How often do you bath your dog?

[SoupDragon]

I bathed Dill before Christmas and he absolutely reeks again. presumably he's been having fun with the foxes.

How often should they be bathed? Is it bad for them to do it too often?

I suppose it depends on your dog and what he/she likes to roll in.

I have only given Loofa a scrubbing once and that was back in summer - he rolled in fox poo and it was all over his neck and collar and face! Trying to wash him outside with a hose and puppy shampoo was highly amusing for the neighbours and I looked like I had a shower too!

Gave the puppy a bath after having her for a week or so as she smelled a bit, just a quick bath and she was fine.

That has been it. Loofa is nearly 2 and pupstar is 16 wks.

I try to keep it to a minimum, when the buggers have rolled in poo really necessary, for the sake of their coats and skin.

However, it's hard to keep a long haired white German Shepherd clean when you live in the country, your walks are on fields and farm public footpaths and your garden is a quagmire so it looks like one of my 3 will be having another bath today, funnily enough. It'll be the 3rd he's had since July last year.

I'd say bath when needed but not excessively if you can avoid it and be grateful if your dog isn't white, long haired and huge! It's a 2 and a half to 3 hour job to bath, dry and properly groom Fish and I get soaked to the skin in the process. :o

Oh, and of course never use preparations on him which aren't specifically made for bathing dogs and are from reputable manufacturers.

I don't do it as often as I should. Probably about 4 times a year.

Well, he's chocolate and white with a long white feathered tail, legs and undercarriage [sob] Thankfully the chocolate parts are mud coloured and he's only a cocker spaniel.

I don't mind him being muddy at all, it's the smell. He was bathed for the first time at Easter, then again at the start of the summer, once again and then just before Christmas. I don't want to bath him but he stinks (and not just of dog). I blame the local fox population.

I didn't think that they should be bathed too often. Perhaps I'll try with no shampoo as a freshen up wash.

Luckily, he is uncharacteristically well behaved in the bath.

The best thing to get remove the smell of Fox is to rub the area in tomato ketchup, leave for 10 minues and then shampoo off.

I just shampoo the area needed, only bathing the entire dog if they really need it, which is hardly ever.

There is no obvious area - I"d have to ketchup the entire dog :o

YOu could spray some dilute tea tree oil or lavender oil and comb through. It smells nice, is good for their coats, and is anti-bacterial.

I better explain what I mean! I fill a bowl with hot water and add a few drops of oil and stir it. The I leave it to cool before I comb it through.

Mine get hosed off outside after a walk most days at the moment unless the ground is frozen and they don't get muddy. (I am MEAN)
I don't often bath them, the spaniel needs bathing more but luckily he doesn't mind it. Some nights he has a nasty anal odour (sorry TMI) and it helps to wash his back end. I did have to use a well known shampoo once in an emergency. But he was 'worth it'

I heard that tea tree oil was toxic to digs. Maybe that's only if you use it undiluted?

My pup is a bit smelly so will probably be bathed soon. It will be his 4th bath since we got him in august. He loves mud, need I say more? Lol
I was advised to use a baby shampoo on him so it doesn't irritate his skin. He is so good when he is being bathed. He just stands in the bath and doesn't even try to escape!

I got the idea from a bought spray to comb in dogs which had tea tree oil in it. I think it must be bad undiluted. I think most oils are pretty bad undiluted but TToil is very strong.

Well I have a white, fluffy dog. The doggy laws state that white fulffy dogs must roll in mud at every given opportunity. Just before Christmas the whole park was frozen bar one muddy puddle. My dog found that puddle and he rolled in it

He is generally at least hosed down with warm water around his legs and belly after every walk. He is shampood when he rolls in things that aren't quite just mud

If I am showing mine they might get washed every weekend, if I am not (which I am not at the moment) they get washed very rarely. I've never noticed any difference in their coats or skin either way, but I don't use the hairdrier on them.

You have just reminded me I am going to bathe them all over the next day or so, as I am pregnant and cannot cope with their smell, although my DH swears they smell the same as usual.

They like to do things like this but letting them dry and then brushing them off works just fine.

"Well I have a white, fluffy dog. The doggy laws state that white fulffy dogs must roll in mud at every given opportunity."

Same here! This must be why my brown sheltie comes in from walks with only the bottom of his paws dirty and my fluffy white puppy looks as though she's been dragged through a peat bog. She is also a roller and we have to pre-empt the fox, horse, cow, deer, badger poo ( why do we live in the country?) with a "leave it" and a nice big treat. Occasionally she still sees it before we have a chance to suss what she's up to! Then we need to shampoo.

We try just to rinse the worst of her - paws and legs and bottom of belly. If we need to shampoo, we have a soothing shampoo from the vet that is designed for more frequent use. Cost ££££ but was well worth every penny.

I do mine every couple of months, He has just been in the shower now and loves it!

Lab is hosed down everyday and shampooed when what he has rolled in is particularly fragrant. I am afraid I just grab whatever shampoo I can find. He just stands there and waits for it to be done even in this freezing weather. Cocker pup is hosed down around the legs and tummy to get the mud off as he has yet to discover the delights of rolling in crap. He does not enjoy it but then I don't enjoy washing floors. He will get used to the hose in time I hope. He gets a nice reward when it is all over.

Mine have an annual bath. If they get something nasty on them I just babywipe them with sensitive wipes! They are not the roll-in-poo types luckily for me.

I read that as anal bath... I must have it on my mind, must get the dogs glands sorted!

every 6 weeks - about the minimum to keep her looking tidy - full soak through, shampoo, rinse, conditioner, thorough rinse, then brush and blow dry...clip and scissor to finish

emergency baths also happen.

I borrow a proper dog hairdryer which makes it all very easy.

I use human shampoos and conditioners though that's not uncommon amongst owners of her breed.

how often to groom is often discussed in my breed - but it really does come down to the dog. some dogs have appalling coats after a few days, some you can leave for weeks and they're fine.

This is one of the reasons Dill won't be a show dog, despite everyone commenting how beautiful he is. :o The other being his inability to be calm.

He always comes back from a walk with brambles in his feathers and little skinny legs covered in wet mud. The mud dries, it drops off, all is fine.

I shall consider a spray bottle with Tea Tree and Lavender in it. Although I do now remember I have a spray in thing somewhere anyway.... that may work as a between bath measure.

Of course, being a cocker spaniel, part of it may be the whole ears-in-dinner scenario. I shall add ear washing onto my To Do list.