With really frequently bathing, dogs can develop skin irritation and dry skin. Some breeds are more prone to this issue than others; my parents' lab/shepherd mix would get flaky skin, like dandruff, with frequent bathing. Once a week is probably a bit much. A bath every two weeks would probably be on the frequent side, but each dog is probably a bit different.
I would agree with this. I only bathe mine every 3 months or so unless they roll in something. If there's a strong dog smell that is distasteful after only 2 weeks, I'd probably have a talk with the vet just to make sure there isn;t something causing a smell, like ear or anal gland issues.
Most vets will say anything more than every month is really too often -- it strips important oils off both their coat and their skin causing both to dry out. A nice glossy coat comes from those oils, daily brushing to spread them through the hair shaft. I've found a good brushing takes out 99% of dirt as well -- andf mine are out in mucky puddles quite often. Just let them dry then give them a good brushing and honestly I cannot tell they were ever in mud at all. I have a pretty sensitive sense of smell as well and cannot smell any doggy smell off the dogs -- i do ask firends who would be very honest and they can;t smell anything off the dogs either. Others will say you could wash weekly as long as you are using a proper dog shampoo. This is really important -- a human shampoo is *20 times* more alkaline that a dog shampoo should be. That is because each pH number indicates a factor of TEN, not just ONE. But I really feel we tend to overwash the dog then wonder why they have a cottony or fluffy or coarse coat (and then blame it on *neutering* when it is likely to be frequent washing or genes or fatness... ).
Puppies have such a lovely puppy smell; I personally thinkthey really rarely need bathing unless they have stepped in their own poops etc (and you have such a short time to enjoy their lovely baby smell! It will be gonme before you blink...). I'd be very reluctant to bathe a puppy more than every month as their skin is so delicate. Note that if you want to rinse them or allow them to swim that is different -- it is the shampoo that is the problem. My two swim at least every month and more than that in summer (once or twice a week) and this is more than enought to keep their coats clean and very soft (pond water!).
Even our Great Pyrenees was only washed maybe four times a year (as it was such a production). My mom is a VERY picky housekeeper -- and would not have tolerated a strong-smelling, dirty dog (and remember Pyrs weigh about 125 lbs and are WHITE!) but our pyr never smelled unpleasant with such infrequent baths; she was simply brushed every week which takes out the majority of the dirt.
I've found places that sell shampoo anmd grooming supplies tell you every week is fine; and vets recommend every 6-8 weeks.
Vets answer this question:
http://www.petpeoplesplace.com/resources/advice/dogs/60.htm
http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_Shampoo.php
http://www.selkirkvet.com/index.php?view=pageView&docid=100049343
And also from the ever-relaiable Dr Mike Richards at vetinfo4dogs.com:
Odor problems - canine
Q: Dr Richards,
I was recently at the vetinfo website looking for information for my
grandparents dog, Duke. Duke is a dog with a great personality but he
smells really bad! We have tried every thing but even after a good bath
he would smell again five minutes later. It's even unbarable to some
people and they can't stay in the house anymore because the house smells
like the dog. I was wondering since I didn't find any information
anywhere if you could help me out and give me a place where I could find
some information that can help us solve the problem!
Thank you. Jennifer N
A: Jennifer-
Most dogs that have skin odors have either bacterial or yeast skin
infections. There are occasionally other problems leading to odors such as
dental disease, ear infections, anal sac infections or inflammation and
seborrhea. Some dogs are just very adept at finding things to modify their
smell, such as dead animals or cat poop which they immediately roll on.
Most people notice when this is happening, though. A few people have
written to our site about changes in their pet's odors when changing dog
foods. Some people noticed an odor that wasn't there prior to the new food
and some people noted an improvement in previous odor problems when a
change was made. I can't remember having this experience in my practice
situation but it is possible, I'm sure.
The best bet is to take your dog in to your vet for an examination to try
to rule out correctable medical problems as a cause of the odor.
Mike Richards, DVM
From the purina website:
BATHING
There are two major points to consider when bathing your dog: First, how to do it; and second, how often to do it.
How Often
The answer to the second consideration is ‘not too often.’ A dog’s coat needs its oils to remain soft and silky and to keep from getting brittle or damaged. If you bathe your dog too often (every week, for example), you will strip away those oils.
A good rule of thumb is to only bathe your dog when he is visibly dirty or noticeably smelly. At the same time, you don’t want to go too long or a long-haired dog will tend to get tangles and matted hair. So the time between baths will vary from dog to dog and may change from one time of year to another.
PS I think you can see from my avatar pic that the boys look really clean and there are a few on the list who have met them at Tara and Lisa's classes!
I think they'd vouch for general cleanliness and non-smelliness too. :lol: