how many times should we give our dogs a shower?

Hello people,
I heard that giving dogs a shower too many times damages the skin. Is that true? how many times should dogs be given showers? Any specific shampoos to avoid?

thanks for sharing!

 

Maybe it depends on breeds cause I think there are breeds that are sensitive compared to others.
IN my own opinion, it was just okay to give a dog a bath daily if living in a tropical country or if it is hot season.

 

I dont give my dog a bath daily, or all that often. I know I probaby should more, but theres no reason to do it too much, theyre not like humans they dont need it everyday. My dogs when they need to get a bath start smelling like a corn chip (which is funny cause they are chihuahas, go figure they smell like a nacho) but they have short fur, and are never dirty.

 

I bathe Homer three times a year - sometimes more often if he gets really dirty. He hates water and bites me like crazy when I try to put him in the bathtub so it really is difficult and I avoid it as much as possible. I want him to be happy even if it means that he is a little dirty

 

Depends on what you do during the bath. If you shampoo and scrub very vigorously, then there's a good chance of damaging the skin. If it's more like a rinsing, then a daily bath shouldn't be a problem.

 

thank you for all your comments

 

It depends on the breed of dog how often they should get a bath and also the level of dirt they pick up. Meaning if they like to roll in mud puddles every time they are muddy wash them. While most dog shampoos are made for dogs they can strip a dogs skin of the natural oils it needs and dry their skin out. If they are getting a bath too often you will see a lot of scratching and rubbing on things because they itch due to the drying factor. I would aim for every 6-8 weeks, if they really need it cause they got into something more often.

 

Thank you very much for your tips! I do agree with you. I have noticed with my previous dogs that the more you give them a shower, the more their skin dries off. When they get older, it's worst. My ex dog lived upto 17 years and I remember he had develop like dandruff on his skin. His skin was chapping off so badly. That's why I wanted to inquire to avoid pups getting the same problem when he becomes old!

 

I believe it depends on the breed and what their level of activity is. Does the dog play a lot outside in the dirt? Is it mostly an indoor coach potato?

I gave my Lab a bath every 3-4 weeks. This suited her skin type and she would just start to get itchy at about 3 weeks.

My Jack Russell is one of those breeds where their coat gives off extra oils that keep them clean. I only need to bath her every few months unless she gets into something. Mini Pinschers have the same type of skin.

You really need to see what works best for a specific dog. I wouldn't bath a dog less than every couple weeks just because it can dry out their skin. That is unless there is some sort of skin condition and the veterinarian recommends bathing more often.

 

I give a bath once a week or two max, because by the end of 2 weeks he starts smelling funny. Plus, pups stay inside the house so it's not hygienic. We also have to trim his hairs once in a month because it gets longer and difficult to be dealt with.

 

Talking about the natural oil on the skin, I noticed that Dark Lady, my Dobermann, seems to be a bit deficient in this department. That's how I ended up buying a jumbo-sized bottle of Nivea Deep Moisturizer Milk to keep her skin in good order.

 

Fish oil with her food would help that too. It doesn't take much and it really does help with their coats and skin. I actually give wheat germ oil to mine, keeps their coats nice and also helps with keeping them free of intestinal worms.

 

It depends very much on a number of factors. The weather, how messy your dog gets during the day, the length of their coat and so on. We never really washed either of our dogs very much because it rains a lot anyway. As a result, when we walked them, they tended to get a free wash anyway. As a result, I do not really know what shampoos to recommend or avoid. I do know we were once given a particular shampoo for one of them by our vet but that was for a specific issue the dog had at the time.

 

As others said, it really, really depends. There's no set number. Some inside dogs rarely get dirty so they need them less frequently. Others are constantly dirty and need them more.

As for shampoos, just avoid ones that are full of harsh chemicals and take note that you don't always even need to use soap. Just rinsing them down can be sufficient.