How often do you bathe your dogs?

Julee

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#1
And what shampoo do you use?

I give mine baths whenever they're gross. Today I'm bathing everyone because it's been too cold to bathe them all winter, as I throw them out on the deck to let them dry. I've got Deke, Copper, and Bloo done... now just Shadow and Em.
 

skittledoo

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#2
I used to bathe once in a blue moon, but now that I have free access to a raised tub and all the grooming stuff at my work I do bathe more often... once every other week or so unless I'm feeling lazy and then it's once a month. Nails we trim every other week (usually on bath days) on all the dogs and ears get cleaned whenever nails are done. Bamm also gets his long paw hairs trimmed every so often, but he has to be muzzled for nail trims and paw hair trimmings. Does MUCH better than he used to, but he is still a bit of a pill.

ETA: oh and shampoo. I have to check the brand at work, but it's an oatmeal based shampoo. Cricket has sensitive skin and oatmeal based shampoos seem to be best for her.
 

JessLough

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#3
When she gets gross or every 6 months when it was groomer time. Whichever came first? LOL

We used some hypoallergenic/oatmeal shampoo. Either or, whatever was cheap. :p


One bottle of shampoo lasted 10 years, so not often!
 

Kootenay

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#4
Yeah, pretty much just when they are gross for me too. Yarrow LOVES to roll in anything smelly and nasty, so he gets bathed more often. Jasper would never even dream of rolling in something stinky, so I rarely bathe him. But I notice as he's getting a bit older he'll just start getting a bit of a doggie smell sometimes, so I'll give him occasional baths.
 

Lyzelle

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#5
I try to not bathe Zane too much because it tends to make him worse in terms of overall grooming when I do it often. Mostly I only do it once every 3 months, less than that if I can manage it (often not because of horrible staining MUD).

If I can get away with it, it's straight water and air-dry. Otherwise, I *think* I use Espree brand? But I hate them all.

Baking soda and oatmeal one makes him frizzy + itchy (allergies to oatmeal).
Whitening shampoo is extremely drying and makes him mat.
Moisturizing one isn't good for deep cleaning.
Heavy silky/conditioner/moisturizing stuff weighs down his coat and makes it super greasy, even if I rinse FOREVER.
A few of the other ones stink. On top of his wet dog stink. And normally, he really has no smell at all.

BOOO.

Basically, I'm no help at all. :lol-sign:

But I'll be watching this thread.
 

Red.Apricot

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#6
Elsie gets a bath every two weeks, Zobby ever week.

I wash them with whatever's on sale, and use care cure conditioner on Elsie. Both of them get a lavender spray that has avocado oil and some other goodies in it while they're being dried.
 

Emily

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#7
Keeva gets done probably every 3-4 weeks, more if she needs it. It's honestly mostly to keep the shedding down rather than because she's stinky. She never really gets smelly and her coat is fairly self-cleaning.

Blossom gets done more like 4-8 weeks cuz she's nekkid and doesn't shed much.

I always use an oatmeal based shampoo or other gentle product, and a leave-in conditioner. I bathe my dogs at work in the tub and with the forced air dryer. Bathing them at home sucks.
 

*blackrose

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#8
Depends if they roll in something or not. :p

Really, they all get bathed once every 4-6 weeks. And by bathe, I mean wash, trim nails, clean ears, and blow dry with a force dryer.

Cooper gets groomed every 6-8 weeks. I try to groom Chloe every 8-12 weeks, and since I'm no longer living at home, that is when she gets bathed, too.

For shampoo, Gracie gets some kind of Keto-Chlor based shampoo for her allergies. Cooper gets bathed in whatever, but if it's at home I have a hypoallergenic oatmeal shampoo by Oster, I think. Cynder gets bathed in Allergroom, because I don't want to risk her coat turning into the nightmare it was when I first started dating Mike. Took about 5 months of regular Keratolux baths plus a diet change to get her to where she is now, and I don't want to backslide!
 

Emily

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#9
I try to not bathe Zane too much because it tends to make him worse in terms of overall grooming when I do it often. Mostly I only do it once every 3 months, less than that if I can manage it (often not because of horrible staining MUD).

If I can get away with it, it's straight water and air-dry. Otherwise, I *think* I use Espree brand? But I hate them all.

Baking soda and oatmeal one makes him frizzy + itchy (allergies to oatmeal).
Whitening shampoo is extremely drying and makes him mat.
Moisturizing one isn't good for deep cleaning.
Heavy silky/conditioner/moisturizing stuff weighs down his coat and makes it super greasy, even if I rinse FOREVER.
A few of the other ones stink. On top of his wet dog stink. And normally, he really has no smell at all.

BOOO.

Basically, I'm no help at all. :lol-sign:

But I'll be watching this thread.
At work we have great succes with The Stuff for Huskies and similar breeds. It's a leave-in spray (has silicones though, if you're opposed to that) that really helps the undercoat slide right out, especially if you dry him with forced air. Our groomer also likes http://quadrupedpetcare.com/wp/products?pid=33 for breeds with heavy undercoat.
 

