How often do you wash your dog and why

Inexile

A comment on another thread put me wondering how often people wash their dogs.

I have three dogs. The smallest has been washed about 3 times since May, one only gets washed when she rolls in something awful which thankfully she hasn't done in a while and the third, a greyhound, has been washed about twice in four years.

I sometimes walk the grey without a coat and if we get a light drizzle I think gives her a natural wash.

I don't think my dogs smell so I don't see the need to wash them more often. the only reason the smallest is washed a bit more is that she is white and as she is lower to the ground tends to collect more debris on walks.

What do others do and why?

fatmammycat

I dont wash my dog at all. No point, he swims most days, is wet and filthy at least twice a day every day. I towel dry him and I brush him a lot though, but his coat is amazing and- interestingly– he doesn't smell either.

angeldaisy

My collie gets groomed once or twice a year, I don't wash him at all at home and he is always clean and smells lovely. her ladyship gets bathed if she rolls in something smelly - which isn't often, maybe twice in the last year?

Toulouse

Polly is once a year, sometimes only once every two years and yes she is an inside dog who shares the sofa with us!

She gets a brush every day and spot washed if she rolls in something smelly. She has a very thick coat.

The greyhound has been washed once and she is 3. She too gets brushed every day and is also an indoor dog.

They both get their teeth washed about 3 times a week.

Inexile

Toulouse wrote: »

The greyhound has been washed once and she is 3. She too gets brushed every day and is also an indoor dog.

They both get their teeth washed about 3 times a week.

Im impressed. I must increase my grooming and I have never done teeth. New year resolution is to do more

VonVix

Once every 1-2 months. I have shelties, they have long hair and if their poop-chute grows out poop can stick in their hair. Usually just their rear gets the wash lol.

Toulouse

Inexile wrote: »

Im impressed. I must increase my grooming and I have never done teeth. New year resolution is to do more

It's something my mum has always done, she picked the teeth washing up from a trainer in the UK. I have to say that at the GRAI walk everyone was commenting on how good her teeth and coat were, most of the greys there were from rescue backgrounds so nobody had looked after theirs when they were racing

Gael23

He gets groomed twice a year and then once or twice more as needed. Whenever he smells bad really!

looking_around

VonVix wrote: »

Once every 1-2 months. I have shelties, they have long hair and if their poop-chute grows out poop can stick in their hair. Usually just their rear gets the wash lol.

I have a pom/chihuahua cross,
I cut his fur short on his behind , because otherwise the above happens.
Wash him about the same too.

Have a short haired husky and a golden retriever/thing cross. I doubt they've ever been washed, The golden cross does get a trim in areas where his fur is likely to get knotted.
I don't think dogs need to be washed often at all. Unless they fur gets matted/rolled in something etc.

Like my cat, never ceases to amaze me to hear americans talking about washing their (standard/average) cats :eek:

VonVix

looking_around wrote: »

I have a pom/chihuahua cross,
I cut his fur short on his behind , because otherwise the above happens.

We just shave a "chute" for the poop to drop out cleanly, we like their trousers too much to cut all their hair back there lol.

ABajaninCork

I have a Shih Tzu who has his attempted murder bath every two to three weeks!

Shih Tzu have hair rather than fur, so just like human hair, it tends to get greasy after a while. Being a dog who's low to the ground and LOVES muddy walks, I usually wash off any mud with warm water after his walk if it's been wet.

I groom the dog myself, so he's brushed daily, and has his teeth cleaned about three times a week.

VonVix

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I have a Shih Tzu who has his attempted murder bath every two to three weeks!

Shih Tzu have hair rather than fur, so just like human hair, it tends to get greasy after a while. Being a dog who's low to the ground and LOVES muddy walks, I usually wash off any mud with warm water after his walk if it's been wet.

I groom the dog myself, so he's brushed daily, and has his teeth cleaned about three times a week.

My boys can get a bit greasy from time to time lol. You ever use babypowder every now and then if you don't have the time to bathe him?

seamus

Every couple of weeks. She sweats and stinks and has a skin condition that's eased by a medicated shampoo.

