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Xena Dog Princess

Xena Dog Princess

Location
Wellington, NZ
I'm one of the rare people on the forum who does bathe my dog. OH washed her every couple of weeks when she was small but I managed to reduce it to every month and now it's a couple of times per year. We use a nice gentle product that's safe enough to be used on humans (we have done!) but it's not available in the UK.
 
Boogie

Boogie

Moderator
Location
Manchester UK
SwampDonkey said:
You do forget the sleepless crazy bitting days. It's a bit a cult or Stockholm syndrome. You look like you self harm and smell of wee. This is the stuff no one ever tells you in the cute fluffy puppy programmes or glossy puppy books. It gets better and you find you love your vile little demon and would defend them like a mother bear. He's driving you mad at the moment but he'll be your greatest friend eventually. It just takes time,. They have a great enthusiasm for life and they explore their new world with their teeth. They aren't so exhausting for long they grow up,. Dont worry it will be fine. Sarah & Rory
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This.

I am the looonatic who has a puppy every year. %)

I have now had eight if you count Tatze (my own pet) and Kara (who I only had for five weeks).

It’s taught me that -

1. They really are all very different and will be themselves whatever you do.

2. Training is always worth the effort.

3. The first few weeks need to be given over to puppy and nothing much else (ie lower your expectations of getting anything else done!)

4. It’s the most rewarding thing ever when they grow into a loving companion who is always pleased to see you.

:sun:
 
Lab_adore

Lab_adore

Moderator
Staff member
Location
Sydney, Australia
Xena Dog Princess said:
I'm one of the rare people on the forum who does bathe my dog. OH washed her every couple of weeks when she was small but I managed to reduce it to every month and now it's a couple of times per year. We use a nice gentle product that's safe enough to be used on humans (we have done!) but it's not available in the UK.
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We too bathe Maxx, maybe it is a Southern Hemisphere thing. Probably about once a month in Summer (now) as it is really hot and he gets very smelly. I think he only got one last winter. We use a gentle shampoo for the first wash then we lashed out on the expensive Maliseb to help with any itches etc for the second. It was $54 for a litre!
 
Boogie

Boogie

Moderator
Location
Manchester UK
Bathing them causes them to need bathing. Once their natural oils are stripped they start to get smelly.

Zaba’s mum used to bath him and he was a stinky - so she bathed him, cycle repeated. Once I persuaded her to stop he became smell free, like Tatze.

So plain water only is the answer to stinky pups.

:)
 
Natalie

Natalie

We only bathed Monty in the first month or so, he had a terrible tummy and each morning we would come down to an almighty smelly mess in his pen. We used a tiny amount of baby shampoo, though when he got older and had the dreaded giardia, we used Malaseb. After that he then only had a couple more baths when we picked him up from kennels. He hasn't been bathed for over 2 years now, and has never smelt better.
 
Oberon

Oberon

Location
Canberra, Australia
Another Southern Hemispherian dog bather here 😄 We bathe Obi two to three times a year, in the warmer months, due to a combo of him needing it to relieve pollen allergies and also getting a bit doggy smelling in summer. We use Malaseb, which is very mild as far as skin oils go.

If your puppy is smelly I would definitely bathe him, using something forgiving to skin. A small amount of human baby shampoo works if you can’t get something suitably delicate from the pet shop.

Bathing most definitely can be overdone but the occasional bath to make your dog comfortable or more pleasant to live with won’t hurt.
 
Cath

Cath

MLF Sales Coordinator
Annie has to have her legs washed in Malaseb only from November till February. If not she will eat her legs! Other than that Fred and her get them self washed when they go for a swim in the local ponds.
 
Loraseal

Loraseal

Location
The Hague, The Netherlands
Boogie hits the mark!
Boogie said:
They really are all very different and will be themselves whatever you do.
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His crate was his sanctuary, so I made sure his crate was in a quiet corner. I actually covered the top with a fleece which suited him whilst he slept.
I just got on with things as normal so he got used to the everyday sounds in the house.

Hunter only ever has a mud or sea bath. Not SPA treatments, he is just a water loving idiot!
In summer we hose him (and my son!) down to keep them cool.
If he gets extremely muddy, then he goes in the shower for a leg hose down.
He will sneak in the bathroom when we shower and scare the living daylights out of us!
 
Emily

Emily

Location
Melbourne, Australia
Oberon said:
Another Southern Hemispherian dog bather here 😄 We bathe Obi two to three times a year, in the warmer months
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Same here! Maybe twice a year when it's really hot. She definitely gets a little smelly when it's hot and she's shedding. The bath helps to remove the loose hair, itchiness and the aroma. Plus, Ella absolutely loves a good scratch in the bath :wasntme:
 
Charlie

Charlie

Location
Argyll & Bute, Scotland
Hattie is bathed/clipped 4 times a year. Charlie is 8 years old and has never had a bath. If he rolls in something disgusting he gets spot on fox poo shampoo and a watering can of water. He gets to swim when we are in Scotland which keeps him nice and soft. I'm not a fan of over bathing due to stripping the natural oils, but I guess it depends on where you live. xx :)
 
Granca

Granca

When I took Wispa to see the vet nurse earlier this week a guide dog puppy walker came into reception with a German shepherd x retriever puppy. She was talking loudly to the receptionists, extolling the virtues of German shepherds, then looked across at us sitting with Wispa and said that she preferred German shepherds to labradors because they weren’t smelly. :( According to her, labradors smell because of the oil in their coats, as they were bred for swimming, whereas German shepherds have dry coats. I hope my face didn’t reflect my thoughts!

After she’d gone, the nurse, receptionists and I agreed that labradors were best and don’t smell! The nurse said that dogs shouldn’t be bathed, but just hosed/brushed/sponged when necessary.
 
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