# bathing too much?



## teddybearmommy (Feb 11, 2017)

How often should a pup be bathed? I just got a small breed puppy and she tends to calm down and sleep better at night when we give her a bath! I don't want to dry her skin or hair tho. Thoughts?


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## Alisa♥ (Mar 9, 2017)

It definitely depends on the individual dog's coat; I've researched info for my breed (Dalmatian), and bathing more than once every three months strips the beneficial oils from the coat. I don't think this is common advice across other breeds, though.

I'm no expert, but it may help the more knowledgeable members if you can describe your girl's coat length and texture? (I found in one of your previous posts that your pup is "teddy bear/Shichon," but I'm not familiar with either of those...I did find a Zuchon though and I think that's the same as Shichon which looks like a cross between Bichon Frisé and Shih Tzu? And I think "teddy bear" is usually the same cross? So I'm guessing your girl has a longer coat, and I'm seeing once every 3-4 weeks recommended for Bichon Frisé and Shih Tzu, with more frequent baths being needed by young puppies, although how _much_ more frequent is the question.)


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## DaySleepers (Apr 9, 2011)

Many poodle owners will bathe weekly, but you need a good-quality shampoo and conditioner made for dogs - the latter is absolutely not optional if you're bathing that frequently. Otherwise you'll really dry the coat out.

How does she act in the bath? I'm just concerned that she sleeps better because baths are stressful or scary for her and it wears her out - our boy is like that. We've worked on desensitizing him to it, but we avoid full-on bathing as much as possible so as to not put him through that any more than we have to.


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## Sprocket2016 (Feb 14, 2017)

I'm not sure how often we are suppose to bath our dogs but I have a havanese puppy and he gets a bath weekly he starts to smell 6-7 days 
However my Great Dane and my pit gets a bath maybe every 3 months in the winter and every month in the summer just give them one whenever I pet them and their hair feels gross lol 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## TGKvr (Apr 29, 2015)

I only bathe when I realize that the whiteness of her coat is... not so white anymore. 

Bathing often can most certainly lead to problems, most of the time. If I were you, I'd look into alternatives for calming him down before bedtime.


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## teddybearmommy (Feb 11, 2017)

Yes, she has a thicker coat. She doesn't seem bothered by her baths. I'm not planning on bathing her every night, but just curious if 1 or 2 weeks in between were safe, I just don't want her skin to get sensitive or strip her of her natural oils.


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## parus (Apr 10, 2014)

My terrier mix gets a bath once a year whether she needs it or not.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

teddybearmommy said:


> Yes, she has a thicker coat. She doesn't seem bothered by her baths. I'm not planning on bathing her every night, but just curious if 1 or 2 weeks in between were safe, I just don't want her skin to get sensitive or strip her of her natural oils.


Like mentioned, I'd be worried that a bath every night if she became noticeably calmer is because of stress. You say she doesn't seem bothered by the baths but then you also say it helps her calm and sleep better. Meaning, there is at least some distinct change of behavior which IME isn't typical for having a bath. Many dogs get the zoomies and are MORE energetic after a bath.



parus said:


> My terrier mix gets a bath once a year whether she needs it or not.


Mine get twice a year whether they like it or not because every citizen of Kentucky is required by law to take a bath at least once a year and I do so want my dogs to be on the leading edge of cleanliness 

But joking aside--- if the dog smells, gets oily, leaves a dirty residue on your fingers when you scratch them well, or otherwise has "ick" on their coat, then bathe them. You can bathe more but every night is way overdoing it and every week isn't really needed either. Doable but unneeded.


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## FURgirl (Mar 14, 2017)

A bath every 4-8 weeks is the normal, try using bath wipes for in-between care. Unless in special circumstances of skin conditions that require weekly treatments with a medicated shampoo bathing more than suggested can certainly dry the skin out quickly. If the need arises for a full bath before your pup is due, be sure to use an oatmeal shampoo or a moisturizing conditioner to retain moisture.


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## LeoRose (Aug 20, 2015)

teddybearmommy said:


> Yes, she has a thicker coat. She doesn't seem bothered by her baths. I'm not planning on bathing her every night, but just curious if 1 or 2 weeks in between were safe, I just don't want her skin to get sensitive or strip her of her natural oils.


Bathing that often is fine, as long as you follow some basic guidelines.

First, never bathe a matted dog. Always make sure her coat if brushed, combed, and free of any tangles. 

Second, use cool water to bathe her, not warm. Also, use a shampoo formulated for dogs. 

Third, squeeze the shampoo though her coat, don't "scrub" back and forth. 

Fourth, and extremely important, make sure that you get _all _the shampoo out of her coat, as leaving any behind can be very irritating. The basic rule is "rinse them until you think all the shampoo is gone, then rinse them again". 

Fifth, don't let her get chilled after a bath. Either blow her dry with a dryer designed for dogs, or else keep her warm while her coat dries naturally.


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## CharlesErikz (May 12, 2017)

teddybearmommy said:


> How often should a pup be bathed? I just got a small breed puppy and she tends to calm down and sleep better at night when we give her a bath! I don't want to dry her skin or hair tho. Thoughts?


Twice a week is too much for me.
At least once a week just to be clean.


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## sonja_sadek (Jan 24, 2017)

CharlesErikz said:


> Twice a week is too much for me.
> At least once a week just to be clean.


Once a week would be fine. It also depends on your surroundings. If you're in a cold-temperature area, less baths are needed. But yeah, as soon as you feel your dog being too dirty, a bath should be scheduled soon.


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## Jen2010 (Feb 12, 2013)

If you're bathing her just so she'll be calm or sleep better, you may want to look at other options for that. I don't know how old your pup is, but if she's a young puppy, she could very well change to a point where baths get her more excited. Mine usually get the zoomies after a bath.

In the summer, my dogs usually get baths once a week or once every other week. During the summer they're outside more, lying on the grass/dirt more, etc. so they get dirtier. The longest they've gone without a bath would probably be 2 months or less. I find their coats get grimy feeling after a while and since I don't like that, they get a bath. Of course they also get a bath if they've been rolling in something or are particularly muddy.

But yeah, make sure you're using a shampoo/conditioner designed for dogs and make sure it's COMPLETELY rinsed out.


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## qwriiuws (Sep 25, 2019)

I'm not sure how often we are suppose to bath our dogs but I have a havanese puppy and he gets a bath weekly he starts to smell 6-7 days
However my Great Dane and my pit gets a bath maybe every 3 months in the winter and every month in the summer just give them one whenever I pet them and their hair feels gross lol


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## Knute (Aug 10, 2019)

My MiniS gets a full bath each month. In between will be water rinse to remove any grit or grime collected during a walk on wet ground or in the rain. Always after he comes home from a stay at the dog hotel when I leave town for business.

I use a pH balanced dog shampoo for the monthly. Use 3 rinses to remove the shampoo. Water temperature is on the cool side of warm. Dry with a super absorbent towel, then out for a short walk to final dry. Back home for brush/comb out.

Anyone have an idea why dogs get the insane zoomies after a bath????


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