# How often can I bath



## steph925 (Apr 30, 2014)

I live on a ranch and my dogs get dirty! I've always been told not to bath more than once a month. But my dogs are always with me in the corrals and such so they get very dirty. I also do dog agility with them and Im wondering if I can wash them more often or maybe just soak them down. Just so they don't stink so bad when I go to the events. Sometimes they get so dirty it will make me itchy and I can't imagine they can't feel good either. 
Also I have an Alaskan malamute cross and no matter how much brushing I do her fur wants to stick together and it looks like I never brush her. Ive used a shedding rake, furminator, and other brushes.


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## Chichan (Apr 1, 2014)

I bathe mine once a month, 
some people bathe their's once a week. 
It just depends on the coat type and lifestyle of the dog.
More information here.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

I try to give the dogs baths every couple of weeks. Both have feathered coats which start clumping once the coat starts getting dirty. On kibble Max had greasy ears and really looked better with more frequent baths. Both have fuzzy feet that need trimming that often and I would rather trim clean feet too. Neither smell bad before the baths, just lucky I guess especially as Ginger finds great places to roll and you know rolling is generally on stinky stuff!

I don't know about Nordic breed coats but I need to brush the dogs after the bath until they are completely dry or the feathers don't get all fluffy. Once dry no amount of brushing will unclump the feathers for more than a few minutes unless I give another bath and do a better job drying the coat. It doesn't even matter whether I use a comb or a pin brush or a slicker brush.


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## steph925 (Apr 30, 2014)

Do you use shampoo every time you bath?

Usually I let her air dry so I'll have to try brushing her until she's dry.


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

I bathe my dog once every three weeks. He's small, and fluffy, so he picks up dirt lol. I use shampoo each time. No problems 

I guess this depends on the shampoo too though -- I use all natural shampoo (my favorite brand is Earthbath and Nootie) and I dilute it.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Yes I use shampoo. I dilute it so it spreads better but the most important thing is to rinse completely and rinse again. I tried just rinsing with warm water but didn't like the results as well. You could try that, if your dogs are stinky because of something water based then the stink might rinse out.

I am not brushing continuously. Since I live in southern California I can take the dogs for a dry off walk. Every few minutes we stop and they get brushed through. As areas dry I leave them alone.

Back before I figured out how to bathe dogs outside judging by the color of the water in the tub Sassy was never dirty and Max was always filthy. Coats vary in ability to shed dirt! And clean Sassy was stinky but dirty Max smelled like his shampoo for a good week and never smells bad. Stink and dirt are two separate issues at least sometimes.


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## d_ray (Nov 5, 2013)

If my dog is simply muddy, I just rinse her and towel dry her. She is always in the mud so we do this pretty well every night. We only bathe with shampoo twice a year, but she has a short coat and doesn't smell.


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## deege39 (Dec 29, 2008)

Using the right shampoo, you could bathe once a week if you wanted to- Drying thoroughly and proper brushing is a must.

I used to bathe my Chi MIXES once a week or every other week b/c it helped reduce the shedding, but once I started grooming full-time, lol I couldn't stomach bathing another dog even if it was my own.  They don't get very dirty, and I miss them smelling like flowers all the time, but they get bathed now about every 4wks.


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## steph925 (Apr 30, 2014)

Awesome. Thanks everyone. My problem is mud usually isnt just mud. Like right now we had so much rain the corrals are slop holes and they follow me through it and its half way up their legs lol then one of them gets a bright idea to lay in it :/ yuk! Lol this weekend is definitely going to be bath time for both of them.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs (Jun 3, 2007)

If you get a high quality shampoo, you are fine bathing them often. If you really want a good looking coat, get a high velocity blow dryer (or use a do it yourself station at the petstore, or send your dog to the groomer). It will take so much more hair out than even a good brushing and makes your dog look awesome.


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## steph925 (Apr 30, 2014)

Okay  I just bought some new shampoo and conditioner. I also found a couple places that do self wash, I'll be checking them out right away.


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## Seanán (Apr 28, 2014)

Logan gets bathed every 1-2 weeks - sometimes I'll just use conditioner instead of shampoo. I've bathed dogs every other day before to treat skin conditions (with medicated shampoo). I'd be comfortable using a regular shampoo every 2 weeks, and rinsing/conditioner if you have to do it more often than that, but it does depend on the dog. Gavroche could be bathed every day without drying his skin, but Logan can't.


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