How often to wash your dog?

Question

An old freind of ours ( and I mean old as in age) told me I wash my dog too much in smelly stuff ( I mean nice he means smelly) that is why it rolls on dead smelly stuff (lioke poop, fish, rotting bones etc) What do you think?

I might add his dog never smells and he doesn't wash it at all, it just swims in his dam. (true he has never washed it)

Answer 1

every 6 months, we have noticed that as soon as we do bath him , hes outside rolling all around, i think your old friend is right, good luck.

Answer 2

They usually smell from licking and chewing when they have fleas ...or in your dogs case, from diving into all sorts!

I bath my dog very rarely. She gets a wash when she's had a sneaky run on the mud flats or when a big storm has covered the beach in rotting squid! Sometimes I just rinse her and don't use any soapy stuff.

Mostly I just use a damp microfibre window cloth to get rid of dust and foreign dog drool from down the park. She's very shiny and smell free. Dog hairs seem to be structured so the dirt is carried away from the body and they have natural oils in their coat that keep them a bit waterproof

This might not be the case for long haired dogs like poodles and spaniels ...my dog is a kelpie with fairly short hair so she's a bit easier to clean

Dogs sense of smell is very good so it's possible your dog finds the perfume in the shampoo too much. Also (not aimed at you) don't wash your dog in people shampoo because it can burn their skin and make their fur fall out in patches

Maybe the old guy got it back to front ...maybe he should have said to the dog "you roll in dead smelly stuff too often that's why they wash you in smelly (nice) stuff"
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Answer 3

Depends on the breed.

Dogs will roll in smelly stuff even if you don't bathe them much.

Some breeds just don't have as much odor, and a poor diet can make the dog smell too.

Dogs shouldn't be washed more than every two weeks. That's usually just for dogs whose coats are kept long by the owner, usually breeds like maltese, yorkie....

Make sure you are using dog shampoo.

Answer 4

I wash once a week, however I alternate shampoos. Too many chemicals (flea bath) can hurt your dogs skin. Fragrances aren't very good either. If you want to wash him frequently then buy a non-perfumed or lightly scented oatmeal shampoo. I actually use an oatmeal bar soap on my dog, A dollar for two bars and it lasts forever.

Do NOT wash your dog in dish detergent. It's made for dishes, not dogs. The only time that it is ok is on occasions when you would use flea shampoo. (about once a month)

Answer 5

I wash my dogs about every two weeks.. Or whenever my Bassets white paws start looking brown from playing in the dirt.

Dogs roll in smelly stuff to try to disguise their scent. It's a hold over instinct from their wild ancestors. It isn't because you wash them in too much 'smelly' stuff. Be aware though that what smells good to you might smell horrible to your dog so try to keep the perfumed soaps to a minimum.

Answer 6

Generally about every 4-6 weeks is fine. If it is really dirty, you can wash it sooner. If it's still pretty clean, then you can wait longer.

You don't want to wash too often because you'll wash away all the natural oils in the dog's skin and dry out it's skin/coat.

Always use a shampoo formulated for dogs. Human shampoo is a different pH than dog shampoo, so human shampoo can dry out and irritate the dog's skin.

Answer 7

Once a year, if that. The dog sure the heck doesn't want the bath, and I hate trying to swing a flailing and moaning 90 pound dog in the tub.

The manic running after the bath (what is he trying to accomplish with that?) makes it all worthwhile. So cute!

Answer 8

Dogs don't like the same type of smells that we do. So use baby shampoo that is not scented. I would not wash the dog to often, because you will dry out the skin and cause a lot of dander, and itching! 1 a month should be ok if needed.

Answer 9

This really depends on the breed - like labradors, which I have, shouldn't be washed too frequently because of their coats. Once a month or every other month is good enough for my lab - he does a lot of swimming. In between shampoos, I wipe him down with those wet doggy wipes - they are great!

Answer 10

my dog loves getting bathed and for that reason i would was it once a week or if i have time more than once. all dogs have a habit of rolling in smelly stuff for some reason no matter how often they are wshed.

Answer 11

I washed him last night when I got home from work. The first thing he did was roll in the dirt. I wash him every two to three weeks. More if he has fleas or smells bad.