How do I help my dog overcome his fear of water/bath time?!?!?

My APBT loved to swim and he loved me, but he hated the bath tub so my solution was to get in the shower with him. As long as you have the kind of shower head on a hose, it should be real easy to get him wet, soap him up and rinse him. Be sure to turn the water off and let him stand for a couple of minutes so he can shake off real good before you try to get him out of the shower stall. It will save you a big mess later