# how many weeks before you find your dog dirty?



## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

I haven't bathed Nia in a month which is the longest she's ever gone and my god she's so dirty. Her fur is clumpy and oily, it's dandruffy as well if I scratch her. Her ear fringes are all stuck together 30 min after i comb it through. Plus she's been playing, running and wrestling other dogs everyday for the last 2 weeks, yuck!

Tomorrow she's getting a bath! I've just been slacking because it's my exam season and I have no time but tomorrow right after my exam she's getting a good scrubbing!

How long do you find before your dog starts to feel dirty or smelly?


PS not sure if this should be in grooming or general forums.


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

I usually bathe my girls after a week, because I like them to always be fresh and clean. Three weeks is the longest they've gone with out baths. And your right.. they feel incredibly dirty. I really don't like the feel of a dirty coat. Since I have started volunteering at the shelter here, I have actually been giving dogs baths to get them cleaned up and feeling nice. I think it will help them to get adopted sooner rather than later. I know I would feel a -lot- better about adopting a clean looking/smelling dog than one who hasn't been bathed in months. I know a lot of people don't mind the feel of a not-freshly bathed dog though. I suppose it's just like how some people can go two or three days with out washing their hair and feel fine with it. If I had to go three days with out washing my hair I don't know what I'd do.. lol.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Yeah! If you pet them enough, your fingers feel kind of dirty and clammy if they haven't been bathed in a while. Also it makes me itchy and break out in rash so I do try to bathe Nia every 2-3 weeks when she's not playing with dogs a lot and ever 2 weeks if she is. But 4 weeks and playing with dogs! Yuck! 

I try not to bathe Nia too much because she gets stressed out and really hates the water.


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

Oooh yea.. I haven't had that problem for a while. 





Maggie still won't hop in on her own unless Zoey is already in the tub, but neither of them mind baths anymore. I know what you mean though. Maggie used to SCREAM bloody murder when I tried to wash her. She made me feel awful but we got through it.. with the help of hot dogs and cheese.


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## Dakota Spirit (Jul 31, 2007)

I think it depends a lot on the dog. Dakota is short haired and really not prone to the 'oily' feel that unkept longer hair can succumb to. With that in mind, her baths are more dependent on what she's been doing (playing in the mud, rolling outside, etc.) rather then time period. She doesn't need/get baths that often.


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

I bathe mine maybe about once every 4 to 6 months and brush them alot, but my dogs also do a lot of swimming in the summer, almost daily swimming


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## yappypappymom (Oct 22, 2009)

Funny you should ask this question right about now...Leif managed to get SOMETHING "oily" on his head..not like car oil or anything like, but...food drippings...STILL don't know HOW he managed this..anyhow, I was super busy yesterday, & in a pinch, tried the cornstarch rubbed into the greasy area...it was AH-MA-ZING!! I just had to comb the conrstarch back out of the hair, & `viola!! The problem was solved!..little stinker is due for his "real" bath tomorrow, but, other than that, I find that I have to bathe him once every 2 weeks now that he has decided to stop rolling around in poo & such..(for the time being...LOL)...
Since he sleeps with me, baths are a high priority for us here in our house...but, he really is NOT a "stinky-type" doggie at all!! *whew..wipes brow, & kisses the ground*


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## Labsnothers (Oct 10, 2009)

I do a lot of brushing, but seldom if ever bathe a dog.


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## Tankstar (Dec 30, 2006)

He is dirty pretty muh every day lol. He plays hard, rolls about every 10mins in mud, swims, ect. Depending on how I feel, I may bathe him 2 times a week, or once a monh or more. I dont have a schedule. He is due for one, been about 1.5months , But Im to lazy. He gts lots of brushing to help cut out most dirt any way


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## Foyerhawk (May 7, 2009)

I bathe my dogs weekly, and I rinse them every time they play outside, unless it's on a nice grassy field. Florida dirt is black chalk that grinds into the coat. It's disgusting, and my dogs are inside/bed dogs and I hate dirt.


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## Tangles_42 (Jan 20, 2009)

I try not to bath Lily too often, about every three months, unless she rolls in fox poo  then she is put straight in the tub!!
Every day i walk her by a brook and she always has a paddle, so she does get a bit whiffy, she needs a bath now, but I'll hold out till Christmas, she will be the last dog I will bath this year


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## StarfishSaving (Nov 7, 2008)

I bathe my dogs when they get into something nasty on hikes like mud, poo, ticks, etc, but aside from that they get maybe one or two "just because" baths a year.

Sammy gets a bath most often because he lays down in mud puddles and the mud around our usual hiking places is a slimy clay and oil concoction even when the rain has just fallen. Sally mostly avoids puddles but if she happens to splash in them I usually just bring her home and hose her down because it's not ground into her fur.


