When you’re a dog owner, whether new or seasoned, you may wonder how often should you wash your dog, and the answer can differ greatly on who you ask, but mainly, it can differ based on the breed of dog you have and their personality. If you’ve got a short-haired dog who loves to sleep inside all day, you’re going to give them a bath a lot less frequently than you would for a long-haired dog whose favorite activity is to roll around in the mud.
Why You Shouldn’t Wash Your Dog Too Often
Dogs clean themselves without your assistance and usually do a great job, but sometimes you do need to help them out when they get too dirty or their coat is too thick. However, if you wash your dog too much, you can irritate their skin, damage their hair follicles, and increase the risk of bacterial infections and fungal infections. It’s okay to give your dog a bath every now and then, but daily, or even weekly, may be too much for your dog.
Reasons to Wash Your Dog
There are a wide variety of reasons that can necessitate a bath for your canine companion. Depending on what breed of dog you have, you may want to take them to a professional groomer as their fur may be too difficult or time-consuming for you to properly give them a bath.
They Smell
Dogs, just like people, naturally produce certain smells. If your dog walks into a room or near you and you can smell a strong odor from them, this is a good sign that it’s time for a bath. If, for some reason, your dog has a very bad or strong smell, you may want to take them to your vet to see if there is an underlying cause that is resulting in the smell.
They are Muddy/Dirty
It’s no secret dogs love to roll around on their backs, especially outside. Rolling on their back is one of the ways your dog scratches their back, but they love to roll on their backs when they’re happy or excited, which they definitely are when they end up outside with the zoomies. However, just because you take your time to carefully avoid a puddle of mud, doesn’t mean your dog will. In fact, they may specifically head straight into a muddy area and play around. Because of this, you will definitely need to give your furry friend a bath. The easiest way is going to be to wait for your dog’s fur to dry (if you can) and brush the dried mud out of their fur and then give them a bath.
Your Dog Has a Skin Condition
When dogs have skin conditions, it’s not as easy for them to keep their skin clean under their fur. When this happens, make sure to take your dog to the vet to see if they’re okay and to help you be able to treat them from the comfort of their own home. Your vet may prescribe you medicated shampoo and conditioner for your dog to help their skin heal. If this is the case, your vet may instruct you to bathe your dog once a week or even once a day. Otherwise, you usually won’t need to give your dog a bath nearly this often.
Your Dog’s Coat is Too Thick For Them to Properly Clean
Depending on what breed of dog you have, you may have to assist them in keeping their coat clean more often than average. Dogs with very thick fur may need to be bathed once every other week or once a week, depending on their breed and coat. If need be, you can take your dog to a professional groomer because you may not have the time to dedicate to giving them a bath as often as needed.
When you ask yourself how often should you wash your dog, the general answer is only a few times a year, or as often as necessary depending on how often your dog gets dirty, rolls in something, or just smells strongly in general. Depending on what breed of dog you have, you may need to give them a bath more often, but generally, there’s no need to wash your dog as often as every week.
