# Bathing



## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

To those of you that bathe your dogs, do you bathe them more often during the warmer months?

I bathed Aspen about a month and a half ago and now that it's warm, I can actually smell him. It's like his undercoat holds moisture or something but he is starting to smell like a dog, and Aspen is supposed to be odorless!! The flea topical I use, I hate this time of year, dries his back. Another reason to bathe him.


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## MissusMac (Jan 6, 2011)

See! I think we have the same problem! Our breeds are supposed to "only bathed once a year" but I'm thinking that undercoat really holds moisture that mildews or something. Grr.


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

MissusMac said:


> See! I think we have the same problem! Our breeds are supposed to "only bathed once a year" but I'm thinking that undercoat really holds moisture that mildews or something. Grr.


Could be just a Spring/Summer thing. Anyway, he's getting a B-A-T-H this coming Tue or Wed. I can't ever say the word bath to him or he runs away and hides LOL!!


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## MissusMac (Jan 6, 2011)

malluver1005 said:


> Could be just a Spring/Summer thing. Anyway, he's getting a B-A-T-H this coming Tue or Wed. I can't ever say the word bath to him or he runs away and hides LOL!!


Hahaha same here! He LOVES to swim- I almost think he's a retriever at heart - but if you want to give him a bath he runs!


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## MissusMac (Jan 6, 2011)

And, yes, I've only noticed it since the weather warmed up


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## malluver1005 (Nov 15, 2009)

MissusMac said:


> Hahaha same here! He LOVES to swim- I almost think he's a retriever at heart - but if you want to give him a bath he runs!


Yeah, we are gonna start swimming soon and I really hope he likes it!!


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## CorgiPaws (Mar 31, 2009)

I am guilty of weekly bathing of my pack. 
I know, I know, people think it dries the skin and coat, and honestly, it REALLY depends on the shampoo you use. I think Natalie can testify, no dry skin or coats in my pack!

I dont bathe any more or less depending on the season, but then again, I don't really give them a chance to get stinky in the first place. LOL


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## Savage Destiny (Mar 16, 2011)

MissusMac said:


> See! I think we have the same problem! Our breeds are supposed to "only bathed once a year" but I'm thinking that undercoat really holds moisture that mildews or something. Grr.


You're right on with this, actually. We see a lot of this in Newfies, because they like water so much, and it often causes staph infections or hot spots. The heavy undercoat never allows the skin to fully dry, and it makes for nasty stuff. Bathing regularly, brushing well and using a forced air dryer makes a huge difference. Bathing won't make a difference if there's tons of dead undercoat trapping the moisture, or you're not actually getting them dry. 

I am FIRMLY against bathing _any_ breed of dog only once a year. The "once a year" dogs are 100% of the time the dogs we see with dry, itchy, problematic skin. So long as you use a good shampoo (sulfate, lanolin, soap and detergent free) you can bathe as often as you like. I bathe my dogs every week.


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## MissusMac (Jan 6, 2011)

Savage Destiny said:


> You're right on with this, actually. We see a lot of this in Newfies, because they like water so much, and it often causes staph infections or hot spots. The heavy undercoat never allows the skin to fully dry, and it makes for nasty stuff. Bathing regularly, brushing well and using a forced air dryer makes a huge difference. Bathing won't make a difference if there's tons of dead undercoat trapping the moisture, or you're not actually getting them dry.
> 
> I am FIRMLY against bathing _any_ breed of dog only once a year. The "once a year" dogs are 100% of the time the dogs we see with dry, itchy, problematic skin. So long as you use a good shampoo (sulfate, lanolin, soap and detergent free) you can bathe as often as you like. I bathe my dogs every week.


Thanks, this has really been problematic in the last month because he wants to swim every time we go to the dog park. We actually have quit going to the best dog park in town because he can't go without swimming, and I worry that that is what causes him to smell and we can't always dry him with a forced air dryer. Now we just go to the other "dust bowl" park, which is just an open area of grass and dust with toxic sludge on either end that I have to keep him out of the entire time but at least he doesn't end up completely submerged in pond scum. Ugh. Luckily, his skin is still healthy but I do worry that if we keep bathing him as often as we have (once a week) it will dry out. I worked at a boarding kennel and groomed for a couple of years and it certainly is the case with dogs who are bathed too often. 
ITA that bathing any breed of dog once a year is extreme, but you do understand that there are "cleaner" breeds than others, breeds that are more predisposed to cleanliness than others. Except, apparently, for the certain dogs who think they are retrievers and insist upon swimming and digging through mud at every opportunity, haha.


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## bernadettelevis (Feb 2, 2011)

well i don't bathe my weimaraner once a year, but he is 1,5 years now and i maybe bathed him well i'm sure not even 10 times. There's just no need for it unless re rolled in mud or something, that's when i bath him.
And he doesn't have dry skin or anything else because i don't bath him often and he also doesn't smell!


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

I bathe mine in the summer only, once a month.


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## MollyWoppy (Mar 19, 2010)

I'm a once a monther too. Normally just in the summer. Mollie's constantly in either the pool or the sea during the summer, but she dries off pretty quickly (unless it's later at night) because of the heat. 
She's another one that absolutely HATES having a bath. The little so and so knows, bath, b-a-t-h (spelt) and wash, so now I have to use 'shower'. 
Sure wish she would bother listening to all the other words I use with her!


