Bathing

[Klara]

My little pup gets so muddy on walks, and I walk her daily. I always towel dry her afterwards and wipe her paws but she accumulates dirt through out the week, therefore I bathe her every sunday. I use a high quality shed control shampoo followed by a moisterizing conditioner. Is giving her a bath once a week to often? No problems with it so far but I don't want to dry out her skin. Any advice?

Klara

 

[Lightplum]

I bathe my girls that im getting ready to show once a week it helps grow their coat!

 

[myminpins]

Bathing a dog too often, especially in winter, can really dry out their skin and reduce their own body's natural oils. If you're using a really good moisturizing shampoo, that's good. Once you start bathing all the time, though, you have to keep it up as the body gets conditioned to it and stops producing the natural oils it used to, though it will re-accustom itself to it if you quit after awhile.

There's really no need to bathe shelties very often except for "pleasing humans". Could you not give her a good brushing once a week and get rid of 90% of the dirt and bathe her once a month or so?

It's best NOT to bathe a sheltie too often but if you are committed to doing it and do it correctly, use the best moisturizing shampoos out there (especially in winter when it's sooo dry outside) and ensure her skin doesn't dry out badly, then it won't harm her.

The problem is with people who bathe their dogs all the time with harsh shampoos. The dog's skin get so dried and flakey it's awful and they can develop skin conditions and even just itch way too much. If you know what you're doing and keep an eye on her skin, keeping it moisturized properly, etc., she'll be just fine

 

[OntarioSheltie]

Sadie often gets muddy, especially at this time of year. I prefer to wash the mud away but shampooing weekly is too much, I just rinse off the muddy parts with water.

I find that Sadie needs to be brushed from approx. once every to week (for about a half hour) to once a month. I don't know if its all of the brushing or what, but she never seems to smell like dog. I bathed her on Sunday because on a hike she fell into some stagnent water and her white rough was looking grey. She went for 4 months without a bath and I would have been happy to let her go longer.

Milo, my parent's sheltie does get that doggie smell but he has a very thick coat and is only brushed when he's groomed (every 2+ months).

My advice would be to bath as little as possible (when Sadie was a pup I bathed her once a month, sooner than that made her itchy and her fur dry, even with oatmeal shampoo), brush as often as you can and use a spray on doggie deodorizer.

 

[Klara]

Thanks guys! I will try the doggy deodorizer and try and bathe her once a month or less. I just purchased the furminator and used it and it is amazing! So thanks to all who recommended I get that They also have some doggy wipes for after walks and such and I'll probably buy those too.
She loves her walks and puddles too! She is very funny, if she sees a puddle instead of avoiding it she makes sure that she prances right through! It is really cute, until i see her white fur is now brown
But i don't mind it, I love her muddy and all!

Klara

 

[Caro]

I actually oil my dogs coats every month (I live in a very dry climate and my males fur dries out - plus they do like rolling in dead wildlife). This was suggested to me by someone who has the top show dogs in the country (she does hers every fortnight).

I use one of those really thick car washing sponges and wet their coats with that - the driest parts I tend to saturate and the others just dampen. The bits that may have rolled in animal carcass do get an earlier wipe down with a face washer and shampoo though. I use the Plush Puppy seabreeze oil - only about a teaspoon in a couple of litres of water. Means they smell great, doesnt take too long to dry and their coats are lovely. I put oatmeal conditioner in the water spray bottle I use when brushing. I also give their coats a full wash about every three months (I also have a dog dryer tho).

 

[Klara]

Great idea with the conditioner and water in the spray bottle! Its much cheaper doing it that way then having to buy the deoderizing spray/conditioner which is essentially the same thing. I will give it a whirl!
As for the oil on their coat, I live in Seattle, WA where it rains A LOT and there is a lot of moisture so I don't think that would be needed in my case, but great suggestion for someone that lives in dry climate.