# Should I bathe a Lab pup?



## brianosaur (Jan 28, 2014)

We've had him a week and he is a little stinky. 

The room his crate & pen are in get stinky every few days so we clean the floor, his crate tray, and also wash his fleece towels/bedding.

However, after doing so today I believe it is him. I smelled him and it isn't terrible but just a tad stinky. Not sure if this is just his 'regular' smell and I'm not used to it yet, or if he does need to be freshened up a bit. Since we've been housebreaking him he has had a bit of pee on him here and there and playing in soggy/muddy grass outside.

I know not to strip his coat of oils with harsh shampoo, so I am wondering what to do ...and how often.


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

I'm sure it's fine if you use puppy shampoo or any natural shampoo you can buy for dogs at a pet store 

If you're really worried you can just use a baby wipe on him or some grooming wipes.


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## sandgrubber (May 21, 2014)

brianosaur said:


> We've had him a week and he is a little stinky.
> 
> The room his crate & pen are in get stinky every few days so we clean the floor, his crate tray, and also wash his fleece towels/bedding.
> 
> ...


I can only guess at what you're smelling. Puppies have a distinct smell. Many dog people, especially breeders, love that smell . . . but not everybody does. If that's what you're whiffing, be assured, it won't last for long. A month or so, maybe. I wouldn't bother bathing him. 
Btw. smell his breath. If the smell you're smelling is on his breath, bathing won't make one iota of difference.
I'm a lab person and have owned round about 20 Labs. You get occasional great stinks from skunks or finding something wonderful to roll in. But by in large, they're not very smelly. I seldom bathe mine unless they have had an olfactory adventure with a dead fish or somesuch. They sleep on my bed, and I don't mind putting my nose quite close to their fur.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Sure, it's absolutely fine to bathe puppies. I think mine got a bath at the breeder right before he came home and then we didn't feel the need to bathe him for another couple months, but it depends a lot on how messy they are (a puppy who poops in his create and then sits in it is getting a bath!) or how muddy it is outside (mine came home in October and then it quickly got cold and less muddy). 

For dogs who pee on themselves a bit, I use a waterless shampoo (I like Cherrybrook's brand, but there are others). Just fill up a little spray bottle and spray and towel him down before he comes inside. Mine has a lot of feathers and he pees on them, so this is a necessity in our house! It's also great for young boy puppies when they pee all over the back of their front legs but you don't want to do a full bath.

Sure, it's absolutely fine to bathe puppies. I think mine got a bath at the breeder right before he came home and then we didn't feel the need to bathe him for another couple months, but it depends a lot on how messy they are (a puppy who poops in his create and then sits in it is getting a bath!) or how muddy it is outside (mine came home in October and then it quickly got cold and less muddy). 

For dogs who pee on themselves a bit, I use a waterless shampoo (I like Cherrybrook's brand, but there are others). Just fill up a little spray bottle and spray and towel him down before he comes inside. Mine has a lot of feathers and he pees on them, so this is a necessity in our house! It's also great for young boy puppies when they pee all over the back of their front legs but you don't want to do a full bath.


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## Kyle071785 (Nov 28, 2013)

Its fine to bathe the pup and getting him used to taking a bath at a young age will make it less of a hassle when he's older (and bigger).


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

And, Lab puppies can learn to LOVE the water very quickly. On the other hand, my personal opinion is that you should not make it a habit to wash a Lab more than once a month, unless needed. If the dog is muddy or smells, then wash him. But, if he walks through a mud puddle, you might dry him off and let his natural oils do the rest. My Lab puppy could run through puddles, then sleep in the sun, and the mud would just fall off...  I let him play in water every day, but I didn't wash him frequently.


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## Sibe (Nov 21, 2010)

Yes! Even with foster puppies, I bathe them like once a week to teach them to have fun in the tub. Quick as possible, fun as possible. Instead of thinking of it as giving the dog a bath, I think of it as play time where I'm petting and massaging the dog with wet soapy hands.


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## ChelseaOliver (Nov 5, 2014)

Definitely be good to get him used to baths  I wonder what you're smelling exactly - maybe he's dirty from playing outside but puppy smell is so good. I was very sad when Peggy didn't smell like a puppy anymore. This definitely might be the start of your pup's water love affair!


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