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## Nani (Apr 14, 2010)

MissusMac said:


> ITA that bathing any breed of dog once a year is extreme, but you do understand that there are "cleaner" breeds than others, breeds that are more predisposed to cleanliness than others. Except, apparently, for the certain dogs who think they are retrievers and insist upon swimming and digging through mud at every opportunity, haha.


I can testify to that. The hound groups are much more oily coated than some of the longer coated breeds! But with that said I think that it is ridiculous for breeders to tell people not to bathe their dogs more than once a year! I don't care if you bathe your dog infrequently if they don't get stinky or itchy but most all people who have told me their breeder told them not to bathe wasn't purchasing a puppy to use it as the breed was bred to be used on a daily basis.
And honestly even if I did buy a puppy of whatever breed and planned on using it for it's intended purpose that dog would still get a bath and blow out every week. I can't stand to have an animal in my house that has any smell other than nothing or shampoo.


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## Savage Destiny (Mar 16, 2011)

MissusMac said:


> Thanks, this has really been problematic in the last month because he wants to swim every time we go to the dog park. We actually have quit going to the best dog park in town because he can't go without swimming, and I worry that that is what causes him to smell and we can't always dry him with a forced air dryer. Now we just go to the other "dust bowl" park, which is just an open area of grass and dust with toxic sludge on either end that I have to keep him out of the entire time but at least he doesn't end up completely submerged in pond scum. Ugh. Luckily, his skin is still healthy but I do worry that if we keep bathing him as often as we have (once a week) it will dry out. I worked at a boarding kennel and groomed for a couple of years and it certainly is the case with dogs who are bathed too often.
> ITA that bathing any breed of dog once a year is extreme, but you do understand that there are "cleaner" breeds than others, breeds that are more predisposed to cleanliness than others. Except, apparently, for the certain dogs who think they are retrievers and insist upon swimming and digging through mud at every opportunity, haha.


Keeping him very well brushed out (i.e., be able to run a fine-toothed comb through his coat easily) and toweling him off really well after he swims will help keep moisture from being trapped. 

I will never be convinced that weekly bathing with a good quality shampoo and sometimes conditioner will dry out the skin. I've been grooming for a little over seven years now, and I haven't seen any evidence of that at all. Yes, there are some dogs/breeds who stay cleaner- for instance Riddle is always STANKY by the time her weekly bath rolls around, but Melon always smells nice. They both get a bath anyway. I just have yet to see any actual evidence of frequent bathing causing problems, but plenty of dogs bathed weekly or bi-weekly with beautiful skin and coats.


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## naturalfeddogs (Jan 6, 2011)

MollyWoppy said:


> I'm a once a monther too. Normally just in the summer. Mollie's constantly in either the pool or the sea during the summer, but she dries off pretty quickly (unless it's later at night) because of the heat.
> She's another one that absolutely HATES having a bath. The little so and so knows, bath, b-a-t-h (spelt) and wash, so now I have to use 'shower'.
> Sure wish she would bother listening to all the other words I use with her!


Funny, they are just like kids! I have had to spell out words around here also, but when it comes to bath time all mine have to see is the towel, shampoo bottle and leash. All of a sudden, dogs start disapearing hoping they will never be found!


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## Little Brown Jug (Dec 7, 2010)

I only bath in the warmer months because I have to do so with the hose outside since I don't have a bathtub. Besides it’s the warmer months that they need baths as they get dirty faster being out in the woods and swimming in the ocean. 

One of our family dogs we used to bath weekly because my mother complained that he stuck to high holy hell. Once we started bathing weekly I found he really did stink, I'd rather smell skunk.I have to wonder if it was more the type of food we fed him and we were using lord only knows what as shampoo for him. The more we bathed the more he smelled.


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## pandaparade (Dec 29, 2010)

I bathe my dog about every month or so. Only because he constantly is active, and swims nonstop at the lake, and with an aussie, all the crap in the lake tends to get stuck in his coat. And THEN he proceeds to roll in the dirt to get "dry." Loves to get wet, but loves to dry.. *sigh* So it is mainly the dirt that gets stuck in his coat that makes me eventually want to wash him. I did find out that the wire brush was not brushing the undercoat ( I should of known better. ) but first experience with a first dog and a first undercoat! His shampoo is EarthBath Mango Tango (Ingredients: Purified water, renewable coconut-based cleansers, gentle-conditioning agent, aloe vera, mango essence, olive oil squalene) and I do use a conditioner (Tropiclean) to sort of hydrate back his fur from the shampoo. The ingredients: Water, Organic Plant/Fruit Blend (Kiwi Fruit Extract, Papaya Fruit Extract, Chamomile Flower Extract), Stearyl Alcohol, Cetyl Alcohol, Fragrance, Protein, Vitamin E. It seriously makes the coat so soft after bathing. I never have a problem with the smell of my dog, but it is more the dirt on my dog that drive me nuts. After brushing it all out it still leaves his coat all yellow ish instead of the white it usually is.


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## Lisa_j (Apr 7, 2011)

My yorkies get bathed weekly. My lg/giant breeds in the spring/summer/maybe 1-2 x in fall. All the more often it is needed here.


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