How often to wash your dog?
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We bathe our crew every week or two with a diluted, mild (dog) shampoo. Shampooing is actually good for skin and coat. Dogs being shown are bathed at least weekly, sometimes even daily. The key is being sure to rinse, rinse, rinse. Its also a great way to get your hands all over them to notice if anything is amiss.
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I bathe Aspen only when he needs it. Which is like twice a year. He doesn't smell at all. He doesn't get dirty because he's tall. A long time ago, I used to bathe him every 1-2 weeks and he itched and got the flakies. And I did rinse him well. For me, every 1-2 weeks is just too much to be bathing. I believe it strips the natural oils of the coat (even if you use a good shampoo). People I come across ask me if he's a show dog. And I hardly bathe him! He has a really soft, lustrous coat. The key is a healthy diet. :smile:
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If he is muddy, take him to a non-carpeted area and have him lay down for an hour or so. WHen the mud dries and he stands up, it will all just fall off him. If he's just dirty, a good brushing will usually do the trick.
I never bathe my dogs. They just never need it.
I never bathe my dogs. They just never need it.
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I bathe my dogs when they need it.
My dogs roll around outside a lot and get plain dirty. Because Annie sleeps in our bed, I bathe her often. We have white sheets and when she starts leaving dirt behind, it's bath time.
My corgi kicks mud on himself when he runs in it.
My GSD doesn't get bathed that often. mostly because he's a pain to bathe.
Sometimes i bathe as often as once a week, sometimes we go a while.
If you use a good shampoo, they don't do all the oil stripping bull people like to claim it does.
Annie and griss eat raw, so they do't have doggy odor or anything. jsut get dirty.
My dogs roll around outside a lot and get plain dirty. Because Annie sleeps in our bed, I bathe her often. We have white sheets and when she starts leaving dirt behind, it's bath time.
My corgi kicks mud on himself when he runs in it.
My GSD doesn't get bathed that often. mostly because he's a pain to bathe.
Sometimes i bathe as often as once a week, sometimes we go a while.
If you use a good shampoo, they don't do all the oil stripping bull people like to claim it does.
Annie and griss eat raw, so they do't have doggy odor or anything. jsut get dirty.
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1,068 Posts
I think it depends on the breed.
My cavalier king charles spaniel rarely needs a bath, his white stays pretty white and his black is very shiny. He gets a bath about every 3 months or so when I take him from a trim.
My standard poodle, on the other hand, gets a bath about once a month. He is like a living Swiffer, everything sticks to him and stains his coat! We do agility and the place where we train has a black rubber mat floor that stains his coat and for some reason smells awful.
It really depends on your dog. Bathing too often will definitely dry out the haircoat, especially if you don't rinse rinse rinse and rinse some more.
In a pinch I use a 'dry shampoo' on Flip, to get stains out, etc. When he was a smaller pup he used to pee on his front legs once in a while. That is where I learned about the spray stuff. It works pretty well. This is it:
Show Off
My cavalier king charles spaniel rarely needs a bath, his white stays pretty white and his black is very shiny. He gets a bath about every 3 months or so when I take him from a trim.
My standard poodle, on the other hand, gets a bath about once a month. He is like a living Swiffer, everything sticks to him and stains his coat! We do agility and the place where we train has a black rubber mat floor that stains his coat and for some reason smells awful.
It really depends on your dog. Bathing too often will definitely dry out the haircoat, especially if you don't rinse rinse rinse and rinse some more.
In a pinch I use a 'dry shampoo' on Flip, to get stains out, etc. When he was a smaller pup he used to pee on his front legs once in a while. That is where I learned about the spray stuff. It works pretty well. This is it:Show Off
Our schedule is similar, with the same type of mild doggie soap. I agree about it being a good opportunity to do a check-over, especially when I'm using the curry glove on him.
Since it's been unseasonably wet here lately (and Zio gets run back in the conservation area) he's due for a bath this week.
I bathe my terrier/dachshund mix every few months
and more if she needs it (but that's unusual).
I brush her coat every day or two.
I agree that frequent bathing is not good for skin and coat, even if you rinse well. Shampoo is drying even if it is diluted.
and more if she needs it (but that's unusual).
I brush her coat every day or two.
I agree that frequent bathing is not good for skin and coat, even if you rinse well. Shampoo is drying even if it is diluted.
Chelsy is a 13 year old Lhasa with back problems and is about an inch off the ground. She also pee's on herself fairly often so she gets bathed every week in a soap free dog shampoo that works really well. Rocky is a white, chow husky mix that is impossible to get fully wet and lathered without exhausting me. He gets washed about every 6 months unless he has been playing in a mud puddle. Then he goes in his wading pool and I turn the hose on him. Most of the mud rinses off. Thats about it for him. I actually washed him thoroughly the other day for the first time in months and had to take a shower and a nap afterwards!
It totally depends on the dog.
It totally depends on the dog.
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2,359 Posts
I give my dogs baths when they get dirty or stinky haha! Not that often! I like cloud star products the shampoo and conditioner. They work well and you get rid of the doggy smell!
You dont need to give them baths that often dries their skin out. But the conditioner is a great product!
You dont need to give them baths that often dries their skin out. But the conditioner is a great product!
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469 Posts
I am a dog groomer. I have many clients with yorkies, shih tzus, and malteses that come see me on a weekly basis. They are not dirty when they come, more than anything they needed a good brushing! but, i have not see any ill effects. they have a wonderful skin and coat. not dry, no dry skin, etc.
They taught us in dog grooming school that 20 years ago dog shampoos were very harsh. they took all the oils out of the coat and a dog should rarely be bathed. but with new shampoos today... they have soap free, hypo allgerinic shampoos and are gentle enough for daily use.
personally, I one of my shelties a bath every two weeks because he has grass allergies. he does not itch nearly as bad if he has a bath every two weeks in his emu oil shampoo. My other sheltie gets a bath monthly.
We recommend dogs be bathed monthly for optimal skin and coat condition. the dogs we see monthly looks worlds better than the ones we see every few months.
when people say they bath and see flakes it is usually because
a. they used the wrong type of shampoo
b. water temp too warm
c. used a dryer the heat
d. didnt rinse well enough
They taught us in dog grooming school that 20 years ago dog shampoos were very harsh. they took all the oils out of the coat and a dog should rarely be bathed. but with new shampoos today... they have soap free, hypo allgerinic shampoos and are gentle enough for daily use.
personally, I one of my shelties a bath every two weeks because he has grass allergies. he does not itch nearly as bad if he has a bath every two weeks in his emu oil shampoo. My other sheltie gets a bath monthly.
We recommend dogs be bathed monthly for optimal skin and coat condition. the dogs we see monthly looks worlds better than the ones we see every few months.
when people say they bath and see flakes it is usually because
a. they used the wrong type of shampoo
b. water temp too warm
c. used a dryer the heat
d. didnt rinse well enough
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Every 10 days ... and yeah I know all about the skin drying out logic but I haven't seen any issues since I've had him... and he gets dirty a LOT!
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