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## MoosMom (Sep 15, 2009)

I know I shouldn't, but I do get Yoshi in a tub once a month. But I also like bowing all the extra hair out of him, keeps it from being all over my house. My BF likes when he smells "clean"


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## misty073 (Mar 31, 2009)

I would say Maggie gets a bath about once a month. She is never oily feeling but she does get a real messy look to her (happens the day after the bath though LOL) but she is a white dog and looks dirty if she doesnt get bathed...infact for the last week or so I have been wanting to bath her (she almost looks grey) but by the time I can at night I dont feel like it (she cant go outside at all after her bath so I want to do it before bed)


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## Dog_Shrink (Sep 29, 2009)

I usually bathe my hoard once in the summer and once in the winter unless fleas or unexpected dirtyness occurs. I imagne I'll have to bathe Luna a little more often since she's coated but we brush the heck outta them regularly (almost every other day if not every day for Luna).


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## Angelwing (Jan 2, 2008)

Once per week with a high quality shampoo and conditioner. I love clean dogs.


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## blackrose (Oct 7, 2006)

Chloe gets a bath every month or two, and I also get her groomed at that time as well. She doesn't really get "dirty"...she just looks like I do after I skip a shower. LOL 

Blackie and Rose only get a bath every few months. They really don't get that "skipped a shower" look like Chloe does, they just get dirty because they are mostly outdoors during the warm weather.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

Keechak said:


> I bathe mine maybe about once every 4 to 6 months and brush them alot, but my dogs also do a lot of swimming in the summer, almost daily swimming


Do you find their coats get a little clammy feeling? Like if you rub their coats and scratch them does your hand feel a little dirty afterwards?

I could never stand that because I start to get really itchy.

I think swimming helps! They usually make the dogs feel pretty clean and not too dirty unless it's swimming in the ocean LOL

Just to add....Truffles and Popcorn gets bathed weekly at my aunt's house but like 2 days after a bath they reek! 

Not sure why but those 2 are really stinky! They're fed Orijen and not anything strange and I absolutely can't find a reason that they smell bad! I was thinking maybe anal gland issues but what are the chances that both of them have that?!?


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## pamperedpups (Dec 7, 2006)

I groom my dogs at least every other week.


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## Binkalette (Dec 16, 2008)

Michiyo-Fir said:


> Just to add....Truffles and Popcorn gets bathed weekly at my aunt's house but like 2 days after a bath they reek!
> 
> Not sure why but those 2 are really stinky! They're fed Orijen and not anything strange and I absolutely can't find a reason that they smell bad! I was thinking maybe anal gland issues but what are the chances that both of them have that?!?


Hmm.. you should try Eqyss Micro-Tek shampoo.. It really does help cut down on odors. I ran out about a month and a half ago, (I've been using Buddy wash since), and now I've started noticing that their feet smell like corn chips again.. and I can detect 'doggy smell' when I get them wet. I never can when I use the eqyss.. I can't wait to get more...


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## CWBullyBreedRescue (Dec 10, 2009)

My dog Zeus (White Shepherd) should be brushed every day, but he isn't. And he's realyl impatient when it comes to baths. He LOVES water...on his own terms. But his problem with water is, no matter where we are at, he will find that dirtest part fo the water and dance around in it until he's covered in mud. My other dog, Hailey, hasn't taken a bath since we got her because she's got a short course coat. My dog Zeus gives her baths. lol!


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## emily445455 (Apr 8, 2008)

Hubby and I bathe them as needed. If they get horribly muddy, then they get a bath.


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## nekomi (May 21, 2008)

My crew gets bathed, on average, every 1 - 2 weeks. I have a deodorizing/cleansing spritz that I spray and rub into their coat and feet when they come in from playing, so they get that frequently too. They are brushed about once a week, more in the "shedding seasons".  Toenails are clipped every month or so, sometimes more frequently if needed.

I really like my dogs to be clean. I'm with Foyerhawk, I don't like my dogs to feel dirty... and for my guys, without baths, that's pretty often since they play HARD! Also, since I do have a big pack, I like to make sure they are clean when company comes over. I think it goes a long way towards a good impression.


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## FilleBelle (Aug 1, 2007)

Alvin gets a bath when he needs it, so there isn't really a set time frame. He doesn't spend a lot of time engaged in dirty outdoor activities, so he is rarely muddy or coated in unidentifiable yuckiness. If I don't have to give a bath as part of a summertime flea prevention routine, then I give one when either his coat starts to feel a little greasy or he starts to smell "like a dog."

To make a long story short, I'd say Alvin probably gets three or four baths a year.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

My dogs are dirtballs daily. They get covered in muck at the park, especially Mia who likes to wade in water then dig holes in the dirt. They get a bath every 2 weeks or so but I rinse them off more often.


