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

I have washed a dog precisely twice in over 50 years of having them (not the same dogs, obvs). Once was when one of them got skunked (in the US) and had to have a couple of goes over in a bathtub full of tomato juice, the other was when one fell into the poo pit at a pig farm. Other than that, no; if they get muddy they stay in the mud room until they've dried off, if wet I might towel them.
 
Mine gets a bath when she starts to smell a bit and go slightly yellow. She’s a papillon with a long fine silky coat which does need a bit of attention. She absolutely hates being bathed so I try to avoid it for as long as possible... she gets warm water and a blow dry after, and even then she will refuse to talk to me for several hours.
 
Wow! I really thought I was alone, living in the dark ages of dogdom never bathing a dog!! Tbh I have never given my horses a bath (with shampoo/product) either though obviously I wash them off if sweaty and sometimes add a bit of lavender oil ...does that count as a bath I wonder?!! Red dog no longer smells horrid so a bit of warm water did the trick though he was mortified by the whole experience.
 
I would rather not, but one does get on the sofa and bed so he has to be kept 'fairly clean.
The others used to get washed when they went for hand stripping, but don't bother with that now so I just make a mess with the clippers and brush them ??
 
I do every couple of months or so depending on level of ponginess. Dogs do pong some more than others and I don’t want my house to smell too doggy.
 
Mine is a rough collie cross - long haired, double coated in places - with very short legs. Mercifully he doesn’t like to get that dirty, and has his low-slung undercarriage and feet towel dried before he gets back into the car if he gets wet. Everything else just brushes out.

I tired to bath him exactly once in his 9 years, for reasons that escape me now. All we had was this huge, old-fashioned corner bath and I tried to lift him in. Some panicked scrabbling, and a near drowning (me), and we’ve never tried again, despite having better facilities now.

He’ll occasionally get a light once-over with the watering can if he’s over heated.
 
palo1 said:
Wow! I really thought I was alone, living in the dark ages of dogdom never bathing a dog!! Tbh I have never given my horses a bath (with shampoo/product) either though obviously I wash them off if sweaty and sometimes add a bit of lavender oil ...does that count as a bath I wonder?!! Red dog no longer smells horrid so a bit of warm water did the trick though he was mortified by the whole experience.
Click to expand...


Dogs sweat through their paws?
 
only when they have rolled in something smelly, and i have been lucky that it seems to only be about once a year . i did buy a mud daddy last year but didnt need it. have used it once this year on my old dog and its really good and i used warm water and baby shampoo as she hates having a bath, which has always surprised me as she used to swim in the river almost every day in the summer , she now goes in but only paddles as she seems to have lost confidence...
 
I'll see your never bathing your dog and raise you never having bathed or groomed mine, in fact I don't even own a brush ?

It's bonus of owning a very short haired Dalmatian which sheds gently but continuously year round, the downside is Dali 'glitter' which gets everywhere and seems to get caught in all the soft furnishings, I'm never done hoovering! I've heard Dalmatians can get bad skin so I leave very much alone in the theory of it ain't broke don't fix it.... Worried disturbing the natural balance might cause problems. Luckily he thinks he's a cat and hates mud and wet, worst case scenario a quick run off with a towel lifts almost everything.

ETA used to have a GSD, she got professionally bathed twice yearly at spring and autumn moults, really helped stop her itching and got all her old undercoat blown out making her much more comfortable
 
Yes, the worry of setting off some kind of skin condition is one of the reasons NOT to bath a dog - especially if they are the wiry terrier variety as I know are slightly more susceptible to itches etc. This is the first time I have had a non-shedding dog and tbh as long as I strip his coat enough, he seems incredibly clean and not whiffy. I would be taking my life in my hands if I tried to bath my old hound - I have always left well alone there and she has actually always been beautifully clean and not especially smelly.
 
Mine are shows dogs and are groomed every day and bathed on a regular basis when at shows. Always bathed when they have been in season and before socialising with other dogs. Modern dog shampoos don’t “strip the oils” for dogs that shed a lot then bathing helps to get rid of dead coat. For pet dogs it is horses for courses as to how often you bath.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top