Washing Your Dog/s

[GorgeousAmber]

I wash my staffy x about once every 4 weeks, and do the flea treatment at the same time. She also gets rinse offs when she's been to the beach.

She's sooo funny now though, because she's learned that if we follow her around the house calling her name, it must be bath time, so she slinks unhappily into the bathroom and hops in the bath :rolleyes:

[Aly]

Aly gets bathed approx every 2 weeks, she is a mainly inside dog and gets a bit pongy under the arms. She just stands in the bath bit sulky but loves the hair dryer afterwards.... :rolleyes:

Alys Mum

[MumOf2LabBoys]

Ralphy had never had a bath up until a week ago when both boys were hydrobathed to help shed their undercoats.

Was wonderful and I will definately do it again next season.

otherwise they are not smelly dogs and swim enough to keep them clean and fresh, not to mention sleeping in the rain :rolleyes:

[goldenpaws]

I wash mine weekly (fortnightly when I'm lazy). Coz they live inside on the couches, my bed etc, being clean and smelling clean is essential. I've never had skin/coat problems from overwashing - I think it comes down to using a good quality shampoo and conditioning too. But their inner health shows on the outside, so if they're fed well and wormed and they're happy and healthy, that gives you the best coat of all, I reckon.

[t-time]

Show dogs get a bath before every show which means they are usually bathed weekly :p

Lil mutt gets a bath when she needs it which is about once a month.

Outside BC X gets a bath every now and then. She takes herself for a swim in the dam each day so I won't waste the tank water on her I think she hasn't had a bath for about 8 months now.....no smell though.

MO2LB: Pleased the hydrobath experience has helped you out (well, the Labs out of their coats - hey LABCOAT!! ) Oh god I need some breakfast :rolleyes:

Edited November 4, 2005 by t-time

[ReXy]

mine get bathed about every 3 weeks or so more if needed shih tzu x gets smelly more often and has terrible coat... lab is pretty clean and loves to swim... baby pup has had 2 baths since i have had him due to being muddy..lol discovered the sand pit and had some bones which made him quite smelly...

[Labsmum]

Never. I don't bath my dogs. They are labradors and love to swim. I hose them down after a swim in the river because the rivers (Maribyrnong and Yarra) are polluted with bacteria and chemicals. Maybe I should bath them? There natural fur oils seem to work and they always smell very sweet. I am worried if I bath them that I will interfere with the natural process.

Maybe I just love the smell of dog/s.

[trifecta]

I would be interested to know the diet of the said 'smelly' dogs. I believe a shiny, healthy coat is the result of what is put into the dog, not on it! Exercise is also an important factor of a healthy coat.

I have mainly had coated breeds & have practised minimal washing. Dogs are inside/outside dogs & the house has never smelt doggy... (I've even dared to ask my friends! )

[ellz]

Well, ALL of my dogs, including my "smelly ones" are on a good diet. They wouldn't grow hair and be as shiny as they are otherwise.

My Stafford (and Rottweiler) rarely get bathed unless they have rolled in horse sh!t or something equally as pleasant. I don't mind the smell but I do object to the extra laundry because Dolly Stafford sleeps on my bed and rides in the car every day when I go to do the horse-paddock bit.

The long-coats MUST be bathed religiously or they don't grow hair. As they are either actively being shown or being grown in for show purposes, it is important that they stay clean because dirty coat matts and clean coat grows. They do tend to get a bit "doggy" smelling if not bathed, but are more often than not "earthy" rather than doggy having spent the majority of their time digging holes and generally acting like fat pigs in the mudholes they create in my backyard. Not good for show coats, but they're happy and that is my main concern.

My house is grotty enough without them dragging dirty hair around for a long time between baths. And yes, my house smells but nothing that a good vaccuum, kitty litter tray empty, fresh air and heaps of oil and incense won't take care of!!

Anyway, if you ask me, my kids stink worse than my dogs do!

[Oscardog]

Since we got Indy a week ago, I reckon she's had more baths than in her entire lifetime. She LOVES mud. And sand. And since she's still got a puppy coat, it just sticks in and feels disgusting, so we have to bathe her.

At present my parents place is surrounded by black dirt - will all be landscaped in the next few weeks - but for the last few months Oscar has required DAILY baths - it has been like having a kid - he spends all day outside playing, being a boy - plays in what we call the 'junk yard', messes around in the shed - one day climbed over a bench and jumped (deliberately) into a bag of dynamic lifter. If he didn't want to be an indoor dog, all would be good - but he wants in, he wants cuddles - so, bath every night!

