To bathe a dog or not? At least when it is muddy and smelly...? Does anybody really know?

Question

We have small children prone to eczema and I think it would help to keep the dog clean at least when it smells and gets muddy, but my husband is absolutely against it. Does anybody know the definite answer?
Thank you

Answer 1

Oh, yes, yes, yes. I currently have 3 dogs and have had dogs all of my life. We have always given our dogs a bath and currently have it done at a groomer where they use special pet shampoo, etc. If you do it by yourself, make sure you use pet shampoo so that it is gentle on their skin.

Too much bathing is bad for dogs, but you need to bath them. According to our vet, depending on the type of dog you have, you should bathe them at least once a quarter and can do it up to once a month or as needed (getting muddy, etc.). If you bath them too much and your dog doesn't have a lot of oils, it drys their skin out.

My mom has a lab that likes to go in the water in the summer and they can bathe her a couple of times a week depending on what she gets into. However, labs are water dogs with a lot of oil in their fur/skin and this allows them to be bathed more often.

My beagles get dry if they are bathed too much and not with the correct shampoo. We get them done every couple of months or as needed.

I hope this helps!

Answer 2

Well, I can definitely tell you the answer is yes! I Have many animals, and have cared for many more.All creatures need to be maintained in one way or another.I can tell you I have 2 great Danes that are almost 250 lbs. each, and they only get bathed 3 times a year! If your guy gets especially dirty there's nothing wrong with putting him in the tub and using some no tears baby shampoo to get the smell out and make his coat shine! That's what my vet recommended for mine. Keeping his outsides clean is almost as important as his insides, seriously! You should also try to keep your yard grassy, so he won't get into so much mud, then from there any beds, rugs, toys; cleaning things like that will make a big difference! There are also places where you can go to use their facilities to wash your dog, so you don't have a mess in the tub at home, and hubby can't say anything negative =) Hope this helped, otherwise just im me.

Answer 3

I have a cocker spaniel of 18 months who has never been bathed. His coat is beautiful and shiny. After a long muddy walk I keep him warm until he is dry and then brush the mud from him. Because he still has all the natural oil in his hair the mud drops away easily. He does not smell unless he has rolled in something disgusting - again the brushing treatment appears to work fine. I read somewhere that once you have washed your dog the natural oil does not fully return and it is necessary to go on bathing him after that.

Are your children alergic to dog hair? Perhaps you should have them tested so that you know what triggers the eczema. If they are allergic to dog hair it is likely to affect them equally whether it is clean or dirty.

Answer 4

I have an Italian Greyhound. She is awesome. She never smells. She won't be a big dog either. The max weight would be about 15 lbs, but since she is petite, she will be about 12 max. I use doggy wipes in between baths. She has very little fur, but I don't know if this is the reason for the lack of smell. I only bathe her after the dog park to get the dirt off. Italian Greyhounds are very excitable, so they need lots of exercise. They love to play a lot, too. Mine doesn't bark unless she's instigating a chase with the cat. It is also possible to litter box train an Italian Greyhound too.

Answer 5

We have a dog (a Jack Russell crossed with heaven knows what) who loves swimming in the local river and jumping into water troughs. During the summer especially, he gets wet most days. It hasn't harmed him in the least and he doesn't smell at all. Sometimes we do have to wash him when he gets too muddy (using dog shampoo usually though a mild human shampoo would do either if you don't have any) and he loves being bathed and dried.

Answer 6

You can absolutely wash a dog when he's muddy or dirty. You can bathe your dog as often as once a week, but more often can dry out the skin.

Use a shampoo specifically made for dogs, not your own soap or shampoo. Use tepid water, not hot or warm water as this will strip the oils from your dog's skin and dry it out.

Some dogs need special kinds of shampoos, but just for regular bathing I like Aloe & Oatmeal Shampoo or efa*HyLyt fatty acid Shampoo. You can get them at your local pet store.

Answer 7

I can't believe some of the ignorant answers you're getting!! If you bath a dog too often, especially in the winter, you're going to dry out their skin and coat terribly. Dogs should only be bathed when necessary - once a month is plenty. Use dog shampoo, be sure to rinse thoroughly. A really good thing to do for your dog's skin and coat is add veg. oil to his food daily (depending on size of your dog, 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon), or give him a salmon oil capsule daily.

Answer 8

we are not meant to bath dogs often, I think it is twice a year, but I did find that my dog use to go for hydrotherapy, so after he had his swim I wanted to get rid of the chlorine and so I showered him just with water. When we take him to the park this weather he gets very muddy, mainly his legs, paws, nose and tummy, so I use a bowl of water and a flannel and wipe him down without shampoo. If they are bathed too often they can loose the oil in their coats. Also once they are dry, brushing them daily keeps their coat mud free and nice and glossy.

Answer 9

I can't believe some of these answers. I have 4 dogs who are double coated. They are only bathed when they have rolled in something disgusting. Otherwise they are brushed & combed regularly. Bathing frequently spoils the natural balance of the dog's coat, washes all the oils out and results in dry coat and skin. DOGS ARE NOT HUMANS, they don't need a regular bath night. They do, however, need regular grooming to get rid of dead hair & to stimulate the skin's blood supply to keep it healthy.

Answer 10

. It is perfectly OK to allow your dog to swim in natural water as often as he likes (within reason) but what is not OK is to wash your dog using soaps or shampoos very regularly. Using human shampoos on dogs leads to an imbalance of sweat, and they would be likely to develop dry, itchy skin. Having said that, using mild human shampoos is fine used at a frequency of once per month. However, I would personally recommend dog-specific shampoos and these will have a recommended usage detailed on the bottle, but this would definitely not be more than once every several weeks. In some cases shampoos can be medicated, such as for specific skin-disorders, and the frequency of use for these would depend on the condition.