ABajaninCork

VonVix wrote: »

My boys can get a bit greasy from time to time lol. You ever use babypowder every now and then if you don't have the time to bathe him?

Sometimes. But that's rare as I don't let him go longer than three weeks before I bathe him. I can bathe him by myself, but usually rope in hubby to hold him whilst I clip him and clip his claws as my dog's a drama king...

Ziegfeldgirl27

My Lhasa gets professionally groomed (read: shaved) about 4 times a year. I occasionally bath her in between salon visits but only if she stinks really bad or gets dirty.

TooManyDogs

My gang get washed rarely. If they roll in something smelly they get the hose treatment and only a bath if that doesn't get rid of the smell. My GSD x Spaniel gets a bath whenever she smells like greasy human hair, but otherwise they never get a bath. I do use the hose a lot to hose off sand/mud/salt water etc

Before I had 6 they used to get a christmas wash on Christmas eve, but now I've 6 dogs and a 3 year old as well as Christmas dinner to prepare so the washing went out the window

Lia_lia

Once every two weeks I'd say. Unless he needs urgent cleaning! He's out in the woods walking everyday where it's quite mucky. And he has white hair so it needs to be cleaned!

Hates showers though. Second you even say shower to him he hides

Hooked

One of the great advantages to owning a Siberian Husky... They clean and groom themselves. Hugo gets a couple of washes a year!

The downside? Twice yearly blowing of his coat... Not fun.

Wabbit Ears

When he rolls in smelly he gets a bath but other then that fetching the tennis ball in the sea daily does the trick.

toadfly

Not very often. The yorkies get groomed 2/3 times a year and we wash them maybe twice apart from that. Oz got washed today but he was really greasy and stinky. Lex goes to the groomers maybe twice a year at most and that's mainly to get her nails cut but we get her washed for the sake of it as well.

borderlinemeath

Never, unless they roll in something or have been in a particularly stinky ditch. The last time Benson was at the groomers was 7 months ago, and only got a wash because he was getting a trim. He smelled lovely for a day, until he went for his sea swim, which is at least every other day. Coco is prone to rolling the neck in poo, or on occasion, stinky dead fish so she gets the hose with some apple cider vinegar to get rid of the smell. I don't think they smell bad, and they don't have bad breath, but perhaps that's the raw diet they're on.

meoklmrk91

I honestly can't remember the last time I bathed him, I think it was around 2 years ago. He is shorthaired, every good about keeping himself clean, he licks his paws clean after a walk, and doesn't smell which I put down to feeding decent dog food. He does have a smell but it isn't a distinctly doggy smell and isn't bad, it's just his own scent. Plus no oily residue on your hands after rubbing him. I give him a once over with a zoom groom every once in a while and that's about it as far as grooming goes in our house.

aonb

Hooked, is there anything that all that pulled hair could be used for?!? How long does it take? Poor Hugo - looking fabulous though!

Can anyone tell me why dogs HATE being bathed so much? My dogs LOVE to swim - freezing cold lake swim today!! - yet, a few inches of lovely warm water, with treats fed during the ordeal is like they're being tortured!!!

Oh and mine only get a bath when they stink (having rolled in something unspeakable usually)

mymo

My two get washed as needed, they have hair rather than fur, it grows continuously, but they don't shed, so about every 2-3 months they get clipped, by me or a groomer.
Sometimes they only get washed when groomed, others, well 3 times in a week thanks to stinky things they like to roll in.
Mine both hate water, won't swim, won't even go in the river, but don't mind a bath or shower once the water is warm.

More important than washing is brushing them, they do love being brushed (Oliver loves being told he's handsome while being brushed, he sticks his head in the air and looks so smug)

TopTec

My two Shih-Tzu's, get towelled off after every walk, (twice a day around fields and tracks), in winter and then about once a fortnight they get a rinse in the bath underneath and around their sides. The both think they are sheepdogs and will chase off after anything that flies, walks, or runs so sometimes are in a right mess.

The problem this time of year is that they are almost permanently damp during the day so do sometimes smell... then they get a good shampoo torture.

I don't clean their teeth but they have small beef bones to help remove the build up of tartar. They both get a pass by the vet each 6 monthly check up.

TT