Bathing Large Dogs in RVs

[k9arh_steve]

We just started full timing with two medium sized elderly dogs recently. The first place we camped had outside dog baths located on the outside of two of the bath houses. This worked ok for us but latter we tried to bath one of them in the rv's shower. This turned out badly as our dog could not stand up very well on the slick surface of the shower and the amount of room to do the job in the rv shower is inadequate. We have an outside shower with hot and cold adjustable water but most places we have been will not allow dumping the gray water from the shower on the ground. So, we are at a lost other than find a local groomer to do the job at a cost of $25 to $35 per dog every two weeks. Anyone have any possible solutions to our dilemma?

[k9arh_steve]

We just started full timing with two medium sized elderly dogs recently. The first place we camped had outside dog baths located on the outside of two of the bath houses. This worked ok for us but latter we tried to bath one of them in the rv's shower. This turned out badly as our dog could not stand up very well on the slick surface of the shower and the amount of room to do the job in the rv shower is inadequate. We have an outside shower with hot and cold adjustable water but most places we have been will not allow dumping the gray water from the shower on the ground. So, we are at a lost other than find a local groomer to do the job at a cost of $25 to $35 per dog every two weeks. Anyone have any possible solutions to our dilemma?

[MonacoMama]

Steve...first of all...welcome to iRV2! Hopefully you will get other feedback besides mine - but this is a tough one
OK... the one thing that might help with the pooch in the shower is to put a towel on the shower floor to help his pads and nails from slipping.(be mindful of keeping the drain clear)
It also seems that there is "dry" pet shampoo so that you do NOT need to bathe that often and maybe you can choose where you stay based on their dog bath water drainage...
Good Luck...and again welcome to iRV2!


MM

[smlranger]

Welcome to IRV2 . Might suggest using one of those Rubbermaid-type bath mats in your shower....we do that at home when we bathe our dog in the bathtub...really helps him keep his footing.

Never used the dry spray-and-brush dog shampoo so can't comment on how well they work. On trips we've used either a local groomer or Pet Smart. As you said, it runs $30-$35 but we don't full time so it is only an occassional expense for us.

[mom2mastiffs]

Since we mainly do the dog show scene when we travel and are at home the rest of the time we haven't had this issue much. However, when we have to bathe someone we use the outside shower of the Moho. We are usually parked on asphalt or dirt so it's not a problem.
The towel is a good idea as it's easy to carry with you and use. Of course if you can do the bath mat it is the best but hard to carry around fulltiming.
The "dry" shampoos are ok for quick cleaning but if you have elderly dogs with incontinence issues or bad skin they won't do the trick.
Inbetween shampoos maybe try using a damp towel and toweling the dogs off. Might help cut down on those bathings.
I know with our elderly mastiff who had those sebaceous cysts that kept opening and oozing--sorry if you are eating breakfast
but we had to bathe her about every day!
Some towns also have "self-bathing dog" facilities that are MUCH less costly than groomers!
Wish we could help you more!