The grass is really muddy and everyday whether on lead or off bailey rolls around getting filthy he loves it. I don't get mad but with him being a westie he needs baths all the time as he stinks. I have tried to take off most with a dry towel but he always looks grubby its worse when out walking you bump into other westies all white and fluffy he looks dirty. Is it ok to bath them often or just put up with him being a typical terrier?

Hi,

I asked this very question when I first joined. Obviously those white fluffy westies dont have as much fun as yours ;)

I would of thought that rubbing him down and giving him a good brush would remove most of the mud. It works with my terrier (Patterdale) mind you, he is black and tan so its not that bad.

Hi Bailey,
I sometimes bath my semi- long haired dogs 2  times a week,they also love rolling in the mud and swimming in dirty water.I have no choice but to bath them.I use a good moisturising shampoo(Groomers evening primrose oil shamp.) and their tropical conditioner,both products are great and stop the skin from drying out :)

Bailey,

Dont bath him too often :-)   Is he maybe needing a trim also just now??

Generally drying off and good brushing, then combing does the trick. A dry cleaning powder will help also on the furnishings.

When he is dried off pour some of the cleaning powder onto your brush and brush him through. This will also help keep him a bit cleaner next time.  Johnsons do one you can get at the pet shop.

I show mine and still find it amazing how I can pass pure white westies out walking that put mine to shame. They must just get a quick around the block and not a good dig. 

Sometimes I am ashamed to say I show mine when you see them :-)) but they are happy as larry getting a filthy.

Washing can cause the coat to soften a little which then starts the cycle of needing bathed all the time.  

HTHs Pam

my westie is always dirty, anyway last friday took her to my grooming class and bathed and clipped her, she looked wonderful, on sunday went for a walk with my daughter, within 5mins of running around she was covered in mud , we thought that she would need another bath when we got home, luckily she went into the river which got most of it off.I dont like to bath her too often, a good brush usually gets most of it off.

Often bathing can make things worse.It can remove the natural oils in a coat that make it waterproof and hence they get dirty quicker and easier.
Archer

Hope none of you mind me saying this but just incase :-)  if you do bath your westies I recommend watering the shampoo down a bit, use a shampoo like polytar or coaltar and also rinsing a good 5 full mins longer than you think you should to get all the soap out, hose against the coat. They are double coated and are not really supposed to be bathed often.

I always water down our dog shampoo, makes it last abit longer! :D

DOn't bath too often, it just ruins the caot, A dirty dog (as long as they are knot free and looked after) are the best type of dogs possible!  OUr red and whites come back from the feilds black, they are only bathed if they have a show and smell/look too bad!

Glad to know its not just mine! He looks lovely after being at the groomers but thats just not him if he's dirty hes happy and likes nothing better than a roll in wet mud and he always has that guilty look when waiting at the door.

I checked this out with a friend of mine who happens to be a vet. (Very handy!) She said dogs should not be bathed more than once a month or it can cause skin irritation and other probelms with their coat. If Bailey cannot be cleaned off with a brush could you not hose him down with just warm water? At least that way his coat will not be stripped of natural oils by the shampoo. Or maybe you could put one of those thin waterproof coats on him that would keep the worst of the mud off him.

Good luck. As a person who won't wear white as it gets dirty in seconds, tell Bailey I sympathize! :p