how often should a sheltie be bathed

[OntarioSheltie]

IOh and do y'all get a non-slip pad for the tub or anything?

We have a non-slip mat in our bath tub that I got for us as well as the dogs. When I'm just quickly rinsing Sadie's paws I'll often take it out, as the dirt gets trapped underneath it. But if I'm bathing her or she's very dirty I leave it in, as she's more likely to slip

 

[Smudge]

Is there any advantage to giving them a bath early when they are a puppy?

When I brought Smudge home...he stinked. I mean that in the nicest way possible.

I went to the petstore, and all the bottles said you should wait until they are 7 or 8 weeks to give them a bath. Since he was only 6 weeks when I got him (I know, I know) I waited a week until he was 7 weeks.

If you give them a bath too often then they might get dry skin. I'm getting a second opinion on "allergies" from the first vet, because I'm thinking a bath every two weeks with a mange dip might have ruined Smudge's skin.

 

[Fergusmom]

I put a non-slip mat in the tub too when I bathe the dogs. My tub is a shiny smooth fiberglass and it is terribly slippery when the shampoo gets on it. If you have a rough surface tub it might not be necessary.

 

[BarbV]

I know there are some folk on the forum that bath their pups as often as weekly, bi-weekly or monthly.

I've always been led to believe that this is too often. It dries out their coat and their skin.

Generally my boys get a full bath every 2-3 months. At the groomer. I let her worry about cleaning ears, glands, creating a new poop chute.

In between, I try to at least bi-weekly (preferably weekly)

- spray in a dry shampoo and rub vigourously with a towel.
- line brush (with Ice on Ice and my CC brushes) from head to tail
- trim feet for stray hairs and maintain the nice little cat feet
- dremmel nails
- trim ears
- re-trim poop chute

In between grooming sessions, nasty butts get a wipe with Baby wipes and if necessary, a little trim with rounded scissors to deal with the dried on bits.

And believe it or not, I actually like it when the boys have been out in the back in a light rain. When they comes, they get toweled down and that just seems to perk up their coats and desmell them even further.

I've only once had to do an "emergency bath" and it was only a partial because the mud was only on the ends of the fur.

Mud on the paws - just gets the towel treatment to avoid tracking muddy feet throughout the house. For some reason, their white feet always stay white without alot of maintenance. Once the mud dries, it seems to just fall away.

As to when to acquaint your pup with the bath tub, never too early. You don't need to shampoo, actually. Just plop him in and "pretend" scrub and hose down.

I bought a rubber hose to attach to my bathtub fawcett for rinshing. I've never had to use, but its there if I ever need it.

OK - I'll shut up now....anything Grooming always gets my attention and I tend to go on (and on, and on, and on)

 

[Chris]

I bathe on an as-needed basis, but always before Layla goes to Walter Reed (bi-monthly). I get in the tub with them -- it's just a heck of a lot easier on everybody,

 

[BarbV]

I bathe on an as-needed basis, but always before Layla goes to Walter Reed (bi-monthly). I get in the tub with them -- it's just a heck of a lot easier on everybody,

Oh yes, I meant to mention that in my previous thread....the easiest way to bath the pups is to get into the tub with them. Far easier on your back. Makes for great visual/camera shots, too! But probably not to share except to very close family!

 

[mbfrench]

Ya know I think I'm going to try that. (with Trapp). I can't with Earnhardt,cause he takes up the whole tub.

Speaking of baths, Earnhardt got one tonite, as he goes to the holiday parade every year in town. He's been going since he was just old enough to go on a leash. And he loves it. He sits or lays on the side of the street,and loves it when they throw yummies from the fire truck,looking at the young ones scrambling for the candy.

Hopefully a good day to take pictures tomorrow~

 

[PitterPatter]

Is there any advantage to giving them a bath early when they are a puppy?
Sca seems a bit more happy with being brushed (or resigned to it) each time I put him on his table. I will admit the new CC brush I got him helped also... I could swear I heard him go ahhhh the first time I used it. But I digress. He is not really stinky or dirty, he even seemed to repel some red clay he got on him the other day. But I have some white on white and figure a bath this Sunday might get him trained to not be bothered by it. Oh and do y'all get a non-slip pad for the tub or anything?

And yes I am wanting to test his show dog shampoo and the Ice on Ice

I always start them out with baths and the other grooming. Mine have been small enough that I can bath them in the laundry room sink. It's fairly large with a pull out faucet. I do use a mat so she doesn't slip. And all my dogs over the years have been trained NOT to jump out of the sink, to stand still, and NO shaking. Unfortunately for the poor pups, the first thing they get when I bring them home is a bath. Don't want fleas in the house or on the dog. A tip, wash their head last. That is usually why they shake, because you get their head wet. So wait, that way you can control the shake. I've always trained them to shake after the towel is over the dog.

And wait till your dog turns purple. You'll wonder just what the heck kind of shampoo you've purchased. Don't worry. It does wash out. And you might want to leave it on for the full 10 minutes. When I used it I got this bright idea to spray it on. However, I had to thin it to get it to come out of the bottle. So I don't know if it was the dilution or the fact I didn't leave it on for the full ten minutes, but I didn't really see a difference. However, her previous shampoo seemed to clean really well, I just couldn't stand the smell that lingered on her fur.

 

[Justicemom]

I bathe Justice every 4-6 weeks on avg sometimes every 2 months. He gets this weird build up on his skin that looks likes dried ear wax on his back and tail. When it starts to buildup its time for a bath.

Ember gets a bath every 4 months or so unless she gets really stinky. She has this habit of running under the lilac bushes after a bath and rolling in the dirt. SO she never sparkling clean for long.

Diva gets a bath every 3 months.

All the dogs get weekly line brushing and nail dremmeling.

 

[ruckusluvr]

I bath Ruckus every two weeks to help control his skin allergies.
In my opinion a once month bath is ideal.

However, if you are using the right shampoo, the correct water temp. and dry thoroughly with a heatless drying, like a force dryer then you can bath you dog as often as you want.

its a myth that bathing too often can dry out your dogs skin.