It's hard to bathe a big dog, isn't it Grammy. I never taught Lyric the trick of jumping in the tub so for a long time, I'd have to get his front feet up on the edge, the hoist his rear quarters in. He's heavy! Just in the past year or so, I started trying it. I'd say, "go jump" like in agility. LOL. Only the tub is NOT like an agility jump. LOL. But he'd try, even though he is not crazy about being bathed. He tried and tried...would put his front feet on the ledge and rock his body back and forth like he was trying but just couldn't quite make it. Finally he did get his front feet all the way in the tub, and one time....Viola! He leaped with the back legs too. He got a piece of beef jerky I think, that time. Now he does it every time, even though he looks kind of dejected and shaky while he's being bathed. Poor boy. He's such a good boy to give it the old college try. LOL.
So, Micro....start teaching your pup to jump in on cue, give him a good treat after. You can even feed him in the tub for a while to help accustom him to that big, white, scary thing. The more you do now, while he's young, the easier it will be later when he's big and heavy. I like summer best. Then I just use the hose outside. But only when it's really hot because that spring water I have is cold. Poor, abused dogs.