Have you ever noticed your pug shivering after their bath? If so, you may wonder what you can do to help, or even if you should be concerned. My pugs used to shiver after their baths sometimes, and it often made me feel bad, so we tried to find ways to minimize it.

Why your pug shivers after their bath

Most likely, your pug is shivering because they feel cold after their bath. If their bath was warm, the air in your home may feel cool to them afterwards, even if it’s fairly warm.

It’s also possible that they’re shaking in response to anxiety. Some dogs really dislike being bathed and will get worked up enough to still be shaking afterwards. If this is the cause, they probably were shaking while in the bath, too. Trying to comfort and reassure them, and perhaps giving them some treats can help make the experience more positive.

However, if the shivering is severe or their behavior seems off, you may need to rule out that it’s not an allergic reaction. Some pugs may have some bad reactions to some soaps or shampoos. I’ve heard of animals convulsing after having a bath with flea shampoo, for example. If the shivering seems excessive or your dog shows any signs of being unconscious, head to an emergency vet!

How to keep your pug warmer after their bath

1. Dry them off as much as you can. If your dog will tolerate it, you can use a blow dryer using a cool setting until they dry. If they won’t tolerate being blow-dried, you can towel dry them as thoroughly as possible.
2. Keep the environment extra warm. If it’s winter time, you may want to raise your thermostat while you bathe your pug, so that the air in your home is warmer after they get out of their bath. Alternatively, you could set up a small electric heater in one room that you plan to put them in after their bath. Don’t let them get too close to the heater though! They may not know that it can hurt them if they touch it.
3. Cover them with a blanket. After towel-drying my pugs, we’d hold them in an extra blanket. Of course, this would result in the blanket smelling like wet dog. We would intentionally use an extra blanket that we didn’t care about too much, and we’d wash it as soon as the dogs were done using it that day. That way, the pugs could stay a bit warmer but we didn’t have to ‘sacrifice’ our favorite blankets.
4. Make sure you’re bathing in lukewarm water. Sometimes people instinctually assume that they should use warm water to bathe their dogs, because we humans like to bathe in warm water. For animals, it’s best to use lukewarm water, as their skin isn’t as tolerant of heat as ours is. Their skin is used to being protected by fur, so it’s sensitive. Also, if you use warm or hot water to bathe your dog, they’ll feel colder once the bath is over, than they would if you used lukewarm water.