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.