Bathing your dog...am I the only one that doesn't?

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palo1

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I don't tend to wash our dogs but today I had to wash Red (only with water in fact) as he rolled in cow-sh*t. It made me think that actually it might not be a bad idea to get him used to a wash (it was a rather wet, scrabbly dog sort of wash) but I am slightly concerned about what to use and whether it might affect his wiry jacket or skin. I am slightly ashamed to admit to never bathing the dogs - my mum always told me it would strip their natural oils so I've always avoided it tbh!! Any recommendations for wiry dog shampoo??!!
 
Tihama said:
Bad mum here - mine get the cold hosepipe & anti bac soap when they come back covered in unspeakable stuff ?
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My spaniel used to get the hose on her legs and belly before we left the yard, in the middle of winter ?. I figured if she liked running through wet mud she couldn’t have minded being wet.
JRT gets quite a lot of baths, but that’s because she’s White, wire coated and disgusting.
 
Nope I never bath my dogs! Last year one of them won BIS and one got ‘most handsome black hound’ at the greyhound rescue show, it was only afterwards that it occurred to me that I hadn’t even wiped them over ?

Little white greyhound used to get a bucket of warm water and a sponge in the garden when she rolled in Fox **** - she was absolutely the worst dog for it, she could find it a mile off ??
 
I bath the Rotties every now and then otherwise the dog pong can get a bit strong. The GSD doesn't seem to smell. The wee dog... well not done her yet and it might be interesting (I'm expecting that she'll be demanding of a bubble bath, a glass of something, and some nibbles :D ).

I've used baby shampoo in the past. Can't remember what the last dog specific one was called. Will dig it out tomorrow and looksee, might even wave it at the hairy ones :D
 
Nah - mine get cold hose if really muddy from clay field in winter and they go swimming quite a bit. I have never given them a bath nor used soap. I have used ketchup though to get rid of foxy smell then more cold hose.
 
Love that picture! Perfect :D

The GSD loves to splash in puddles and plays in them like a kid in a pool. One day we were having a wander and she went and jumped in a puddle, only it turned out to be a lot deeper than your average puddle. I am such a bad person. I couldn't stand up for laughing. It was exactly like the Vicar of Dibley scetch where t'vicar joyfully jumps into a puddle way past her middle :D
 
I only bathed my border collie once a year, normally in the spring. It helped that he was generally a clean dog and didn't like going in puddles, rolling in stuff etc. If he got muddy feet he just got a quick squirt with the hose before he could come inside.
I was younger and just used to use the family tresemme shampoo & conditioner :D
 
Dobby gets bathed a lot, he hasn't equated rolling in poo with a bath and does it at least once a month. The girls are much better. Ginny had one after she arrived as she had that kennels smell, I think Fizz last had one over a year ago.
 
palo1 said:
Thank you! I was expecting loads more 'dog washers' than 'dog non-washers' so it is strangely reassuring for me. :) I will get some dog shampoo for the occasional scrub I think but no more. :)
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We only bath the dogs if they have rolled in something revolting! Usually with a bucket of just warm water and 'dog dissolver' aka washing up liquid. Many years ago we used to dunk them in a tin bath of anti-flea shampoo, which was very effective but that lost its licence. Interestingly although Labs love water, they weren't so keen on the anti-flea bath!
 
I never bath mine, last time was when they puked all the way home from the breeder and were in a large cat box. Carnage.

Brig used to get hosed before leaving the yard, he rolled in the run off from the muck heap sometimes. These two get the hose if ever needed, like here.
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Worth noting that each picture is of Zak.
 
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Luna has had one bath in the three years we’ve had her. That was because she was very itchy. Turned out it was fleas, although didn’t see any on her. She does like to get down and roll, or tramp about in mud, but by the time we are back to the car, she is clean again,

We’ve never bathed Bo. He is there waiting whenever the hosepipe is out though, so if he gets a bit muddy, enjoys being hosed off.
 
I never bath my old boy, had him 11 years now, he is never smelly and always seems clean, he has a lot of white which always looks pristine. Mind you he avoids mud and wet, he hates water and i think he would collapse if I tried to wash him. Mrs Spaniel has had one bath in nearly two years!She also avoids mud!
 
Wee dog gets bathed and floofed before a big show (I don't bother for an open!); big dogs get done if they're grubby enough to need it and also because it helps to shift undercoat. I think it's been over a year since their last one though. I use Plush Puppy products.
 
My jack rat type critter I never wash, she's always sparkling white owing mainly to the fact she sheds pretty much an entire coat every week. Even when she rolls in something disgusting it has usually disappeared off her by the time you get near a hosepipe. She certainly never seems to smell.

Eira the westie (aka The Grub) gets bathed at least once a fortnight. She is filthy, pretty much constantly, starts to smell after a while and has bad skin that the oils just seem to build up on and make her terribly itchy after a while. At the moment I'm using oatmeal soap bars to wash her, which is probably the best thing I've found for her skin wise.
 
I’m a dog groomer, so my two little ‘uns get bathed and groomed every 6 weeks. They are both prone to rolling in fox poo, bird poo, cow pats...
Big dog has had 2 baths in her 11 years, both in the garden with the hose. She is not the type of dog you manhandle in a tub!
 
Mine get washed very rarely, maybe once a year if they are getting pongy, they take so bloody long to dry it's generally not worth the hassle. Noodle doesn't roll in anything messy and is generally just very clean. Ashkii used to love nothing more than "dive bombing" through puddles but when it dried it used to brush out easily. Tehya could get herself in some states but then was always miraculously white again ( on her white bits) without us needing to do anything??
Pic of ashkii after a usual walk.
 

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My toy poodle had a bath today. He has a bath almost every week or fortnight. I find it’s the best way to keep his coat free of matts. He has a bath with shampoo and conditioner, then blow dried and then brushed thoroughly. I wash his bedding every week whether he has a bath or not. He goes in the woods with the dog walker Thu/Fri and in the winter gets quite muddy and it can get stuck in his coat depending on how wet it’s been.
 
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