Hello, just a quick question that i was wondering about, How often do you think you should bath your dog, can you harm them if you bath them too much, and why is it when you go to someones house, and theve got dogs, all you can smell is dog but yet you can go to someone elses house who has also got dogs and you cant smell them? does anyone have any idears?

Im not sure but i think im right in saying some breeds smell more than other, i bath my lab roughly every 6 weeks, more if he has been in ponds down in the woods poooo :D

Heidi

It very much depends on the breed, and the type of coat it has. Smooth-coated breeds tend to have much less smell than longer, or oilier, coated ones (otterhounds are a case in point!). I recently (reluctantly) had to bath a 4 year-old dalmatian for the first time because he'd covered himself from head to toe in the most vile-smelling ordure he could find, and the usual spot-wipe (excuse the pun!) wasn't having any effect. Until then you could bury your nose in his coat and smell absolutely nothing.

Thank God! I was getting a complex!  Mine are unlucky if they get one a year; if I had to bathe my bitch every time she rolled in Eau de Reynard she would never be dry!

My dog is 17 months old and never been bathed.  She's a Cairn and unless they end up rolling in something that cannot be "spot removed" there is no need to bath them - ever.  She does not smell (okay, maybe a whiff of fox pee behind her ears every once in a while).  I groom her every week, which consists of combing and hand stripping her coat (pulling out the oldest and longest hairs of her top coat.)

Depends on the breed, the dog, and what they get into that determines how often they need to be bathed.  Some do seem to have a natural pong, no matter how often they are bathed.   For most dogs though, the less often they are bathed, the better.

Stacey

Jazz is bathed roughly every eight weeks because he is a scruffy thing, he finds the smelliest things to roll in :D.  My dog when i was at home hated the bath so was very rarely bathed in his life, but he wasnt a scruffy hound like Jazz.  I think as mentioned it depends on the breed coat etc.

Michelle :)

Only one of mine has ever had a bath and that is my ten year old, I can't even remember why I did it and it was only the once.

Sometimes I will hose them down after a walk but normally I wait for any mud to dry and then brush it off and rub down with a chamois leather if necessary.

It depends on the sizes of your dogs too. If you have a big, tall dog like a Doberman and he lifts his leg on a tree and your Chihuahua doesn't notice that he's lifting his leg and happens to walk under it....well, there goes one bath. LOL.

I only bathe my Lab once in a while because it's not good for their coats, the oils and such. But if she stinks from pond water or she rolls in something dead or whatever...she's getting a bath.

The Dobe has only had two or three and that was just for practice so he wouldn't worry later on if he needed one. He makes for easy grooming.

Chihuahuas are easy to bathe.

I think if you use a gentle oatmeal shampoo or something, it won't dry out their coats much....not sure.

Weel, different story with our bunch - the Am. Cockers in full show coat are bathed twice each week, the ones in pet trim about once every 2 - 3 weeks.  The pugs who are showing get bathed before a show, the "home" pugs about once per month.  No coat drying effects, use a variety of shampoos, depending on the coats requirments, and then conditioner.
bye
Gwen

Hello Gwen
In the same situation as yourself, I have 4 Papillon dogs showing  who are bathed once or twice weekly, boys have there undersides done daily sometimes twice, (depends on the in season bitches around) and the girls have there knickers (fringing down back legs) done each evening.  Agian using shampoos & conditoners etc to prevent coat damage and drying.  Dogs not being shown can usually go 4 weeks between baths.  Also have a Border Collie pup who has been with us 3 weeks now and so far I have resisted temptation to bathe her. lol  Her first bath will coincide whith her first roll in smelly stuff.
Regards
Joan

the only  1 that gets a bath now and then is gollie the swd but the fcr never been bath just go off to the cannal where the water is clear,

Hello ,
Another quickie, do your dogs like getting a bath? do they sit there and enjoy it? or is it a real challenge for you? and do you end up with a flooded bathroom?
Jo

