Bathing Sheltie

[Mignarda]

I'd say about every three or four months is good, unless they get into something like a dead animal, or get assailed by a skunk, like Dickens did this past summer. You don't want to dry out their skin. For bathing I use one of those handheld pet shower attachments, and it works very well; much better than taking a plastic pail and trying to rinse them one pailful at a time.

 

[Tagg]

Tinsel gets a bath about every 3 months - as needed. He never gets smelly but his white areas get a little grey. Blame it on the westie breeder in me, but I hate grey white Rhiannon, our Terv, has had one bath in over 12 years. She never smells as her guard coat is amazing. The one bath was because she was in the ring with sheep after several days of rain and then she did smell pretty bad. Interestingly, after she was brushed the smell disappeared but I bathed her anyway. She was 8 months old. I use Royal Canin grooming spray and actually spray it up in the air so that it rains down on the coat when I groom so they don't get the static that causes the coat to break. Phoebe, the westie, gets a bath monthly. She is white, low to the ground and so her furnishings get grey - drives me nuts. I bath her in a sensitive skin shampoo. I always dry the dog regardless of what the weather is doing.

 

[BarbV]

Let your dog be the guide.

I'm a big believer in regular brushing with a heavily diluted leave in shampoo. You spray, towel off then brush while the fur is still damp.

Brushing dry fur can lead to breakage of the overcoat. I never recommend brushing a dog dry. At a minimum, whenever you brush your dog mist the coat with a bottle sprayer, even if its only water.

Be careful about conditioners. While they might make the coat look great in the short term, they can create build up and cause you wash the dogs more often.

Ideally, I would say a full bath 3-4 times per year. Of course, if they get muddy, then hose them down. I found that after goes into the mud puddles, a quick hose down is enough. Let it dry and the dirt just falls off.

Any product that you use will impact their skin. I'm not a believer in baths more than absolutely necessary. It upsets their natural skin oils and own ability to withstand conditions.

Sometimes it might just be a half bath.....e.g. sanitary area. But if you dogs coat really stinks......and you've been bathing regularly then there might be a bigger problem. Now time to see a vet.

Sorry for the long and disconnected post.....I'm due to go out to supper in 20 minutes but saw this post and couldn't help myself....

 

[VallejoSheltie]

Hmm, just a note.
I've seen none of the aforementioned problems in the 2+ years we've had Boots.
However, I generally use a human shampoo form Trader Joe's (Tea Tree Tingle Bath & Body) that is made up almost entirely of essential oils and botanicals.
I usually mix it 50-50 with water in a spray bottle and it works great at removing dirt and smell.
I think it also works great at helping repel any fleas/bugs from getting comfy too.
The essential oil/botanical base seems to have none of the stripping effects that I've noticed even after using puppy shampoo. Very few tangles about the ears as well.

Very simple bath.shower and towel dry.
5 minutes with a brush when he's completely dry and he looks almost as good as when he comes back from the groomer.

$4 bottle last 4-5 washes also.

 

[Buddy's Mom]

I take my Buddy to the groomers about every 3-4 months. I have him bathed & trimmed each time. He's so heavy I can't lift him to give him a bath myself.

 

[VallejoSheltie]

We started Boots early, so he doesn't really mind it.
Once he's in the bathroom, he'll just jump in the tub. Maybe a bit begrudgingly.

I take my Buddy to the groomers about every 3-4 months. I have him bathed & trimmed each time. He's so heavy I can't lift him to give him a bath myself.

 

[BarbV]

Hmm, just a note.
I've seen none of the aforementioned problems in the 2+ years we've had Boots.
However, I generally use a human shampoo form Trader Joe's (Tea Tree Tingle Bath & Body) that is made up almost entirely of essential oils and botanicals.
I usually mix it 50-50 with water in a spray bottle and it works great at removing dirt and smell.
I think it also works great at helping repel any fleas/bugs from getting comfy too.
The essential oil/botanical base seems to have none of the stripping effects that I've noticed even after using puppy shampoo. Very few tangles about the ears as well.

Very simple bath.shower and towel dry.
5 minutes with a brush when he's completely dry and he looks almost as good as when he comes back from the groomer.

$4 bottle last 4-5 washes also.

I would caution against human shampoos simply because of the differences in skin and coat. The Ph balances, etc are different.

What works for humans may not work for dogs.

But I do recommend whatever you use, that you dilute it with water. No need to go full strength. You can get as better suds with a highly diluted product but lots of it, then an non-diluted.

 

[Mom2Melli]

But I do recommend whatever you use, that you dilute it with water. No need to go full strength. You can get as better suds with a highly diluted product but lots of it, then an non-diluted.

Ditto -- law #1 from my Persian days. Good squirt of any bathing product being used into a small bucket filled with warm water, swish around, pour on animal with a cup, lather, rinse. Rinses out incredibly well and does the job fabulously. I used to drop a couple drops of Tea Tree Oil in too just in case a flea or fungus spore found us -- but not too much or the animal would reek. Not everyone likes the smell.

 

[Sandi'sMom]

I'm with Mom2Melli.

Northern California here, and also took a 2 week vacation in PI to visit wife's family last year.

I would suggest monthly bathing for general cleanliness, smell, etc. If dog shampoo is expensive, you can use baby shampoo with a little Baking Soda (ie. Arm and Hammer) to raise the pH a little bit closer to dog normal.

Mine gets one every 1.5-2 weeks simply because he plays at the dog park almost every day, and it builds up.

I also have a small wash basin to wash his feet in with soapy water, and a garden hose to wash off his butt when he's eaten something that makes a mess.

A spray bottle with water and shampoo works great and saves a lot of shampoo too.

Also, considering the heat in PI, the occasional water only shower/bath might be a treat in your dogs case.

On a related note, I've noticed my guy loves to be cool, and is totally enjoying the 50-60 f temps we're having right now, so I am going to take a spare piece of granite I have left over from a kitchen remodel and make him a nice cool spot to lay on in the living room. Place it directly on my wood floor and let it stay closer to the ground-concrete slab-wood floor. Thermal conduction should mean that it is always the coolest place in the room for him to lie upon. With your heat, you might be able to do similar with a thick piece of tile or such.

Dogs don't really sweat, they primarily cool themselves by panting and cooling via the foot pads. Any assistance you can give there, or with a small fan maybe, will definitely make your dog much happier.

Grooming is a big job. We live in the flat condominium and do not have accomodations for bathing Sandi. I would not use human bathtub to bathe Sandi. Even if we did have accomodations I still would be reluctant to do it myself.
We have a mobile grooming woman and she comes with her "spa" van and does a great job. It's worry free.

 

[BarbV]

Why would you not use a human bath tub to bathe your dog?

I found the easiest way to bathe my dogs in a crunch was to just get in the tub with them. I can't remember if it was Ann or Chris who suggested this originally.

One other thing....there is nothing better than a good hose down from the garden hose in the middle of a hot spring or summer to loosen undercoat. The dogs might not like at the time, but sure like it after. I hose them at the cottage frequently. Then brush them out about an 1/2 hour later while the fur is still damp.