It’s important to follow the proper method of giving your dog a flea bath in order to keep him as comfortable as possible during the process.

First, it should be noted that you should completely read the directions on your flea shampoo to make sure it is safe for your dog. Take special note of warnings about getting it in his eyes.

Next, have your shampoo and towel ready before you put your dog in the tub.

Now, begin spraying your dog on his head first to drive the fleas back from his face. Next, progress down his neck and chest area, then rinse from his shoulders all the way across his back. Be sure to get his legs and tail. You will likely see some fleas coming off just during the rinsing, so make sure to give them a blast and wash then down the drain before they jump back on.

Now, beginning at your dog’s head, begin carefully applying the shampoo, working it into every area without getting it in his eyes. Fleas hide around ear flaps, so make sure to lather his entire head.

Next, lather around his bum, tail base and undercarriage. When you begin shampooing him at the front, the fleas move backward to escape, and if they are crawling around and tickling him in these areas, he’ll have a hard time standing still for you.

Once you have his head and bum shampooed, you can work more shampoo into his body, tail and legs. Be sure to even work shampoo between his toes and around his foot pads, because the fleas will hide in any crevice they can find.

At this point it is crucial to let the shampoo sit on your dog for as long as the directions on the label say. It takes as many as 10 minutes for some flea shampoos to completely kill the insects, and if you are impatient, you’ll have completely wasted your time as your dog will now only have clean fleas instead of dead ones.

When time is up, begin thoroughly rinsing him, starting at his head and working your way back. When you are sure you have removed all the shampoo he is finished. Towel him off well and give him a nice blow dry so he doesn’t chill.

Your dog should be flea free now, but if you have fleas in your home or in your yard, you’ll need to treat these areas too with the proper products in order to keep your dog from getting fleas again.