How often should you wash your dog?

 

For many dogs, baths aren’t top of the list when it comes to things they enjoy – but unfortunately for them, they are often unavoidable. So how often should you wash your dog? In this blog, we’ll tell you what you need to know. 

Mucky pups

Before we get into the nitty gritty, it’s worth emphasising that if your dog has decided to plunge itself into a muddy bog, or if it has rolled in fox poo, you should wash your dog at your earliest opportunity. No one likes muddy prints all over the floors and soft furnishings so getting them cleaned up when they’ve gotten very dirty is a must. 

When you do wash them, use a dog shampoo – don’t use human shampoos on them as we fill our hair with all sorts of chemicals that aren’t good for your dog’s coat or skin. If you can’t find any dog shampoo though, baby shampoo will do the trick as these tend to be very mild and won’t include any of those chemicals we just mentioned.

 

A regular routine

So, if your dog hasn’t managed to cover itself in mud or something worse, how often should you wash them? Well, the truth is that you don’t really need to wash your dog on a regular schedule. Your dog’s coat has evolved to clean itself of the basic day-to-day grime, and given that they can’t sweat, they won’t be producing any BO in the way we would define it.

That being said, we are all aware of a certain funk that can build up on our dogs if they haven’t been washed or groomed for a while. For many owners, this isn’t an issue, but for those who find themselves sat with a stinky pup, we would advise that you wash your dog no more than once per month – less if you can. 

Too much washing can actually cause your dog some problems, as they have very sensitive skin. What’s more, if you use any flea or worming treatments that are applied to your dog’s coat, these will be washed out with each bath leaving your pet vulnerable to those parasites. So wash them rarely if you feel you must.

 

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