The feel of an oily, dirty coat on a dog is nothing to be happy about when petting him. No one enjoys petting a dirty, smelly dog. We, as dog owners, know this and take steps to keep our pets clean, smelling fresh and feeling great, both for their comfort and for us when we pet them. The typical rule of thumb when it comes to dog bathing is that every 6 weeks is a good number. The thing about rules of thumb is that they don’t fit every dog, every lifestyle and most certainly don’t fit every skin and coat type. Your dog’s individuality and your lifestyle make all the difference in how often, or infrequent you should give your dog a bath.
Smooth Coats
An average American lifestyle will leave our dogs primarily as house pets that only head outdoors to potty and get one walk in for the day as exercise. For a smooth coated dog, or short hair with no under coat just as the Jack Russel Terrier or American Pit Bull Terrier, the 6 week rule of thumb just may apply. That said, it all depends on the size of your smooth coated dog! The smaller the dog, the less baths they need. Bathing too often, especially in these short haired dogs, causes terrible dry skin, itching, flaking or dander and brittle fur. This is because all of their protective natural oils that coat each strand of fur and protects their skin is being washed away. This may also mean that their bodies over compensate for that loss of oil, and will make your dog smell even worse! In between bathing, brush and wipe your pet to eliminate loose fur and odor.
Double Coats
A double coated dog is a breed that has an under coat. These are usually northern breeds, or dogs who were bred for a specific working purpose that required them to have some extra fluff for protection. Breeds such as the Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute are good examples, along with the Akita, Chow Chow and even the sheep herding Australian Shepherd. These dogs may seemingly shed far more than their short hair brethren, but it only seems that way because they have an extra coat, so more fur to deal with. Double coated dogs are rumored to keep cleaner fur and healthier skin when there is more brushing and less washing. This may be due to the fact that they produce less oils than single coated dogs thanks to that undercoat they’re sporting. You can stick with the usually rule of thumb, or brush your dog every day and bathe only when his coat feels uncomfortable on your hand. These pooches benefit greatly from puppy bath wipes or waterless shampoos in between washes to keep them smelling fresh, but a daily brush through all that hair will be the number one beneficiary in keeping their skin and coat comfortable and clean.
Long Coats, Wire Hair, and Curly Coat
Dogs with long hair like the Afghan Hound, wire hair like the Scottish Terrier or curly coats such as the Poodle require more in depth grooming to keep them healthy. These breeds typically need regular professional grooming services to clip and maintain their hair. Wire hair and curly coated dogs, while they only have a single coat, require clipping on a schedule to prevent matting. When you schedule an appointment with your local professional groomer, usually a bath, nail clipping, ear cleaning and anal gland expression are all included with a package deal. Dogs with extremely long coats often times have hair, not fur, and daily brushing as well as cuts are needed. Just like with humans, their hair continues to grow and unless you cut it they will be a matted mess! Grooming for these dogs depends on each individual, but typically ever 6 to 8 weeks works perfectly. It keeps the hair in good condition without drying out the skin.
Lifestyle
Your lifestyle plays a major role in how often you should give your dog a bath. If you go hiking, take your dog to the dog park, or anything else in which he can get dirt, mud and other outside substances on him then he should be washed more often. Left to dry, things like mud can trap bacteria and fungus against the skin, causing an infection. Use your common sense, use bath wipes for quick clean ups and brush your dog’s coat to rid him of debris and loose fur. You just may be surprised at just how little you really need to fully bathe your dog!