Bathing your Saint
Eyes should be kept clean by wiping it clear, using a dampened sponge or cotton-wool.
The ears itself can also be use to ‘wipe’ the corners of the eyes clean if now cloth is
available.
Some puppies and young Saints tend to have a teary eye, but in reaching adulthood,
this problem often clears itself, and isn’t course for concern. If, however, it doesn’t clear
by adulthood, veterinary advice should be sought, just to make sure the dog doesn’t
suffer from entropion.
It’s advisable to train the Saint puppy from a very early age to be bathed, otherwise it
might turn into a horrendous task. Be sure to wear old clothes for this task, as you’re
guaranteed to get wet and messy!
Before attempting to bath the dog, it’s recommended to first give it a good brush out,
to get rid of dead hair and mats.
In our nice hot South African weather the easiest is to bath the Saint outside in the
garden with a hose, rather then indoors (weather permitting). Use a good commercial
dog shampoo. Not a commercial type for humans since the dog’s coat is different to
human hair, and by using a “human” shampoo you may dry out the coat and skin,
causing irritation.
Never ever try to point the hose directly into the dogs face, since this might frighten
and spook them. Rather start from behinde the ears, down and backwards. Use a wet
soapy sponge on the face and inside the ear. Soap the dog well, and work the foam in
with your sponge, and then rinse the dog with the hose. Make sure all soap is out before
you start the drying process.
If you take the dog to the “drying” area, be prepared to stand well away, since your
Saint will give itself a good shake to get rid of the excess water. Choose a nice grassy,
and very sunny spot to dry your dog.
If you do not have the luxury of a big grooming table, or steady outside table, work
on a nice big towel or blanket as to not get the dog dirty by laying/standing in dirt and
dust. At this point you have a choice to either use a commercial dog hairdryer
(recommended), or just the sunshine.
It’s not advisable to use your normal hairdryer, since you might burn the dryer out,
long before the dog is dry!. Though purpose-made doggy dryers are very expensive, it is
money well spent, as it can shorten the drying proces to under half’n hour, plus you get
to see the dog’s skin, and make sure there are no parasites, or start of hotspots etc. If you
can, purchase a commercial doggy dryer with a double turbo motor, as it’s very
powerfull, and ideal for the Saint.
Start by first drying excess water out with towels (not even neccesary with a doggy dryer).
Once the dog is more or less damp, you can start blowing out the coat, or alternatively just
combing the coat out in the sun, whilst rubbing with a dry towel. Obviously this option is
very time consuming.
To get a nice fluffy effect, you can blow-dry the coat against the grain.
If a dog was taught all this at a young and physical manageable age, none of above
should be a problem.
Take special care to introduce the young dog to the noise of a dryer (though doggy
dryers are surprisingly silent). It’s not recommended to use a dryer on a older dog, that
never experience this, as this usually spooks them from bathing forever!.
You can make your own home-made dog shampoo, that actually works quite well.
See the resipe on the right.
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