washing a dog's head/face?

Use tearless shampoo on his head, and be very careful. I use earthbath's tearless on faces, and like it a lot. 

I guess I'm a bad mother because when I wash faces, I just use plain old warm water on a washclothe.

 Thanks Jen I wish you were close I'd send him to you for a full groom.  You could get his nails shorter and make him squeaky clean

I take him to someone here but I've seen too many people be really rough with him because he is big.  I'd never forgive myself if he had a bad experience and then didn't trust people.

edit to say

Glenda that is what I usually do - just thought even if the hair on his head his only a 1/4 of an inch long it should be cleaned at somepoint in his life LOL

You can dip your washcloth in some diluted shampoo, wash his face, rinse the cloth, wipe it again, rinse again, wipe again if he is REALLY head shy. If not, you should be able to do it with a sprayer that's only spraying a liiiittle. 

s/me TINKER-BELLLLLLLl; ;kafja;slda/.,bf (oops, I falled off)

BAfs?? I gets BUNCHES.  Mom uses her X-polating gubs.  (billy sez 'ex-foliating' -- I'm justa kid I don't spell gud yet!).  Mom just 'washes her hands' wif the gubs on an uses 1 finger ta wash my face.

THEN she turns the sprayer on my face an sez "SORRRY  BAYBEEEE but we GOTS ta rinse it GUD!!!!" (then she gives me Gerber Grajuates APPLES yum ... it makes up fur it!)

by the way ...

 tinKerBeLl U iz vewy bwave - i no like wata on my face - phew - I no like to dink bout it

i not got fairy dust to give u - sowee

xo bUgsy

Bugsy -- sorry she's not all that brave -- Mom's bigger than she is, Mom picks her up and plops her in the sink and Mom holds the sprayer!! HA HA

Now -- granted -- Tink's Got Mom wrapped around that puggy curley tail -- so Tink gets TONS of Gerber Graduates just fur gettin squirted in the face!!  But then -- for "being supportive" Luna and I usually get a few fur waiting on the floor too! HA

Billy the Venturin English cocker

spanYELL

 Hehe. I do what Callie does. Lillie hates it. But I couldnt get away with trying to wash her face and ears with a wash cloth. Would be afraid I didnt get all the soap off.

Oh, God you should see Willow in the tub.  She has to keep her head resting on the side of the tub.  So, I just use a washcloth and do the best I can after she gets out--no point in stressing her out, she's pretty tolerant of everything else.

 I use an ear wash which cleans out their ears great.  I use a washcloth and plain water.  If they're getting smelly (Indie sniffs way too many cat butts), I'll use a little bit of diluted shampoo, rub carefully and avoid the eyes, then rinse off with the washcloth as well.  I'm paranoid about getting water in their ears and setting up an infection so I only wash from behind the ears back with the sprayer of shampoo bottle.

I rarely wash Kenya's face b/c she is prone to ear infections.  Also whenever she gets water in her face she starts shaking her entire body and then I get a shower.

Coke and Nikon have downed ears (well, Nikon at the moment...) so with them I can shampoo their faces, hold their ears down flat, and rinse without a fit. 

I stuff cotton balls in their ears to help keep water out, and use a washcloth to wet the face, then wash with diluted soap (as if I am petting them, scratching behind the ears, etc.) Then rinse with the washcloth again. Then lots of treats!

At my house, faces/heads get washed with a warm and slightly (very slightly) sudsy washcloth.  Wipey downy talking to them the whole time.  Separate warm washcloth to get the slight suds off, then towel dry which is the fun part...they truly like that part...crazy I know...I guess because I'm being silly when I do it...AND, they know the torture is almost over.  LOL

 Thanks everyone - I'll probably try the washcloth thing - I sort of do that during pollen season anyway so adding soap should be too bad.  He is not snarky or growly when you wash his face but he absolutely hates having water PUT/sprayed/ whatever on his face.  He has to have his snout and muzzle cleaned after mole hunting too.

I worked really hard to get him to be very cooperative for a bath from the point of complete refusal so I don't want to make it too unpleasant and have to do that all over again.  Unlike Tinkerbell he ain't having a bath if he doesn't agree 

Sometimes like Kenya he does the whole body shake when water gets on his face which otherwise he doesn't do when I bath him until I say so (good command to have).

CoBuHe

hen towel dry which is the fun part...they truly like that part...crazy I know...I guess because I'm being silly when I do it...AND, they know the torture is almost over.  LOL

Ha that is totally him - drying is awesome fun.  He is such a messy drinker that after he imbibes I dry his face which is a wonderful game.

What is so stupid is he will put his whole head underwater if he wants and given the opportunity on a summer day he will stick most of his head in his pool for a drink.