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## LuvMyAngels (May 24, 2009)

Buster gets a bath every 4-6 weeks, any longer and he starts digging at himself. In between baths he's rinsed as needed...at the moment thats every single time we come in from a walk where he's in the street (3-4 times per day) due to the dirt and deicing chemicals the city uses.


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## MaddiesMom (Nov 8, 2007)

Maddie goes to the groomer once a month they do the whole deal - bath, nail clipping, etc. She has short hair, so no hair clipping. You can tell when her time has come to go the the groomer - her nails are getting long and she's starting to smell pretty musky. 

All I have to say is "It's time for Puppy Spa" and she's ready to go!

It only takes a couple of days after grooming that her white paws are not so white any more and from her sleeping under the blankets every night, she starts to get getting her sweaty dog smell. 

In between grooming I do have an apple/pear scented spritz that she gets once a week to freshen her up.


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## michelleboston (Feb 25, 2009)

Bailey gets a bath every week or two, depending on how rainy & muddy it is here. If he's just been bathed and it then rains, I just rinse his paws. He seems to stay clean longer after being at the groomers, we're going on 2 weeks now and he's just starting to get dirty. I'll probably give him a bath this weekend or early next week. He usually sleeps in my bed so I like him to be clean and fresh smelling.


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## dakotajo (Jan 29, 2009)

My Berners hair stays quite clean on it's own, I usually brush her a couple times a week. When she comes in from outside she usually grabs the cloth for me to wipe her down if she's wet or snowy She gets more smelly than anything but if I bath her more than every couple of months she gets dandruff


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## meandean (Aug 31, 2009)

we bathe riley every sunday. we usually go to the beach over the weekend and there's nothing more foul than a ocean wet dog. lol. plus he usually gets all kinds of sand stuck in his coat that can be irritating to him if we dont wash it out.


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## KBLover (Sep 9, 2008)

Wally doesn't get bathed much at all. Usually when he gets groomed and that's every couple months or so.

He doesn't feel oily and I pet him a lot. 

I comb him very regularly (usually every 2-3 days), but not so much the baths.


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## DreamN (Nov 28, 2008)

We bathe bi-monthly (proper bath at the groomers) and quick dog washes every other week. It had been raining a bit in Southern California and Rico simply couldn't get enough of the mud and endless puddles. We had actually just gotten him groomed 2 days ago and the first thing he did once he got home was lay down on a muddy puddle of water. No play action or anything. Just simply laid down. Great...


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

Clean hair doesn't mat, and with 3 Standard Poodles and a Shih Tzu, it's easier to keep 'em clean with a bath every 1-2 wks. Sometimes I drop one or two off to have a shampoo and blow dry at the groomer's, but, usually do them all at home.


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## 90_Pound_Shadow (Dec 21, 2009)

My Shadow has had exactly 1 bath in 3 plus years and that was the evening he chased a skunk. That was interesting. Poor guy took it right up the nose and was sick for tree days. 
I was working on a horse farm at the time so a quick shampoo (in the barn) around the head and shoulders-no rinse...I let him him roll in the November snow, mud and hay for an hour or so. Then I brought him in and used a mild salsa on his head and chest...followed that up with a doggie shampoo.
That pretty much did the trick..he was _mildly fragrant_ of skunk, but not so bad that we couldn't be in bed together. I could smell a faint skunkiness for a month or so...when he got wet.

This dog has a strangely clean coat. He gets brushed at least a couple times a week, but other than that he just doesn't get dirty for long. He'll get muddy and wet at the dog park...in and out of the lake there, but I keep towels in the cars and he just wipes clean. It's like nothin sticks to him. It takes a prolonged swimming session to get his coat thoroughly soaked.


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## pupnamedkarma (Dec 7, 2009)

We bathed our min pin once in the past month, thats as long as we've had her. I am trying to only bathe her when it is necessary. Min pins tend to have dry skin.

I just wipe the mud off her feet and legs everytime she comes in the house. I also brush her with a deodorizer spray every few days.


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## RinseAce (Aug 16, 2010)

The bathing frequency really varies from dog to dog. Do they play outside a lot, is it muddy, is there a lot of dust? I would say as soon as she "looks dirty" or feels oily, give her a bath. I end up bathing my dog once a month for sure and she gets her paws washed almost daily in the winter with snow and salt on the road. Use a pet shower, that will make it much easier and quicker. A pet shower is basically a flexible hose with a sprayer that hooks up to a shower or a faucet. I personally love my faucet sprayer hooked up to my laundry tub. The tub is deep enough to keep my little 11 pound yorkiepooh safely in there and with the sprayer I only get to dog wet and not myself! A good towel-dry afterwards with a microfiber towel and a good brushing and pup is all pretty again.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

Sydney gets a bath with flee shampoo probably twice each summer when I find one or two flees she brought in from outside and it freaks me out.  Other than that she hardly ever gets a bath because she gets dry skin. Maybe I could be using a better shampoo, though.


