how often do you bath your pooch ?

[kelandmitzi]

we bath mitzi once a fortnight and also inbetween if she has gotten to dirty or smells to wet doggie fied .... mitzi is nealy 5 months old , should i be bathng her more or less often ?

[greyghost]

Yikes - less unless she rolls in fox poo or summat . You will strip all the oils in her coat.

I used to give Abbie a bath every couple of months and hose off after walks. Holly gets a bath every 6 months if she is lucky, but again hosed off after walks especially in winter not so much summer (wot summer lol).

A lot of people never bath their dogs at all and think those of us that do are wuss's..... ;D

[weima]

I bath mine before every show so at the moment Pagan is having a bath once a week However, she is on EPO to help her coat and if she goes any length of time without a bath she has a very greasy coat.

Quba gets bathed before a show also but as she hasn't been shown this year she has only had a bath before her holidays

If mine get grubbed up whilst out on a walk then they usually get hosed off rather than a full bath.

[Weims]

I bath mine once a yr usually before crufts. The ones that arent shown are never bathed. I do however use a grooming spray and grooming mitt on them.

Lynn

[kelandmitzi]

blimey i think i better cut out bath times then , seen as she`s out of the stage where they get so muky from being so puppyfied , she will just have to get used to only eating the bubbles while my tot is bathing , and not to let her in after

[daniela]

Blimey, I hardly ever bath mine, once a year in the summer when the weather is hot I give them a good wash down in the garden with some buckets of warm water and canine shampoo.

Other than that, unless they roll in something, or start to smell a bit doggy, then I will wash them over with a wet soapy cloth.

[weima]

Well, I think my bathing stems from when I had English Setters so I just got used to bathing dogs before shows.
Also, I would hate to see a judge wipe their hands after going over my dogs because they were dirty.

[jai]

Falko self bathes.. when I am in the shower and he can not find me, he opens thebathroom door, lets himself in, moves the shower curtain enters the showers sees that it is me, gets wet and gets a drink from all the water and leaves, with his wet coat all out of the door and then jumps on my blanket to towel off..
jai and falko

[daniela]

weima said:

Well, I think my bathing stems from when I had English Setters so I just got used to bathing dogs before shows.
Also, I would hate to see a judge wipe their hands after going over my dogs because they were dirty.

I often wonder how people cope with the 'hairy' breeds. American Cockers, Afghans and the like, especially with the weather we have had this year. Imagine trying to keep them clean taking them from the carpark and into the show ring!

[sian]

Well, I normally bath mine spring and autumn - first warm day / last warm day! But I did bath the girls the week before their shows.... (with Cassie, I had to get all the iodine from her op out of her coat before the Dutch clubmatch )

After a muddy walk, or if Cassie's been in the pondweed in the lake , they just get rinsed off. Cold water from the hose if it's nice and hot, or into the shower downstairs. I just do the legs and undercarriage normally, and tail-feathers if necessary. It's very rare for the mud to be so bad I have to do the top of the shoulders!!

Rolling washes are the same, though Izzy's been getting the cold hose, regardless of temperature, to try to associate "rolling in goose-poo = unpleasant cold water". Don't know if it's worked yet, but she hasn't done it for a few weeks, and we've still got more geese here than we can point a stick at!

[weimaranermama]

I never bath my Foster. Before the show I let him swim in clean water out side. Than his coat is clean and soft and I don't need a grooming spray. Just take a mitt to brush his coat.

[Kobie]

We normally do not bath our weims... If we do, not more than 1 a year. Normally, in the summer ! If the nutricion is of good quality, the coats are shinning and are very soft. No need to get bath...

[Locco]

I also never bath my Blaster with the exception of summer time when he swims in lakes very often but it's just swimming in the water without any kind of soap. However in the past (when he was younger) when he absolutely by mistake "feel into" something stinky ;D I had to wash him with the use of a special mild soap (but if it was possible I only rinsed him with warm water- it was usually that way if at all). Instead of an ordinary bath with some soap I use a special powder which is called a powder shampoo for shorthaired dogs. I usually use it about 2-3 times a year. In the summer his fur is being cleaned all the time because of the swims in lakes. I have bought this powder shampoo on purpose because I've read in one of the books that it's unhealthy to bathe shorthaired dogs with a normal shampoo which needs water as in this way we wash out all the protective oils from the dog's skin (and in the case of shorthaired dogs it recovers a few times longer than in the case of longerhaired dogs) and as a result his skin may be bothered by some kind of alergies, skin diseases or dandruff. Blaster has never had any problems with those and I believe it's beacuse I do not bathe him. Even some of the other dog's owners told me that they had such problems and that they had observed they appeared after they bathed their dogs.

Magda&Blaster

[Speeds]

Zola and Belle would both like to ask

"What is a bath please?"

Does that answer the question?

[shekeik]

My girl gets bathed once a fortnight. I use very diluted shampoo and apply a special oil onto her coat after. I have always bathed weekly to fortnightly depending on shows. It is true the less you bath the better, but also what product you use, how you wash them and dry them plays a HUGE part in it as well. If these aren't done correctly you will most certainly be faced with skin problems. I use to own my own grooming business. I have never had a skin problem in my dog's from washing. I think it comes down to personal preference on how often a dog is bathed, within reason of course!!

[marjolein]

But why do you wash them? Is there a need or is it just your personal preference???

[shekeik]

I do it for a few reasons, one is she is inside alot and is on or in the bed early in the morn because she gets cold (and is spoilt), two because I show her I always give a wash prior to the show it removes all the grit and things and gives the coat a refresher and I have a maintanance regime with her coat of washing than applying a special oil on her coat which protects and maintains the coat it keeps the colour nice and vibrant and the coat in top condition, in the end its just hair the same as ours and imagine how different our hair would look, feel and smell if not washed and conditioned regularly. People have said they take their dog for a swim but I dont have fresh water for her to swim in where I live only salt (lakes) and razer fish which cut anything into pieces if you come into contact with them, leaving the salt water on there coat is no good for them either and they do create a smell swimming in lakes. Like I said it comes down to personal preference but it is not going to harm the dog if washed say once a fortnight with the correct shampoo dilute it and dry correctly. Than on top of that is their diet. So in the end I maintain the coat from the inside out and outside in.
Not washing can also cause irritation because of the build up of dirt and grim and dead hair when you wash and dry it removes all of this. Other people have no choice some dogs just have a terrible smell if not washed regularly although I have only ever seen this problem so prominant in terrier breeds. Also people may need to wash because of skin problems, washing can be part of a treatment and soothe skin irritations. There are so many different reasons for washing.

[europeword]

I bath mine monthly. Sometimes I let him 2 months unbathed (in winter), though.
I don't think bathing it once in a couple of months would harm him at all.

[tasha]

only time mine have seen a bath is when they were learning to swim pupsters are nearly 9 months now and have yet to have a bath, quick brush up is pretty much all they get. Fox poo though is another thing first whiff and they are all getting a dipping, Bonnie is the worst for this she'll roll in any old nonsense.