How often do you bathe the dog? And how do you do it?
We asked at the prison program and the woman said that she washes her dog more than most, maybe once a week. So we kind of keep an eye on Montana, and when she starts to smell of dog, we wash her. It works out to maybe once every two weeks. Now that we have a house with a yard, we just hose her down, scrub her with the all-natural shampoo we use, rinse her off, towel her off, and leave her in the sun to dry the rest of the way. She hates it, but she loves nuzzling in the towels after so it seems like it all evens out.
But then my mom said to me that they only wash their dogs a couple times a year, as per their vet's instructions to avoid drying out their dogs' skin and stripping away natural oils. Which I can kind of understand--the same logic we use to say that we shouldn't wash our hair every day. But every couple weeks? It seems like that's not so bad.
Plus, the shampoo we use is seriously all-natural. I mean, it has like four ingredients and they're all totally innocuous, to the point that I'm surprised the stuff even works. I can't see how it could do anything to harm her skin, but what do I know?
I tried Googling it and found wildly varying answers, some people saying that now that we have gentle, natural shampoos you can wash the dog as often as possible, others sticking with the once or twice a year thing.
The thing is that I can't even IMAGINE how bad she would smell if we only washed her once every six months. Plus, she's very light colored and she shows dirt very easily.
So, what do you do? Have you talked to a vet about it? Have you noticed any problems in your dog's skin?
Because seriously, look at her. We do not want to dry out the skin of a dog who likes to watch The Price Is Right. But we don't want her to reek, either.
That is freaking adorable. As far as advice goes, my parents wash the dog whenever she starts to smell, which is every couple of weeks (and probably more often in the summer).
ReplyDeleteWhen I wash my dog, the whole neighbourhood knows it. He goes CRAZY! Thus we only wash him in summer months (about every two months) and in winter I let him run around in the rain at the park because he loves to be towel dried afterwards. I'll even dampen down a towel and ask if he'd like a rub as an in-between-wash freshen up.
ReplyDeleteI feel like my parents would give our dogs baths every few months...maybe every other month or so? At the same time though, they went to the groomers too, where they'd get all prettied up as well.
ReplyDeleteOf course, Sophie, used to escape and run out to her favorite spot (which we never found!) in the woods, that was this HUGE mudpit. She'd come home sooo muddy and smelly, it was awful! She'd obviously get a bath right away. She hated them though, so when she escaped, my mother was never pleased, since Sophie would fight to get out of the tub and all!
I am cat people...
ReplyDeleteI know they say that you should only wash them every 4-6 months, but frankly, I don't think that is realistic, especially if she plays outside a lot. We noticed that once we started taking ours to the dog park, they smelled a lot more. We probably give them a bath about once a month or so.
ReplyDeleteIt's true about stripping away the oils though - even if your shampoo is all natural.
Also, I'm not sure if you've had to do this yet because of your climate, but when you give her the flea/tick medicine, DON'T give her a bath three days prior to the medicine or after. The oils in her skin are what transfers the medicin and she needs a couple of days to build that back up after a bath and also needs a couple days to make sure the medicine has gotten into her system before the bath.
We washed our dog every couple of weeks, in the bathtub because the idea of spraying him with cold water was too much to bear.
ReplyDeleteIn the summer we'd fill up a kiddie swimming pool and let it heat up and wash him in that, and then the water in the hose would be warm from sitting in the sun to.
Aaaand, we'd use conditioner on him so he'd have silky-soft hair and he'd smell like coconut for like, an hour. What? It was a house full of girls and he was the sole male occupant, of COURSE he was tortured with coconut-smelling conditioner! :o)
xox
(It should be noted, no dogs were harmed in previously mentioned "torture", it's a joke, get off my back PETA)
I have no idea, but that picture of the dog watching TV is really cute.
ReplyDeleteWe have a yard as well and it is warm here year round so it is not that difficult to wash the dog. But she hates it and I've heard the same advice about doing it too often. I'd venture to say we average about once a month, about the time she really starts to stink.
ReplyDeleteWe always washed our dogs every couple of months or so. Unless they got out of the yard and discovered some nastiness in the woods in which to gleefully roll around; then they got a bath IMMEDIATELY regardless of when the last bath was.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't had our puppy long enough for me to give you a bath schedule, but i do the towel rub down after she's been in the rain too. We also use alcohol-free unscented baby wipes to clean her off after we get back from the dog park. She knows to wait in the entryway until all four paws are wiped =)
ReplyDeleteEvery time we board her for a trip, we ask that they bathe her before we pick her up. That's about 3-4 times a year.