Varies, some love it, some not so keen.  Dont have the flooding bathroom thing, as I have a purpose built dog room, with a high level bathing area on level with the grooming table.  Jennifer (5 month old Yankee pup) is so laid back about it she lies down to be rinsed off :) .  Most of them put up with it without complaint, Junior tends to try and licks the shampoo off his face!  Mabel (Pug) adores the pamering and attention, positvlye yips when any other dogs go on the grooming table, demanding her turn!  Lewis loves the attention too.
bye
Gwen

Well, I have a large, long coated breed (Briard) and it is over a year since I bathed her.  She doesn't smell (although I did just stick my face in her coat and have a sniff - she wasn't impressed - and there was a very slight odour).  Her coat is in great shape and I find that if she does go in a pond, I hose her down (she does pong when wet) and she dries lovely and clean - generally only her legs and lower body get wet then though.

Saffy definitely prefers a hosing down in the garden, to a bath.  She trembles the whole time in the bath, infact you only have to say 'bath' and she runs downstairs and yes when I have bathed her in the past the bathroom does end up with about two inches of water on the floor!!  Probably when the weather is warmer, I will 'bathe' her in the garden with shampoo and conditioner.

Fiona

I bath mine if they have a show to go to, or if they've rolled in something smelly. However, they are in water every day swimming. Does that count ;)

Chance jumps in the bath before I've got the shower on but his mother hides under her bed (an old 3 seater settee) as soon as she hears the water running. :D

Abby loves being bathed but hates if you hose her down only problem is every time she goes in the bathroom she thinks she can get in the bath and she doesnt care if I am already in there.
Mary

I bath my shih-tzu's 2-3 times per week,i dont have much choice as they love rolling in duck and fox poop and they go swimming in the not so clean river daily,their lifestyle does not mix with a long coat :rolleyes: i use a good quality shampoo and conditioner and every second week i add bath oil to their baths,no dry coats here! They dont particularly like baths BUT they put up with it,i am very,very quick,they all enjoy getting blow dried :D I have never known a tzu with a smelly coat,i hate it when i visit people and the smell of wet dog hits you as soon as you walk through the door,it's a bit off putting :(
My dogs have a whole cupboard devoted to their grooming products,they have heaps,much more than me and i also spend quadruple the money on them than i do on myself.It's all worth it when i and them get complemented on their beautiful coats :D :D

christine(Australia)

HI Jo not long now then ???? I bath mine every 12 weeks or so i find that good grooming will keep your cavaliers coat in good condition there are many good grooming products on the market as for them smelling ..if you keep his bed washed and clean this will avoid most of the doggy smells in the house, I also use trow overs on the sofa'a that can be washed regular , many posts here are right bathing too often can spoil the coat , a lady i know from work has a dog she has owned 6 years who has never been bathed and although you would be thinking POOO lol not at all he has the most amamzing coat

My pet Spanish Water Dogs get bathed about twice a year, although Lydia is a lovely shade of beige and black, she should be white and black!!

My black and white ones which I show are bathed a couple of days before the show and mainly only their white bits, though Anton doesn't believe in the colour white so I don't know why I bother :d

Hi Inca, it depends very much on the breed if bathing is beneficial or bad for the coat.  In flowing coated breeds, kept in show coat, it is essential to bathe very regularly, and even more frequently with whites/parti colours.  It certainly does not damage the coat in any way !  However, for harsh coated breeds it can be detremental to the desired coat texture.  Most Cavs. I know (who show) go with the weekly bathing routine, or even more frequently, and their coats are lovely!  But I do agree with you about doggy smells clinging to dog beds and soft furnishings.  Perhaps this is why Febreze and Bac to nature are so popular?

There are a lot of myths and old wives tales about bathing dogs, such as the "it will ruin his coat" one we are discussing here, and the "you should only use pet shampoo as the pH for human shampoo is bad for dogs".  Most important thing to remember when bathing is to use a quality shampoo, conditioner if appropriate, and rinse rinse and rinse again  - leaving product in the hair can lead to irritations and scurf.  It takes much longer to thoroughly rinse a dog than it does your own hair:)
bye
Gwen