The Tennessean

Now that warmer weather is here, you can take Spot or Fluffy outside for a nice warm bath without the worry of cleaning all the dog hairs out of your bathtub.

Tennessee dog-wash businesswomen Juana Monreal and Lynn Higgins offer coaching if you have never done it before:

• Allow plenty of extra time to let the dog get used to the surroundings and tub. With drying, the whole procedure could take an hour, depending on the size of the dog and length of hair.

• The water temperature should be only slightly above dogs' natural temperature of 101-102 degrees. You don't want the dog to be too warm or burned.

• Using the hand sprayer, start carefully spraying the water on the dog's head, being careful not to let the water get in the dog's nose. Begin on the top, with the nose pointing downward or from the side with the nose shielded. Never spray water directly in the dog's face.

• When finished washing and rinsing, dry the dog as completely as possible without heat, using a hair dryer's air-only setting, beginning with a hind foot and working toward the head so the dog will get used to the noise.