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## GottaLuvMutts (Jun 1, 2009)

Kit goes a month or so, usually. It's never a gross feeling or smell that prompts me to bathe her, though - just my ideal that she should get bathed once a month. I pretty much never brush unless it's spring and she's blowing coat, and even then I only do it to keep the shedding in the house down to a minimum. She's rabbit's foot soft all the time.


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## Michiyo-Fir (Jul 25, 2009)

I just took Nia to the beach today and she came back feeling all gross and clammy. Her hair's feeling all weird so she'll probably get a bath next week. I find the salt water makes her hair feel really weird and I can't stand it. It really depends on what we're doing honestly. I've gone 6 weeks before giving her a bath before but this time it's only about 3 weeks. Sometimes it's only a week.


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## lucidity (Nov 10, 2009)

Cadence gets a bath every about 5 days or so. Usually between 5-7 days now since I've cut down his daycare sessions. Whenever he goes to daycare, it's off to the bath he goes when he gets home!! Daycare is gross. Makes him smell all slobbery and his fur looks all icky and matted because of all the playing, big dogs, and slobber.

Whenever he's not at daycare, he stays clean pretty well. I tend to bathe him more when it's gross outside... like right now. He tracks an amazing amount of dirt just on walks and I pretty much have to rinse him down everyday or use baby wipes. He gets a bath when he starts to smell "like dog". The rain that gets into his ears make him smell like that. Whenever I start smelling it, it's off to the bath he goes (because he won't tolerate having his ears cleaned if he's not in the bath).


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## Mercy Medical (Jul 6, 2010)

I've only given Vincent 3 baths in the 3+ months that we've had him. This is even after countless visits to the park where he comes home covered in everyone else's drool. We probably bathe him once a month or maybe even once every month and a half and even then he's never really that stinky or greasy or anything. If he is a Carolina Dog, as we suspect, then it would make sense because I guess they really don't need to be given baths unless totally necessary.

We don't even brush him all that much anymore, to be perfectly honest. He sheds a bit, but it's not near as bad as when we first got him.


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## melaka (Mar 31, 2010)

I just noticed yesterday that Buffy was getting a little stinky. (It must've been this thread that gave me the idea of sniffing her close-up.) I guess it's been about 6 weeks since she last had a bath.

When we were on vacation at the beach for a week, she got a bath each day after being in the salt water. I figured the salt would make her itchy.

I do wipe her face, paws, etc., with baby wipes now and then between baths, especially after going to the dog park.

Unfortunately she really, really hates baths, even though she loves water. At least she dries pretty quickly.


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## LazyGRanch713 (Jul 22, 2009)

If Auz is near and I wrinkle my nose and push him away, he's good for another week.
If he walks in the room and I pass out, a bath is in order.
(kidding). 
He's got a doggie smell, always has. Smells like an old gym sock, or a high school boys locker room. Doesn't matter what foods he's on, supplements, etc, he always has a "hound" smell. (It was worse on raw, believe it or not...)


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

I try to give baths once a month at least but Max went two months and the only reason I gave him one was his fringes were all clumpy. Time for a good trimming up so might as well bathe him. I bathed Sassy mostly to control the hair, after she started home made food she mostly stopped stinking. Artie gets his face all gunked up so I make futile efforts to keep that clean. He has had three baths since the middle of August. One was due to an unauthorized trip through the creek. He fits in the sink and apparently that is the proper way to be bathed. He turns into a bucking bronco in the back yard!


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## Xeph (May 7, 2007)

My crew is once a month. Mirada is bathed more frequently if we have a show to go to (a day or two before hand).


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## Miranda16 (Jan 17, 2010)

ide say once a month/month and a half ... the issue with hannah and fischer is they get oily, especially fisch, he has a labby coat
the oiliness isnt too bad unless you sit and pet them for awhile .. then you can feel it on your hands ... though with both of them the bath is usually a production in itself (we do it in my moms jacuzzi bathtub that has a shower/sprayer thing) i usually end up getting wet from picking a wet dog up out of the tub so they dont slip and get hurt trying to jump out

and we take them to the vet to get their nails done because fischer hates having his feet touched, though we have been working with desensitizing him to it he still hates it... and i figure they know how to do it better than i do (especially since they can have one person hold him and another clip) and it doesnt make me the bad guy


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## mitzi (Aug 3, 2010)

I hold out for 2 weeks with my stinky little Tzu. He doesn't mind the bath part but hates the high pressure dryer at the self service dog wash.


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## peznite (Oct 21, 2009)

I brush my westie every day, she only gets a bath when she goes to the groomer (every 6-8 weeks) She doesn't smell as long as I keep her collar off while we're at home and brush her everyday.


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