Simple Tricks To Make Giving Your Newfie a Bath Easier and Quicker

Giving a Newfoundland a bath is a time-consuming adventure that often requires some planning. 

Due to their dense waterproof coat, it’s more than a quick scrub in the tub.

You have to put some time and effort into not only lathering them up with shampoo but also it can be challenging to get their coat wet down to the skin. 

Then you have to dry them, which is the longest process and if you’re not drying your Newf with a dog dryer, you’re definitely missing out on an important part of their skincare routine. 

Washing 1 Newfie deserves a nap.

Washing 2 Newfie deserves a glass of wine followed by a nap. 

Thankfully, there are quite a few products and techniques available that can make giving your Newfie a bath easier and quicker. 

When I had Sherman and Leroy I would give them a bath the regular way. 

I would wet them with a hose, lather up the shampoo, rinse, and conditioned them. 

Then I would use a regular bath towel to dry them off and put them up on the grooming table and begin the drying process. 

Over the years, with the help of many Newfie owners,  I’ve been introduced to dog bathing products that make giving my Newfies a bath easier and faster. 

We hope that you like the products we featured in today’s post. Just so we’re clear, My Brown Newfies is a participant in the Amazon LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and other affiliate programs:)

Bath Products For Newfies

eZall Bathing System

You’ve probably seen this bathing product floating around social media for a few years and it’s definitely worth the hype. 

The eZall is actually a horse product but it works great on dogs with a double coat. 

It’s a bathing foamer that eliminates the first step of wetting the coat. 

I’ve been using this for about 2 years and I love it although it does have a few cons. 

Pros

You can wet the coat and shampoo the coat at the same time which cuts the bath time in half. 

It has a lot of water pressure so it’s easier to wet down the coat than with a traditional sprayer.

It comes with a bathing container plus the sprayer attachment so you just have to detach the container when it’s time to rinse. 

Cons

If you don’t dilute the shampoo in the container with enough water the shampoo won’t make it through the tube but if you use too much water, it’s not going to lather well.

Regardless, you still have to use your hands to lather some areas of the dog.  

There’s also a small learning curve to snapping it on the nozzle but once you get the hang of it, it’s like learning to ride a bike. 

I’m not sure if this is just mine but the container swivels when I use it which makes it a little hard to hold but still manageable. 

Mine actually just stopped working this spring so I have to take a look at it and see what’s going on. 

There are also other soap dispensing products if you don’t want something as large as the eZall. 

I just ordered this high-pressure nozzle and soap dispenser and used it this weekend and it worked pretty well. 

It doesn’t have the power that the eZall has but it was easier for me to work and use. 

Drying Products

We all know that once we get past the struggle of getting our Newfie’s coat wet down to the skin, the next challenge is getting them dry. 

And besides making sure that you rinse away all the shampoo, drying is the most important part of a bath. 

If I learned anything over the years and have been told numerous times is, “drying promotes healthy skin and coat”.

Drying a dog completely not only removes dead skin cells but also stimulates the skin and hair follicles and increases airflow between the two. 

It also gives YOU a great opportunity to check your dog’s skin for bug bites, infections, or injuries. 

There’s a combination of things that you can do to aid in the drying process!

The Shake

Don’t underestimate the power of a good shake after a bath. 

Embrace it and let them shake!

Some people teach their dog to shake on command, I am not one of those people but it sounds good!

Towels

While a good old bath towel will soak up some water from a dog’s coat, it’s not going to remove all the water from a Newfie’s coat.

There’s a dog drying technique!

If you’re using a cotton towel to dry a dog, instead of aggressively rubbing the towel over the dog which can create mats, use the towel to soak up the water. 

You should try to blot the water, not rub it around.

Also, instead of using a regular cotton bath towel try a microfiber or chamois towel. 

These types of drying towels will not only soak up more water but you can also squeeze out the water and keep using it. 

I used a small swimmer’s towel on Lou this week and the water it removed amazed it!

Chamois come in a variety of sizes but I opted to stay with a small size so that it would be easy for me to wring out.

Dog Dryer

A high-velocity dog dryer is going to be the very best way to dry your Newfie’s coat after a bath. 

A regular hairdryer is not going to do the trick, in fact, it would take FOREVER because it doesn’t have enough air pressure to do anything to that thick undercoat. 

A high-velocity dog dryer is not only going to dry the dog’s hair but it’s also going to dry the skin. 

Remember, hot spots form due to moisture on the skin, moisture that sits around a Newfie’s coat=BAD.

There are several different types of dog dryers available and the prices range from just over $100 to several hundred dollars. 

Talk to your breeder, groomer, vet, Newfie friends or visit our post, How To Choose The Right Dog Dryer For Your Newfie. 

Tips On Giving Your Newfie a Bath

Before Bath

Before you give your Newfie a bath, make sure to give them a good dog brush or comb to remove any loose hair and to check for mats. 

If you find a mat, clip it.

Wet mats get tighter and are harder to remove.

Dry blow to remove loose hair again!

Bath

If you’re using something like the eZall, all you have to do is add your shampoo, dilute it and start washing. 

Make sure to thoroughly wet the coat down to the skin and get in there with your hands and scrub gently.

If you’re not using a bathing system, just wet, wet, wet and wet the coat. 

I don’t know about you but whenever I think I’ve gotten the coat wet enough, they shake and I have to start all over!

Next, you’ll need to rinse. 

Start from the head and work down to the butt.

Don’t forget the paws!

Rinse, rinse and rinse some more. 

You’ll want to rinse until the water is clear and make sure to get that butt and tail good. 

If you’re going to condition, this would be the time. 

I honestly don’t use conditioner often and if I do it’s usually only on the pants, furnishing and tail. 

After I’m done rinsing, I do a 50/50 spray of vinegar and water. 

This leaves the coat so soft and shiny after it’s dried! (avoid spraying the eyes, nose and any open sores or wounds)

You don’t have to do this but ever since I started doing it last year, I’ll never not do it again!

It’s easiest to bathe a Newfie on a bathing station or grooming table but it’s not necessary. 

Tips on Drying Your Newfie

After your Newfie is thoroughly rinsed, it’s time to dry. 

Use your towels to soak up some water and then start drying with your dog dryer. 

Start from the head and work your way down and make sure to brush/comb as you go to prevent any mats or tangles. 

Make sure that the dryer is close to the skin, don’t stand 10 feet away and dry!

One thing that I learned from using the K9 dryer is that the force of the air can cause the guard hairs to tangle if I use the round nozzle, the flat nozzle works better!

If you have a lot of tangles use a diluted mixture of conditioner like Pro-Gro to work out or you can use a spray like The Stuff or Ice on Ice. 

If you’re Newfie is new to the dryer, check out these handy tips to get your dog comfortable with the dog dryer. 

Here’s everything that I used when I gave Lou a bath this weekend:

• Hose nozzle with soap dispenser
• Swim chamois
• Shampoo
• Dog dryer
• Vinegar + water

How often you give your Newfoundland a bath depends on the Newfie. 

Some people recommend every 6 weeks while others recommend a few times a year. 

Newfies that are in the show ring and Newfies that do therapy work get a bath more frequently.

My Newfies get a bath as needed. 

The type of shampoo that you use will also greatly depend on your Newf. 

I use different a shampoo for Odin than I do for Lou but I also bounce around between shampoos. 

More Newfie Grooming Tips

For more at-home dog grooming tips and advice for your Newfie, check out my grooming section HERE!

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