ReplyDeleteIf she gets really stinky, I bathe her myself. Maybe 2-3 times a year. She really hates baths though, so that makes me want to do it less. Nothing as fun as wrestling a 60 lb wet, stinky dog! lol
My dogs would get groomed twice a year and would have sporatic baths in between -- mainly once they got dirty. Or whenever they would start to smell like Tostitos. Seriously...corn chips.
ReplyDeleteMy cat gets a shower once a year in the summer on a 90+ degree day so he doesn't shiver while he airdries in the sun.
Wow, every 2 weeks!
ReplyDeleteI really hate the smell of wet dog, so I couldn't do it that often. :)
We have a cocker that gets "dirty" (he has this puppy fur and is like a dust mop) but can usually get fairly clean with a good brushing. He only gets bathed a few times a year (with only once or twice during the long winter months)
I think you have to do what works for you. You could try gradually stretching the time out (e.g. 3 weeks to 4 weeks) so that you are only doing it once a month or so?
Since people are different in terms of bathing habits, I don't know why dogs would be any different.
That picture is so freaking cute. We wash Petey once a month... pretty much whenever she starts to smell, but she's mostly an indoor dog. And what Kristen said is hilarious, because we call Petey Miss Corn Chips whenever it's time to get a bath.
ReplyDeleteWe pretty much follow the same thought process in this department -- we bathe the boy when in seems like he needs it, which we typically judge by when he starts to smell. For us it works out to about every 4-6 weeks, not counting baths necessitated by trips to the dog park in the spring/summer. We try to minimize it because the boy gets hot spots due to a mysterious skin allergy. We still haven't figured out what he is allergic to, but he also hasn't had a hot spot in well over 6 months.
ReplyDeleteAs for the bathing itself, he loved it as a puppy but now hates it. Luckily we have sliding doors on our bathtub, so he can't get out. He loves to race around the house after the bath though and roll around in the towels, so it evens out.
I think that's a very personal choice. In our house, SoMi gets washed with shampoo maybe once or twice a year. She hates getting a bath and she normally doesn't smell, so we don't put her (or ourselves) through the torture. But, we do hose her down after she's been to the big dog park.
ReplyDeleteI say, keep doing what you're doing and monitor Montana's skin. If it starts to flake, it means her skin is dry and you should probably look for other alternatives. If not, she's fine and I see no problem with your current approach!
we wash Scout, our yellow lab, maybe every 8wks during the winter and more often in the warmer months just depending how dirty he gets from being outside. but he def gets a bath after being in the lake everytime. not to mention we brush him frequently and use a special comb when he's shedding in the spring.
ReplyDeleteLiving in our area in FL we have terrible fleas, so we have to wash Chief (doberman) about once every 10 days. Our vet tells us to use dawn dish soap and the fleas fall right off him. It's pretty harsh on his skin, but I figure it is better than having itchy fleas :o)
ReplyDeleteMy parents have two sister yellow labs and they only wash them a couple of times a year, even though they often stink, so could use it more!
We have the dogs groomed once every six months. One is a long-haired beast that gets terribly matted no matter how often she's brushed. The other cannot abide anyone but the groomer touching her toes to clip her nails.
ReplyDeleteOtherwise, the only time they are bathed is if they roll in something disgusting and it might get on the furniture. They're dogs. They're supposed to smell like dogs, and we live with them and their doggy smell. Can you imagine having a super sensitive sense of smell, then being dipped in a vat of stinky chemicals? Makes my nose hurt just to think about it.
Our dog is small (low to the ground) and we are outside at the beach and on trails with her a lot so we wash her about every 2 weeks basically when she starts to smell, or her normally white hair starts to become brownish/yellow. I find that she itches more when she's dirty. Also I usually just throw Lucy in the shower with me wash her and hand her over to the husband to dry while I shower. It works really well.
ReplyDeleteGood Luck!
Why don't you call the dog's vet and ask what he/she recommends?
ReplyDeleteWe really only give Chloe a bath after she's been in boarding, or if she rolls in something nasty. So, maybe a few times a year?
ReplyDeleteI look at bathing as sort of a losing battle...at least with her. Between puppy school, runs, hikes, trips to the park...we'd be giving her a bath like every week! So, a good brushing and towel down after getting wet seems to be enough.
Besides, I kind of like puppy smell. It's natural - dogs aren't supposed to be silky, fresh and rose-scented all the time :)
My Golden Retriever gets one about every 4-6 weeks, a little more frequently in the summer and a little less so in the winter. There are a lot of great "dry bath" products out there for in between doggie stink. Another thing I do is rinse the shampoo, and then rinse him again with a solution of white vinegar and water. It keeps the stink down and makes his coat all silky shiny. The vinegar smell goes away as soon as he's dry.
