanut butter or cheese spread? Smear some around the edges of the tub, so that he eventually has to climb in to get it all. Repeat regularly, without bathing, till he climbs in happily looking for it. Then maybe see if smearing ALOT of it y his head in the tub will distract him while bathing.

 

[musicdeb]

Thanks for the reply, Ruth! He likes PB, I'll try that. He doesn't mind the bath. He's actually very good while I'm bathing him. I think it's because the tub is slippery where he puts his paws. I've put a towel on the side so it's not slippery but he still will not step up. If he would step up on the side of the tub, I could lift him the rest of the way. It's those initial steps. Like I said, it hasn't been a problem in the past. I'll try the PB. Thanks again, Ruth~

 

[ruthcatrin]

Ah, lucky you, Apollo will climb in, but is horrified by the water. Good luck!

 

[musicdeb]

Thanks Ruth~

 

[aphayes96]

We put towels down in the bottom of the tub and side. It did help with Grady a LOT, but it's messy with the soaking wet towels. I think the PB idea is genius!!! Totally gonna try this one too!

 

[angelbears]

PB is great. However, I would be careful if his skin problems are yeast related. Sugar feeds yeast.

 

[awestruckgsd]

Yes we just had the same problem here and the treats no longer worked...So it was 2 of us lifting and coaxing 175lbs of dog into the tub but we made it and once he was in Diesel loved the pampering...I guess this is something we are also going to have to work on...LOL Peanut butter sounds interesting and I bet it would work as that is how we get him to let me dremel his nails...A bucket full of frozen peanut butter attached to the grooming arm of the table... the things we do for our furkids...LOL

 

[seeknoxrun]

Our Knox went through a phase of being terrified of the tub. We "practiced" everyday, starting with treats (baked chicken breast or something equally yummy) just for coming over to the bathtub, then treats for putting two legs in, then treats for two legs in with the water running, etc, etc. Eventually, he started looking forward to baths because he got treats throughout, and it became more of a game for him. And recently, I was cleaning out the tub and I stepped out to hunt down the tile cleaner... came back to find Knox sitting in there with a "where's my chicken??" look on his face.

 

[Dogue]

It took two year to get Miel in the tub w/o picking her up. she now jumps in no problems. I say "let's go" now which makes her think were going for a ride, hilarious. But she jumps right in. All 137 lbs!

 

[PuppyPaws]

If you don't have a rubber bathmat in the tub adding one might make him feel a little more secure once in the tub and relieve some of the anxiety. Sometimes the lack of traction really freaks them out. Good luck! I would also try the treat in and around the tub like the others suggested.

 

[musicdeb]

Thanks all for the great tips! I'll try again tomorrow. angelbears, yes his skin issues are yeast related. I didn't even think about PB would cause more skin issues. I use PB to give him his antibiotics when he needs them. Crap! When I wrap the pill into a piece of chicken or turkey, he smells it. Takes the meat and spits out the pill. Little sh*t! hehehehehehehe

Again, thanks all for the great tips!

 

[angelbears]

Are you able to get green tripe?

 

[musicdeb]

I haven't tried to get green tripe, I'll check it out. I'm cooking him some beef livers because he prefers them to raw beef livers. I'll try the beef livers and will only resort to PB if nothing else works because he loves PB. I wonder about almond butter. I'll have to research that. I eat almond butter instead of PB, I'll see if it works ok with dogs. Thanks angelbears!

 

[angelbears]

NO SUGAR, ever, at least until you have the yeast under control and it takes a long time. I only harp because I keep thinking that " what is a little bite off my plate" or " one little lick of pb won't hurt him", it wasn't until we were 9 months into feeding raw and I was sitting on the floor, cleaning out his ears and crying. 9 months and the yeast would still come and go. Then it popped into my pea sized head, it had to be the little cheats of people food. That was about 3 months ago and the yeast problem is 90% better, we are almost there. Now, he has other skin issues but yeast is no longer a contributing factor.

Green Tripe. You are lucky. There is a guy who delivers to the Dallas area, once a month.

www.texastripe.com

Check out his website, you do have to become a member to see prices but when we joined you didn't have to give any CC information. I just checked his price on tripe and it is 2.00 a pound.

Tripe stinks to high heaven but to dogs tripe is whack. You can hide meds in it, you can smear it around the tub ect...

 

[musicdeb]

WOW! Thanks for the info, angelbears! I'll check out texastripe.com The only sugar Titan gets is in the PB and he doesn't get any table food. I've tried to be very strict regarding table food. The only cooked meat he gets is beef livers and deli turkey. My goal is to get rid of the skin issues and ear issues. He hasn't had an ear infection in about 2 months but the skin issues are hanging on.

Thanks again, angelbears!

 

[ravendarat]

Have you tried wrapping the pill in a piece of cheese slice? With my old dog I would fold the cheese into 4 pieces and take the pill and put two pieces on each side then pack it down so it couldn't separate. He always took it not problem and never tried to remove the pill

 

[musicdeb]

Thanks ravendarat! He doesn't like cheese. It's about the only thing he will not eat except for raw beef liver.

 

[AKBull]

With Junior I can tear a small section of bread off and smash it around the pill, small enough to where he'll just swallow it whole. I think they catch that there's a pill in there if it requires chewing.

 

[Kelly]

Titan doesn't like cheese? Are you sure he's a real dog? I never heard of a dog not liking cheese. So weird.