Lyzelle

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#10
At work we have great succes with The Stuff for Huskies and similar breeds. It's a leave-in spray (has silicones though, if you're opposed to that) that really helps the undercoat slide right out, especially if you dry him with forced air. Our groomer also likes http://quadrupedpetcare.com/wp/products?pid=33 for breeds with heavy undercoat.
I've heard of The Stuff, but I'm afraid it'll weight down his coat and make him a dirt magnet. It'd be great for the shedding process, though. His undercoat is definitely super dense, but it's still very fluffy and airy. His topcoat is very thin, but there's a ton of it. So I need moisture to prevent tangles, but not a ton of it, but still something to remove the staining and deep clean to his skin. Because in summer, lots o' bugs love making a rest stop of his ridiculously long coat. Coat complication issues, usually a multi-step process. Another reason I don't bathe him often. :p
 

Emily

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#11
I've heard of The Stuff, but I'm afraid it'll weight down his coat and make him a dirt magnet. It'd be great for the shedding process, though. His undercoat is definitely super dense, but it's still very fluffy and airy. His topcoat is very thin, but there's a ton of it. So I need moisture to prevent tangles, but not a ton of it, but still something to remove the staining and deep clean to his skin. Because in summer, lots o' bugs love making a rest stop of his ridiculously long coat. Coat complication issues, usually a multi-step process. Another reason I don't bathe him often. :p
I've never seen The Stuff weigh down any kind of coat, personally. It's very... mmm... lightweight and slick feeling. Every dog that comes through grooming gets hit with it. But, you do know his coat best.
 
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#12
I have never bathed Maisy. I've really just never had occasion to. She doesn't swim, she doesn't roll in stuff, she has a short coat and nice skin and just seems to stay clean.

In the summer, Pip gets bathed weekly to help with his allergies. Sometimes twice a week if he's swimming a lot. I use a shampoo called Douxo calm.

Squash... mostly only when he gets icky and when he's blowing his coat. Dirt tends to fall off of him, but if he's been swimming, or had diarrhea in his crate or something I will bathe him. Or if he comes in really wet and muddy I'll herd him straight from the back door to the tub. But sometimes I do just bathe him because he's so soft and shiny after a bath and I like it.
 

JacksonsMom

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#13
Every week in the summer. Every other week in the winter. Always just let him air dry. He fits in the sink, so that's where we do it. It's easier, we have a sprayer, etc.

Chris Christensen shampoo and conditioner. LOVE it.

He also gets professionally groomed every 8-10 weeks or so.
 
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#14
Not as often as I should. I spend half my life bent over a tub washing other people's dogs. I really need to hire a bather. LOL

They get baths about once a month. Sometimes more often. Like the time I puked on Bridget. Eew. Bath, RIGHT NOW, even though you had one yesterday. Obviously there are outstanding circumstances that would cause them to be bathed more often.

I use the same shampoo I use in the salon, so it depends on the dog. Doom & Bridget get Emerald Black (http://www.ryanspet.com/emerald-black-32-1-shampoo-gallon-pz-DBL130-1.html)

Piglet gets Absolute Purple (http://www.ryanspet.com/absolute-purple-shampoo-1-gal-pz-W800500-200.html)

Bobsie gets Calming Lavender (because she's so senile now she' freaks out over EVERYTHING. This helps... far more than I had expected.) (http://www.ryanspet.com/aromacare-calming-lavender-shampoo--32-1-gallon-pz-PPPA953.html)

And Percy gets the Chamomile shampoo... because it keeps him stinking less the longest. (http://www.ryanspet.com/aromacare-chamomile-shampoo-32-1-gallon-pz-PPPA973.html)

I'm not a nut or anything. LOL
All the longhaireds get followed up with conditioner (http://www.ryanspet.com/paw-brothers-matmagic-shed-control-conditioner-32-1-1-gal-pz-PB59030.html) to keep their hair silky. :)
 

Laurelin

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#15
We do a full groom usually once a month. Bath, hair on feet, brush, teeth, nails. Between then I may bathe them every other week. Now lately the park has been a mud pit for a week or so so they get rinsed off (no shampoo) after every trip. I know that my dogs may look perfectly clean but when I put them in the tub lots of red clay falls off. My dogs sleep on my bed. I want them clean.
 
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Lyzelle

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#16
I've never seen The Stuff weigh down any kind of coat, personally. It's very... mmm... lightweight and slick feeling. Every dog that comes through grooming gets hit with it. But, you do know his coat best.
I might have to try it then.
 
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#17
I've never seen The Stuff weigh down any kind of coat, personally. It's very... mmm... lightweight and slick feeling. Every dog that comes through grooming gets hit with it. But, you do know his coat best.
The Stuff is incredible. It may be one of my favorite products in the salon! And I second that - I've never seen it weigh the coat down, but you probably want to go premixed rather than buying a gallon and mixing yourself, just to be safe. Its like any other product - if it isn't mixed right, its not going to work right. :)
 

Emily

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#18
I might have to try it then.
Yeah I'd say it's worth a shot for him. It's one of the lighter but effective leave-ins that I'm personally familiar with. I like it for the ends of my hair.

If you do try, let me know how it does for him, I'm curious since it sounds like he's got a tricky coat, and I have a weird amateur interest in grooming. :lol-sign:
 
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#19
Really, next to never. Magpie gets bathed if her skin acts up, but unless there is a specific reason no. Every one seems to stay pretty clean and smelling fine.
 

Torch

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#20
I bathe every 2-3 weeks in the summer, a little less often in the winter. I'm a freak about cleanliness and don't do stinky dogs. Henry sheds quite a bit too, and bathing helps that. He doesn't like a bath at all, but generally he is very good and seems to enjoy other kinds of grooming.
 

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