ReplyDeleteAs far as logistics, I throw him in the bathtub, climb in with him wearing some olds shorts and a t-shirt and spray him down with the handheld shower head. Thank god for glass shower doors. :)
I wash my dog when he starts stinking :-) Maybe once a month or so.
ReplyDeleteI have a yellow lab and we were told to bathe him as little as possible. Once a month at the most. Bathing too frequently can dry out their hair, skin and can also cause ear infections.
ReplyDeleteWe wash our dogs about once a month, unless they get into something. I think it depends on the type of dog and coat it has. Sometimes we just wash paws or butts. I know, gross, but dog ownership can get a little gross sometimes.
ReplyDeleteSaucer usually only gets a bath when he goes to the groomer, about every six weeks. Sometimes we'll wash him in between if he's really dirty, usually in the kitchen sink. :)
ReplyDeleteI love that picture. Love.
ReplyDeleteLove the ears.
ReplyDeleteAs to dog washing: our dog (a small and short haired blue heeler) is almost ten years old. Way back when we first got her, we washed her a few times, and it was such a miserable experience for all concerned, and had such a negligible effect on her overall cleanness or smell, that we gave up.
Yes, that's right: we have not washed this dog in over nine years. Like, at all. She's not a dog with a strong doggy smell (obv), and she doesn't like to roll in things (except piles of cut mint, believe it or not). Her skin seems fine and she always gets a clean bill of health at the vet.
we wash ellie usually when she comes back from a longer stay at the kennel and starts to smell excessively like dog. Our dogs are small so we just wash them in a tub - have you considered looking into one of those wash your own dog services at a groomer? sometimes they have giant tubs where you wash your dog there...i've never used them but i've seen them in a couple places.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't do it too often so as to not dry out her natural oils but once/month or so should be okay and keep the stank at bay :)
After boarding and as needed. A few times a year. He's a beagle, and our vet said they don't need baths often.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you asked this, because we've been wondering the same thing. We figured we'd wash Shorty when he began to smell, and well, it's been EIGHT MONTHS and he doesn't stink yet!
ReplyDeleteHe has very short hair and is outside either on a leash for his walks or under constant supervision in the yard, so he doesn't dig in anything or even really roll around except in the grass.
His coat is still shiny and he doesn't smell, so we'll probably wait to give him a bath when we can do so outside (maybe in a month or 2).
We do use the wipes you can buy at Petco. We wipe his feet off every single time he comes inside with a towel, and if it's rainy out or he gets muddy walking in the rain (his belly gets really wet because he's so short), we'll use the wipes and PRESTO! Fresh-smelling puppy.
We have 2 Golden Retrievers who are almost exclusively inside dogs, but they still get to smelling pretty doggy. When we used to have just 1 dog, I bathed him every 2 weeks with shampoo I got from the vet so as not to dry out his skin. I bathed him in the tub (actually bought a pet shower adapter thingy). Once we got 2 dogs, I was probably washing them maybe once a month. I hate dirty dog smell.
ReplyDeleteThen we had a kid and I'm lucky to bathe them every 2 months or so, but I can't go longer than that. I'd be happy with every month, but sometimes it's hard to do it that frequently. In the summer I wash them out on the driveway and use the hose. In the winter I take them to our vet to have them groomed b/c the bathtub doesn't work so well anymore (I lost the shower adapter thingy).
Just a couple times a year would totally gross me out. Plus, I have allergies, so I think they more often they're bathed, the better it is for all of us.
Our pups HATE baths, so it is a pretty miserable event all around. Buster shakes as though we are torturing him. Belle just freezes and won't even move her eyeballs. Dorks.
ReplyDeleteThat said, we wash them about every three months, unless one of them blissfully rolls around in a dead fish (Belle), gets sprayed by a skunk (Belle), or gets in the way of the other PEEING while on a walk (again, BELLE), in which case they get a bath immediately.
What an adorable picture! But to answer the question...We give ours a bath maybe every few months. She's inside most of the time, so she doesn't really get all that dirty or anything, though.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, I can smell her from 2 feet away now, so I guess it's about that time!
We only wash our dog twice a year or so because otherwise her fur dries out. Be careful about washing Montana too much- especially because CO is such a dry climate!
ReplyDeleteI only wash them when absolutely necessarily. Dogs are not supposed to smell like humans or like Febreeze....so, ya know, if they get into crap or roll around in something. In the summer I rinse them off if it's hot and the little guy does get groomed ever 6-8 weeks..and that's the only time shampoo gets on him.
