How often do you wash your dog?

[turtletime]

I have a 2-year-old GSD who probably gets washed once every two weeks. I just had a friend lecture me that this is way too much as it strips is natural oils etc (which I am aware of). However, he gets EXTREMELY muddy on his walks and will take a dip in a muddy puddle any chance he gets. His coat is lovely and he often gets complimented on it. Should I cut back? We've tried just using a washcloth/brushing but that doesn't help with his coat clumping up with mud which he then chews at. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Hose down if muddy otherwise 3 or 4 times a year

Moonflower12 my above mentioned muddy, poo rolling dogs are spaniels too

My spaniel doesn’t roll in poo but he dives in every puddle, ditch & swamp he can find. He also jumps in the canal! He gets hosed off most days.

My Doberman isnt so keen on water & muddy puddles, but she is a fan of fox poo & dead fish/birds to roll in. So she gets hosed a lot too. But for the odd bit of mud, I wipe her down with a microfibre cloth & big bowl of hot soapy water.

Mines washed very rarely. I suppose in the case of some older dogs they get that greasy coat that begins to smell and is probably beneficial but for the others I think it does more harm than good.
My dogs coat looks far healthier if left alone.
I do wash her legs with lukewarm water after muddy walks tho. More due to the recent guidance re alabama rot. Rare, I know but gives me peace of mind.

Rottie has never been bathed and TBH I'm not sure how he'd react! He's not into rolling on stuff though. The Bull Terrier gets bathed twice a week in the summer, on veterinary advice, as she has allergies and then gets yeast infections. No bathing during the winter. My friend has a Labrador and Labradoodle and showers them every day! Seems a tad excessive to me however but they both feel gorgeous.

I have a Lurcher, not bathed him yet!
He picks his way daintily over muck and dirt and doesn't smell so no need

My dog gets rinsed with water whenever he has been on a very muddy walk. He then gets a shampoo every 5-6 weeks when he goes to the groomers.

If it isnt causing any problems with his coat why would you cut it back?

Mine gets washed every second week or so at the moment-puppy into everything. Its great grooming practice and keeps on top of her long coat.

If she's really smelly or has rolled in something stinky

So about once a month really unless she's rolled. In which case she will be bathed every time

Our cairn has a bath every week - he has a skin condition similar to psoriasis due to food allergies though, and we have to use a special shampoo.
If we are careful not to let him eat anything other than his own food, and keep to the bath regime, he is happy, skin is clear, and he looks great.
If things go awry (like after Christmas when mil gave him “treats” when we weren’t looking), he is a scabby, greasy mess.....poor thing!

Ours have only had a handful, they are 1 and 2 years old.

We have them groomed to keep their fur short tho.

Our old dog had wire fur, never needed a bath unless she'd rolled in Fox/sheep poo or a dead animal - unfortunately this happened often

Every week on a Friday. She’s low to the ground and gets mud trapped in her skirt.

I combat the ‘oil stripping’ by using an anti dandruff dog shampoo and giving her salmon oil with every meal. Her skin is perfect.

Never, neither of my labs have ever had a bath.

I haven’t washed my whippet for months since he stopped weeing on his front legs.

His white markings are still white but it’s because he cleans himself like a cat No doggy smell either.

I have a greyhound who can't and won't go upstairs as they freak her out. Fortunately we have a shower upstairs for us humans and a spare downstairs (landlord seems keen on hygiene ). The dog gets washed when I can be bothered to empty the sacks of dog food and other general crap out of the handy cupboard-sized downstairs shower cubicle. We've had her 3 years and she's had 3 showers so far .

PestDog has a great talent for coming home covered in mud. He needs a bath almost every day, but it's always plain warm water except on the very rare occasion he rolls in something awful.

Now we have Alabama Rot cases not too far away, my dog gets all the mud washed off her at the end of each walk. Previously, I might have just rubbed it off with a towel if there wasn't much.

Once every week because he LOVES mud, and a full groom every 8 weeks.

If I could get him to let me brush him properly I'd consider reducing the baths.

I have a rough coated Terrier, so he never needs washed, just a good brush and handstripped 3 times a year.

2-3 times a month if he needs it. He smells after a while

Two beagles - only when rolled in something stinky do they get a full bath with shampoo.

However along with the family German shepherd when they get muddy they just get hosed off with water in the garden and then scrubbed shiny with a dry towel.

Twice a year. 1st during the 1st good day in April or May time, 2nd late September early October. They get groomed 3-4 times a week though as they love it. Over winter I use a dry shampoo once a week to once a fortnight to stop them getting whiffy.

JRT, gets showered in warm water whenever he is very muddy and/or has rolled in something. We don't use any soap or shampoo, just water.

He rolls in something most days so no way I could use shampoo on him. But warm water shower and a good run down with a rough towel which gets washed straight afterwards seems to work. He only smells of himself.