So Tama just got a bath and it went... poorly

[tamapup]

Hello all! I just gave Tama (my now 1 year old BC) a bath, and it went very, very badly. Last time he got a bath was about 5/6 months ago -- he's been quite clean and I really didn't see a need for it until now. He's gotten a few baths in the past since I've had him and we never had a problem. 

It started off alright -- I got a small pitcher and was using it to wet his back and then start shampooing it. He wasn't calm but he wasn't too freaked out, kind of just like "what's going on?". When I started putting water on his chest and legs, however, he went totally berserk. His pupils dilated, he pulled back his lips and started snapping and snarling at me. He let out high-pitched yelps and seemed, well, downright scary. I ended up getting most of the shampoo out with a wet towel, not without struggle.

He's never ever had a problem with me petting his chest and legs before, or with bathing... what could have gotten into him? I was actually afraid of him when he was yelping and biting and snarling like that  his bites didn't actually break the skin, just left a few light red marks (he seemed more like he wanted to "grab" my arm with his teeth, but it was still quite scary nonetheless). Not a good experience of either of us...

[KevTheDog]

Oh man, I feel for you! I look forward to the wisdom others will share on this one because we basically haven't given Kevin a bath since he was like 5 months on account of a fairly similar reaction - he got SUPER scared and trembly and defensive. We have places where we can take him swimming when he needs a good cleaning, luckily.

BUT one thought: how used to being in the bathroom is Tama? Kev was so freaked out by the bathroom and it occurred to me that he had only been in there to get wet, which he hated. So we've started putting treats in there for him to "search" out (in as much as one can search for something in a very small room), or i have him fetch toys out of there, in sort of a one-step-at-a-time process, hoping that someday he'll search for a cheeseburger beneath a streaming shower... !

 

[Lawgirl]

I have never had that extreme a reaction when giving my dogs a bath.  The worst I have ever had is a dog jumping out of the bath, leaving me to chase a sopping wet dog around the (admittedly tiny) bathroom, while he shakes water all over the terrazzo floor, then, when I finally corner him, having to lift and carry a 27 kilogram (59.5 pound) wet dog to the bath tub, only to slip and fall on my rear because the water he shook everywhere has made the floor so slippery, then having to chase the dog AGAIN!  Some choice words were filling the air that day.  We were fortunate to have no injuries to either of us.

I use one of those plastic 'shower head on a flexible hose' type extenders that I bought at something like a dollar shop, which I can slip over the end of my tap/faucet and then put right up against the fur.  None of my boys are very keen on a bath, but they suffer through it until I say they can get out. 

[SS Cressa]

I haven’t experience that before either. My dogs don’t like bath time but are manageable. I normally fill the tub partially and I also have a flexible long hose attached to the shower head or we go to a self pet bath place.

You might be able to use treats for bath and getting him accumulated to baths.

Get him used to the bathroom or tub or wherever you bathe him. Make sure the water wasn’t too hot or cold. Also double check to make sure he isn’t actually hurt.

[maxtosh]

Skip to 6:20. I know your dog is older, but creating positive reinforcement may help and baby steps?