ReplyDeleteI have who bathed their bulldog puppy every week or more often when he was little and he now has horrible skin and allergy problems. Could be unrelated, but could be related too.
We don't wash our dog and never have. I know it sounds bad, but he really, truly does not smell. His coat produces the oil that he's supposed to have, so why would we strip his fur of it? Just my logic.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 small dogs - 1 is a 19lb beagle/pug mix (sheds) and 1 is a 10lb miniature schnauzer/yorkie mix (non-shedding.)
ReplyDeleteI bathe them both once a week. They don't enjoy the bath but since I have been doing it once a week since they were puppies, they tolerate it without too much fuss. I bathe them in our bathtub and use a moisturizing oatmeal dog shampoo.
I have noticed a difference in their skin. The shedding pup seems to have a bit more oil in her skin and has never suffered from dry skin. She also seems to get a bit greasy if we don't bathe her weekly. The non-shedding pup has a bit of dry skin on his back, near his tail. We have to bathe him weekly because he ends up getting so dirty (we live near the woods so he is always getting muddy.) I was actually going to speak to my vet the next time we're in because of the dry skin.
I have no dog and hence, have no advice. I do enjoy that picture of Montana watching The Price is Right, though. She looks so engrossed in what Drew is saying! :-)
ReplyDeleteI have a Golden Retriever, she gets a bath once every season or so. More if she gets into something or is around other dogs. I use dog wipes (like baby wipes) on her every few days. She has sensitive skin so it works better for her.
ReplyDeleteWe have a small dog, with hair that grows rather than fur that sheds. He gets groomed every six - eight weeks or so out of pure necessity. In between, if he gets particularly dirty or smelly, he gets a bath in the kitchen sink. So, maybe once a month?
ReplyDeleteThat didn't seem like a lot to me until reading these comments...
I think when they start to get smelly. I was told by a trainer once that you don't have to bathe them that often, more along the lines of what your mom said.
ReplyDeleteI never bathe mine and they don't seem to smell. I think what you and Torsten do with Montana sounds like a good system.
Love the picture...haha! Our Basset Hound, Trixie, gets a bath every couple of weeks. We could NOT live with her in the house if we did otherwise. Wash Montana up...it won't hurt. My neighbor is our local vet and he's fine with it. Basset Hounds tend to have very sensitive skin so if its not hurting her I can't imagine it hurting Montana.
ReplyDeleteWe wash her in the bathtub and when its warm enough we use the waterhose outside. She doesn't love it, but she's so funny afterwards.
I would like to bathe a dog, that'd be cute because I love dogs. But don't have any. My parents never let me keep one since I was a kid due to they hate animals and I'm allergic to furs. :(
ReplyDeleteI used to bathe my dog in the tub if we'd gone to the beach or somewhere where she'd gotten dirty. Generally though we'd go a couple of months and I'd just brush her. When she got that grime-y feeling or that ripe dog smell we knew it was time!
ReplyDeleteWe had dogs when I was a kid and strangely I don't remember ever giving them baths.
ReplyDeleteAdmittedly, it's probably 5-10x a year but only because we're pathetically lazy. And we have a really short-haired dog who, thankfully, doesn't smell much at all. The smell would probably motivate us to up that number.
ReplyDeleteMy parents wash their dogs whenever they get dirty or really smelly. And I mean REALLY smelly.
ReplyDeleteThey have two labs, and whilst you can smell them, it's not a gross smell, just a dog smell.
We're in the 1-2 a year camp. Mostly because samoyeds are very very hairy and hard to get dry! But we do rinse them with water if they get very dirty. Mostly they don't smell unless they are wet- and brushing works quite well with getting rid of dirt. But really I think it depends on the dog and the level of smell :)
ReplyDeleteI have never bathed my current dog. He is 7 years old. He's a big, lazy couch potato, so he doesn't spend a lot of time outside, he never looks dirty, and he never really smells. He has really short hair, and his ears stay clean naturally, so...no baths for Pudge. Lucky me--he's a really big dog, and I'm not sure where I'd bathe him, anyway!
ReplyDeleteWhen I did have dogs who got smelly, I just bathed them when I noticed the smell. No particular schedule.
As per human instructions you may want to stay away from "sodium laureth sulfates" of any form. I am guessing it will also strip a dog's fur like it does human hair. But be careful, even some all natural and organic shampoos contain this. Hope that helped a bit. P.S. Like your blog, first time commenting.
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