# How often should i bathe my dog?



## Allydog (Jun 14, 2008)

Just wondering....when she's dirty? Never? Once a month? And what does everyone use for shampoo?


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## drfong (May 24, 2006)

It varries between breed and what you want out of your dog. Some dogs if you over wash it damages the coat and others are made for the water. It also depends on what you are doing for flea control. I know people who wash their dogs every few days (which I feel is excessive) and others who never wash them. We have Austrialian terriers which have a rough double coat. If you wash them too much it makes their coat un-natural. If you brush your dog regularly, you won't have to wash it as much to keep it clean. It looks from you picture that you have a lab? I would say you could wash it as much as you want, but may want to go easy on the soap. I would say that washing with soap alot may dry out the coat/skin. I don't really know, I have never had a lab.


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## Sunshyne (Feb 5, 2008)

Chloe is 9 months old and has had 5 baths. Two by groomers (after boarding, they say they get stinky playing all day). I use doggie milk & oatmeal shampoo that I got on Target.com, and I love it! 

Because I have a pug, she really doesn't need a lot of baths, but she does get dirty and it's fairly easy to give her one. I agree with the post above - brush, brush, brush! 

I have also used pet wipes when I didn't want to do a whole bath, but when she was kinda messy. They work well.


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## K8IE (Apr 28, 2008)

I hear this question often on other dog groups and one I admin for... Honestly, my personal opinion is to bathe when, and only when, they absolutely need it. It varies from dog to dog. I have a Boxer, a very clean breed, one that self grooms pretty much daily. He gets a bath only when dirty or stinky. (Which is seldom because he is an indoor dog). I would suppose it equals to about 4-5 baths a YEAR. If we go to the park or something, we will stop at the DIY dog wash on the way home for a quick scrub with some hypo-allergenic oatmeal shampoo... Otherwise, if he accidentally wizzes on his foot I just "spot clean", and move on. And for the record, whenever guests come to my home, they comment as soon as i open the front door that my house smells like a "brand new house", so I must be doing something right.. (Our home is almost 4 years old with carpeting, not hardwood... )


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

The dog does need cleaning of some sort. I left my dogs to the mercy of my family for 5 weeks. Came home to dirty dogs with gunky eyes. Poor things. I like to bathe them monthly but the old dog has really dry itchy skin. I have been giving her 10 minute long rinses with warm water this summer which seems to not have made things worse. I was suprised at the spaniel coated dog looking and feeling clean as well as the reduction in smell to the old lab mix. I would rinse the dog as often as you like, bathe only if rinsing isn't enough. Remember one of the big problems is completely rinsing all the soap out of the coat. You will have to rebathe the dog if you don't get it all out as the dog will turn into an itchy mess. I just use any dog shampoo. It is easier to handle if you dilute it 50/50 with water. Brushing the wet dog gets loads of hair out and dries the dog faster.


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## Allydog (Jun 14, 2008)

Thanks! She gets rinsed often as she loves the hose and attacks the water!!!


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## Priss and Pedro's Mama (Nov 4, 2007)

I must be pretty laid back about these things LOL! I bathe them when they stink. Pedro gets more than Priss does because he goes more places with me and is up in people's laps/faces more. Priss probably gets 2 a year TOP END. She also rarely needs brushing. I do "scrub" her outside with my hands when her shedding is bad, but she just is so low need it isn't funny. For whatever reason, she just isn't a stinky dog. Pedro has an oilier coat so he gets one about every month or two depending on what he's been doing. I use a lint roller on him to control shedding...he loves it LoL!


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## Patt (Feb 12, 2008)

I bathe only when needed. I think the last time was over a year ago when they came in contact with a skunk. Ewwwww However, they are brushed daily. 

If you do want to bathe her be sure to get a nice shampoo *for dogs*, and a good oatmeal rinse. I'm sure if she rolls in anything she will need a bath, so be prepared. LOL "Rinsing" would be great especially in hot weather.


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## MegaMuttMom (Sep 15, 2007)

In the year and a half we have had our dog he has had 5 baths. 4 were due to rolling in stinky things and such. One was when we were having a dinner party and wanted him to smell extra good. He swims every day 3 of the seasons, and plays in the snow in winter. He is truly a low maintenance dog.


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## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

Alvin has had three baths in the past year. He doesn't spend a great deal of time outside and he never rolls in anything smelly. I brush him three times a week. His coat never smells doggy to me, but his head can get pretty rank. Ears, eyes, and teeth all check out...he just gets a musky odor going on that gets hard to stand. I keep pre moistened wipes in the cupboard for spot cleaning.


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## sheltiemom (Mar 13, 2007)

I bathe them when they are dirty...that sounds vague, but sometimes it's twice in a month and other times much longer. It's been about 3 months since either of the shelties had a full bath, and that's the longest they've gone since I got them, but they don't really need it yet. I bathed the bc about two months ago. If they get muddy or poop in their fur, or whatever, I don't hesitate to wash them, but I don't have a schedule or anything. Sometimes they get just a foot bath ot butt bath.


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## Mdawn (Mar 3, 2007)

My Mastiff probably gets one about 2 times a month now since its summer. His coat is short and gets grimy feeling more easily than my Lab. My Lab hardly ever gets a bath, probably once every 2 months, if that. Dirt just doesn't stick to his coat. If I give him a good brushing, I can get most dirt out of his coat and he feels nice and clean again. 

Both got baths yesterday as they went wading in a creek. 

If your hands feel grimy and dirty after petting them, they need a bath...that is the rule of thumb around here.


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## FatPants (Apr 23, 2008)

Ive been giving rocky a quick bath after leaving the dog park. I just like to get all the nasty slobber off of him as soon as possible. Should I just rinse and not use soap on him?


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## rosemaryninja (Sep 28, 2007)

FatPants said:


> Ive been giving rocky a quick bath after leaving the dog park. I just like to get all the nasty slobber off of him as soon as possible. Should I just rinse and not use soap on him?


I have heard that wipes work pretty well, although I've never used them.

I bathe my dogs once a week. I used to wonder how people could go for months without giving their dogs a bath; then I visited the States and realised how cool and dry it is half the time. The tropical climate here, coupled with the fact that my dogs spend a LOT of time in the yard, makes them feel really grotty after just a week. 

The solution, I've found, to bathe them so often without their skin drying up is to dilute the shampoo by a lot. I dilute it by up to 20% and always use very mild shampoo.


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