Bathing Dogs

[friedgreentomato]

We took colin to the beach today and he came back a bit smelly, I rubbed him down and brushed him.

Should I have bathed him? I know you should not bathe them too often his last one was 6 weeks ago!!

[woofgang]

I would rinse the salt and sand out of his fur. My dogs NEVER get bathed but they have short sleek coats and we don't go to the beach

[friedgreentomato]

Cheers, I gave him a good brush to get rid of the sand and salt and its not greasy at all.

I just don't want him to be uncomfortable or start to smell.

[woofgang]

what would he smell of?

[friedgreentomato]

damp dog and the sea

[pixie373]

I bath mine once a week. Is that wrong?

[friedgreentomato]

pixie, I head over bathing washes away the essential oils in their coats.

[pixie373]

I have cavaliers, which have long tangly hair and use mild shampoo. It was what the breeder advised, so i went with it :-\

[friedgreentomato]

well pixie it its what the breeder told you then you should be OK.

Colin is a large daft lab and I am not sure I would want to bathe him once a week - it would probably take me that long to get over the first bath!!

[paddywak]

There's a little river near us and I used to take both my GSD's down and make a game of throwing their ball into the water for them to fetch for half an hour or so then a good rub down with an old blanket and that was it.Every now and then I'd take them,if the weather was nice,to a bit where the water was about 18in deep with a sandy bottom and I get in the river with then and shampoo them they loved it and never had any skin or coat problems.

[friedgreentomato]

thanks paddywak

[Sycamore3House]

I used to have a Labrador & I live by the sea. The only wash he ever had was in the sea. Just used to dry him off and then brush him the sand and salt never seemed to harm him. Tried to bath him only once complete disaster and devastation.

[tonyav]

fgt, our vet said to bath our Choc Lab every 6 months !.

[pixie373]

Mine love it. They try and get in when anyone runs the bath!

[tonyav]

Our dog also loves a bath and really enjoys a swim.

[Baldric]

We can wash the big guy, no probs,
The little 'un was a rescue at 2 and a half years old,
someone had tried to drown her.
She's a powerful girl, bathing, forget it, a rub-down with with a damp sponge is the best we can do so far!

[woofgang]

Mine have very short sleek coats; they are big dogs and I never bath them. I use cheapo decent quality baby wipes (waitrose usually) and wipe them down, it even gets fox poo off as well as bathing would. I also groom them well with a rubber hound glove (the glove is rubber not the hound!)

[lankeela]

No don't bath him, the salt water from the sea will do more good. Just brush the sand out. Even though mine are show dogs I rarely bath them. The GSD gets a good brushing but the Heelers which are very short coated just get a rub down with a chamois leather. Might bath them before Crufts, but have to do it about a week before to allow their coats to settle down again or else they go fluffy. Long coated breeds are often bathed every week before a show, but they use expensive coat preparations which don't dry out the coat, and also conditioners.

[friedgreentomato]

Thanks lankeela,

So a rub down with a towel and then just a brush? Brill.

[AlwaysConfused]

I used to chuck my Collie in the bath every few weeks, as he had a habit of rolling in cat poo. My Jack Russell gets thrown in every couple of months, again after rolling in fox or cat poo. Eurgh