How often to bath a dog?

[Scotia]

Hi

Just interested in others experiences. I bath my dog maybe twice a year. Her coat is great, dust just brushes off and she's got no itches or skin inflammation. We use Advantage for flea control. Many people I know who wash their dogs frequently have problems with itchy skin, dry skin, redness etc. What comes first, the chicken or the egg? Does the frequent washing contribute to skin problems, in your opinion?

Scotia

[cowgurl6254]

I have to give Andy a bath about once a month. He goes to the barn with me and rolls in horse crap, and the smell just builds up from there. :p

[ca_dao]

I bath mine once a week!! Compare to twice a year it's a world different. Now I'm all confused. Do I bath my dogs tooooo often???

[Toller_08]

I bathe mine once or twice a month, usually twice though. I can't stand for them to go any longer than 4 weeks without a bath. Their coats are beautiful, they've still got their natural oils (even my retriever mix), their skin isn't dry, etc. Dogs during show season often times have to be bathed weekly, and they still have goreous coats after all of that. I think its totally up to you and how your dogs handle being bathed often, using a mild, high quality shampoo and/or conditioner helps a lot too.

[Mordy]

Actually as long as you use a mild shampoo that doesn't strip the coat of protective oils, there's nothing wrong with washing a dog as often as it's needed.

The whole claim that dogs shouldn't be given a bath more often than once a month or even less (or it ruins their coat, blah, blah, blah) is just as silly as when people used to think that they shouldn't shower/bathe regularly because it's "unhealthy".

Shampoos made with natural detergents (e.g. coconut shampoo base etc.) and without harsh chemical ingredients can be used frequently and will not disrupt the skin balance in any way, unlike harsh soaps and shampoos you find at mass retailers and department stores. True skin nourishment comes from the inside anyway.

One thing a lot of people also don't take into consideration is that being "dirty" today has a completely different meaning than for example 50 years ago. There is so much more pollution now, both from above (air, rain) and below (car tires abrading on asphalt, dust binding pollutants and settling etc.) and dogs generally are lower to the ground than people, they can't change their clothes every day, so they are much more exposed to it.

Taking my own dog for example, he currently gets a bath once a week since both his obedience and agility classes are at a public park in a huge city, in areas where other dogs pee and poop, it's hot, and there's no denying he picks up a yucky smell from that. I rinse his feet with plain water every time after we exercise (walking, biking, rollerblading), but on Thursdays after agility class I shampoo him down.

His skin has truly benefitted from this and the frequency certainly doesn't harm. The key is finding a product that works, which might take a little experimenting. I've been through ones that were ok on the skin but left the coat too "oily", some that made the coat nice but were too drying on the skin and so on.

My personal favorite products are "Earthbath" (especially the oatmeal and aloe (http://earthbath.com/oatmeal&aloe_pint.html), which has a really yummy vanilla scent) and Buddy Wash by Cloudstar.

[juliefurry]

Hannah is bathed every two weeks because of the new baby and so far she hasn't had any problems. We use a protein shampoo that I ordered off dr fosters and smith and a moisturizing conditioner and no itchy skin or greasy coat. The vets say her coat is excellent, the one said she had never seen a black dog with a better coat. So I guess it's not bothering her. I would prefer not to bath her more than once a month but until the baby is over a year that is Mark's rules :(.

[laneyandme]

it depends on how much she rolls in the dirt... my dog loves to go for a swim and them roll in stickers and dirt.. sometimes she'll swim again to get some of the stuff off... but often i just have to wash her when she gets home. it usually ends up being once a week....but sometimes more...

[PoodleMommy]

My dog does not really get very "dirty".

Therefore she goes to the groomer every 4-6 weeks and usually gets one bath in between by me.

My last dog went to the groomer every 4 weeks and almost never got baths in between, I think it all depends on your dog.

Good Luck

Elissa

[SalemWitchChild]

Hi

Just interested in others experiences. I bath my dog maybe twice a year. Her coat is great, dust just brushes off and she's got no itches or skin inflammation. We use Advantage for flea control. Many people I know who wash their dogs frequently have problems with itchy skin, dry skin, redness etc. What comes first, the chicken or the egg? Does the frequent washing contribute to skin problems, in your opinion?

Scotia


If the person is using a harsh shampoo yes it does not only contribute but cause skin problems. Harsh is products that have detergents, soaps, and are not ph balanced. However there are plenty of products out there that will not strip the coat of it's natural oils.

Personally if my dog was only bathed twice a year she would not live in my house! And I won't have a dog outside all the time.

[xo_PuPpYlUvEr_xo]

LOL, well... I just want to add a question to this thread. Do you absolutely have to use dog shampoo to give your dog a bath? Or could you use something else, like normal PRO-V Pantene with condtioner?

[SalemWitchChild]

LOL, well... I just want to add a question to this thread. Do you absolutely have to use dog shampoo to give your dog a bath? Or could you use something else, like normal PRO-V Pantene with condtioner?

Human shampoo use detergents. So yes, if you want your dog to have healthy skin and fur it's best to use a detergent free, soap free, ph balanced dog shampoo.

[xo_PuPpYlUvEr_xo]

ok, thanks, I was just checking!

[~Dixie's_Mom~]

I bathe my two girls once a week sometimes every other week. Dixie is my show girl, so I try to keep her coat nice, but Lucy gets jelous, so we normally will wash them both in the same day. :)