[ellz]

If he didn't want to be an indoor dog, all would be good - but he wants in, he wants cuddles - so, bath every night!

Believe me, I can relate! A few other DOLers have seen this photo...it has been posted on numerous occasions in the past.

However for those who haven't seen it.....THIS is the reason my dogs must be bathed so often....can you imagine this on your bed???

ETA: BTW, SOMEWHERE in the brown water in the bathtub is a black American Cocker Spaniel!!!!

Edited November 5, 2005 by ellz

[Leema]

Ewwwww! Ellz.

Mac is an inside dog, and smells somewhat (not a normal doggy smell - I think borders have a different smell). However, he only gets bathed about 2 times a year, after he is stripped. I like his coat to be harsh, and when I wash it it goes a bit soft. I never wash him before I strip him because it's too hard to 'grab onto' and so to strip.

Plus, he hates it. I have to lock him in the porch before I put the water on in the laundry sink - otherwise he runs off and hides/dodges. We've got the system now! I normally get someone else to feed him the whole time so he's more interested in that than jumping on me.

[SpikesPuppy]

Newfoundland gets bathed every 3 months or so. When his natural oils start to really come through he picks up all kinds of dirt and scents.

Dobe gets bathed very rarely, if it's hot I'll give her a bath but otherwise she doesn't really need it and her wet-dog smell smells like Mushrooms! I hate it.

Border Terrier has only been bathed once in his 15 months of life and that was when he found a nice dead bird to roll in!

Kelpie/Whippet gets bathed on the odd ocassion, but like the Dobe will get bathed more in Summer to cool her down (have only had her since January). Btu thankfully she does NOt smell like horrible mushrooms!

Shih Tzu X gets bathed every 2-3 weeks as he's an SWF.

[HuntinHound]

My Siberians & My Hamiltonstövare are all inside dogs and like Ellz they have access to any and all the beds so I just prefer they at least have a weekly bath for the sake of my linen BUT if and when they roll in 'smelly' stuff they get an extra bath ....

Hydrobaths definately make the job easier ... actually washed my neighbours dog yesterday - it was Brooks first bath in 2yrs!!

[quill]

This thread is making me laugh hysterically!

I was always taught not to bathe dogs; so mine get it only when they need it. They're all different, however:

Baby loves water and will jump into the shower with anybody who will allow it. I have to shut her out and she sits outside the bathroom door whining.

Buster the idiot--manages to pee on his own foot, and if he misses, will step down into urine. Also loves mud and dank ponds. He gets bathed the most. Has his legs washed a lot.

Fido hates water. Mr. Finicky will "hold it" until he's busting if the grass is damp rather than wet his feet to relieve himself. Another idiot. As fastidious as he is, he loves rolling in smelly stuff; the other day he led Buster into a neighbour's paddock and they had a good roll in cow manure. I was so cross I stuck them straight under the outside tap; Buster bore it but Fido squealed like a stuck pig; the whole neighbourhood asked the next day what had happened and if he was all right?

[pampa]

I've never needed to wash my pitty type, she just doesn't smell (except her feet with which she religiously holds her dried pig ears.... )

My Dogo cross doesn't smell either but I wash her twice a year just to keep her coat shiny white.

The boxer sweats and he pees like a girl so often wets his feet... He smells like dirty socks and has to be washed every month in summer and once every 3 months in winter...

They are inside doggies and I too have to save the couch from rotton doggy scent !

[sas]

Mine only get baths when they smell or get so filthy I have no choice, so maybe every 1-2 months.

[caffiend42]

We take the boys to the beach at least 4 times a week, and it never ceases to amaze me that as wet and sandy they get, after a good shake they're just damp, and most of the sand has come off too. If they're still a bit sandy they get a hose down before the obligatory zoomies.

Seeing that they sleep with us there's no way we'd tolerate sand or stinkiness in the bed. They've had a bath this morning already as a dead lizard was found that is oh so great to roll in. I'm sure their grins were bigger , but not after they tolerated the bath, but now they smell all bootiful again

[Pheebs]

Once every 2-3 weeks? I know of people who bath their Weims once a year? Maybe it's Tess' diet - but she tends to get kinda sweaty/oily

[griff]

I only Bath Sinna every 4 to 6 weeks.. she does enjoy her hydro bath,,

Edited November 6, 2005 by griff