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The doghouse

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Original poster

How often do you wash your dog?

67 replies

UpWithPup · 03/04/2015 19:50

DPup has his hair cut every 8weeks or so at the groomers, but he does just adore a big muddy puddle. I don't want to wash him too often, I've read that it can be bad for their skin, but I don't want muddy paws everywhere! After a particularly dirty walk today, he was unceremoniously dumped in the bath and hosed down. What do you do?

OP posts:
SistersOfPercy · 03/04/2015 23:54

About once a month and groomed probably every six weeks. He's a Scottie though and his belly is a bit long at present.

In between baths he gets dry shampoo using either human batiste or the brilliant dogs trust one that they no longer make. He needs to be reasonably clean and sweet smelling as he sleeps upstairs with DD.

BitchBags · 04/04/2015 00:02

My lab/collie/beagle mix is being bathed at least once a week atm! She is very good at weeing in her crate and laying in it. she has a puppy pad in there but prefers to wee on her bed. She only ever goes in there if we go out and is never left for more than about 3 hours but she does it quite often. She doesn't wee on her proper bed though, only her bed in her crate Confused

myusernameisusername · 04/04/2015 00:15

About once every 2 months with spray shampoo in between to keep away smells she's terrified of water so i prefer just spray her down and brush her up

Floralnomad · 04/04/2015 00:36

Micro fibre drying bag ,ours is an original 'doggy bag' but there are cheaper alternatives ,you zip them into it and they come out dry and mostly mud free and then you just shake the bag outside and dry it ready for the next walk . Mine loves it , although it did take a few times to get him used to it .

lavendersun · 04/04/2015 08:28

I don't wash paws either, we live rurally, grass, mud and gravel all around us ... I just embrace the dirt.

GemmaTeller · 04/04/2015 08:35

Once a week at the moment as boy boxer has a skin complaint (he's tall enough to hop over the side of the bath and get in/out himself)

In wet/muddy conditions we have a towel on the floor inside the back door they have to stand on while we give them a quick dry off.

SnakeyMcBadass · 04/04/2015 08:38

Spaniel is bathed rarely, but swims a lot. Cockapoo is bathed at least fortnightly, because he likes to roll in poo or decomposing things. He's vile, really.

WizardOfToss · 04/04/2015 08:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MostAmused · 04/04/2015 09:59

Dpup is 7 months and 25kg so he has to go in the people bath to be washed. Usually he only gets dirty enough on a walk every 2 weeks or so. We just tell him to jump in, turn on the shower (One of those ones that rests on the taps, not a fixed one) and rinse him thoroughly, I don't use shampoo. I hold his collar if he looks like he's gonna jump out. But he loves being in the bath, he drinks the water and digs at the plug hole sometimes though!

Kleptronic · 04/04/2015 10:18

I've a border collie. I do his paws and undercarriage in washing up bowls if he's been in foetid water. He HATES it. I've never even tried to get him in the bath, he'd do the Wall of Death round the bathroom.

Can anyone explain why does he like freezing cold dirty water but hates the warm? It's incomprehensible I tell you.

I just spit on the miniature dachshund and polish him up a bit.

Mylittlepotofjoy · 04/04/2015 11:09

Mine are all washed weekly !!! Their skin is fine and long coats a re beautiful :)

Original poster
UpWithPup · 04/04/2015 12:15

Wow, I wasnt expecting such varied answers. Thinks for the suggestion of drying bags Gymbob and Floralnomad, Ill look into them.

OP posts:
spiderlight · 04/04/2015 12:23

Our springer was washed multiple times a week, as she was like a magnet for mud, cowpats, fox poo and every other stink you can imagine. Our wire-haired collie cross lurcher has only had two baths since he's been with us, the most recent being nearly nine years ago, unless you count swimming in rivers and the sea. His coat is lovely and shiny, mud doesn't stick to it, he doesn't roll and he smells of warm biscuits.

Gymbob · 04/04/2015 12:27

smells of warm biscuits Grin not sure what my boy smells of, but it's a lovely smell and strongest on a morning when he's been curled up all night. I like to bury my head in him and have a good sniff before it goes Grin

IvegotaCaveTroll · 04/04/2015 12:32

Reading this maybe we overdo it. Ours gets washed once a week! She gets hosed in the garden and we use hibiscrub.
She does smell amazing though and she sleeps in our bed- she's big but short hair so dries quick- and she like to role!!

insanityscatching · 04/04/2015 13:02

Eric is clipped every six to eight weeks, he goes for a bath in between those times and he gets a dunk in the tub when he is particularly dirty. He's been clipped short now which stops a lot of the mud sticking so during winter I'd say once every three to four weeks and during summer probably once a fortnight. He loves to get filthy so it's a necessary chore rather than for vanity's sake tbh.

basildonbond · 04/04/2015 14:42

ddog loves swimming and muddy puddles however he's amazingly self-cleaning - we have a bag but it's not that great tbh as he stays absolutely still as soon as he's in it so he usually comes out almost as wet as he went in. He's now got a drying coat but that's more to keep him warm on the way home when he's been for a big swim. Usually after he's had his post-walk snooze you can't tell how muddy he was on his walk ...

We've taught him to spin on the mat when he comes in from the garden which cuts down on quite a bit of mud being trekked through the house

Once every 2-3 months he has his feet trimmed at the groomers and he usually has a bath then, other than that he doesn't really get bathed. He doesn't roll in revolting things though, which helps Wink

Sparklepup · 04/04/2015 15:07

Groomed every 8 weeks, bathed in between if rolls in poo (sadly a regular occurrence !). Only wipe paws after walks during the winter because of the grit

merrymouse · 04/04/2015 22:52

Depends what you mean by wash. He swims a bit in fairly clean water.

LotsaDots · 04/04/2015 23:22

We have a cocker x springer , she's bathed weekly and more if she gets muddy. I can't stand the smell if we leave it any longer. She's had a cone on her head this week after an op and stunk of dog after 10 days of no bath

Adarajames · 05/04/2015 00:22

My pointer x spaniel x something insane is showered almost daily some weeks, she just LIVES to roll in things dead / stinky / fox poo! She's very good about It though, I tell her to go bath and she'll put herself in the bath and wait for me to come shower her down. Only use shampoo on these occasions, other days if she's really muddy (she tends to zoom at very high speed through underbrush / swamps etc!) then she just gets rinsed down with the shower to get worst off, then quick towel rub before popping on drying coats I made to save her shaking all over the walls etc!
My old girl hates baths and doesn't roll so is done less often, but she's getting really wobbly now so had more baths as weeing on her own feet / tail at times so needs to be de ponged a bit. She's not goin to be with me much longer I fear Sad

myusernameisusername · 05/04/2015 07:55

i learnt what fox poo smelt like for the 1st time yesterday Envy 1 bath later and there's still slight whiffs

Taz1212 · 05/04/2015 08:16

Unless we've had a very dry spell or a very cold spell, our cockapoo is pretty much in the bath twice a day every day. His legs and belly get caked with mud so I put 6 inches of water in the tub - no shampoo- and wash his lower half. I do get him to run in the river at the end of each walk but there's generally another muddy puddle to splash about in before we get home. Grin

I am looking at getting an outside hot/cold mixer tap.

SconessMcFloness · 05/04/2015 09:02

Never washed ours - he's a whippet so there's no need! Friend has a cockapoo and she gets dipped almost daily to get rid of the mud but only in water not doggie shampoo.

HoraceCope · 05/04/2015 10:27

only when she rolls in something disgusting. although others in the family less tolerant and would like to shower the mud off. I just towel her.