[Mac'N'Roe]

Hey. I just recently adopted Gabi. She's all white with one spot and some spots on her ear. She gets really dirty out in the yard while playing. I don't want to bathe her too much though. I gave her a bath a little over a week and a half ago. I want to give her another (BF parents are coming tomorrow), but I don't want to dry her skin out. And, for the future, I'm sure this will be ongoing. Brushing seems to help too.

Any suggestions for a white short haired dog?

[JustTess]

How about wiping her down with a baby wipe? When our terrier is out at the park all day, there seems to be a lot of dirt that sticks to her short fur. I ask my son to wipe her down with a baby wipe or two (she's 40 lbs) and it seems to get most of the dirt off the outside of her fur without getting her skin wet.

[Love's_Sophie]

Get some doggie "between bath" wipes...

I wouldn't use anything 'human' on her, as that CAN dry out and irritate her skin...

[Graco22]

The bath wipes should work pretty well for that loose dirt. If they just aren't cutting it, you can bath her even weekly, as long as you use a nice mild dog shampoo, diluted correctly. I would probaby follow up with a doggie conditioner as well if you are bathing her once a week, just to remoisturize the skin if necessary. There are very good, mild shampoos out there that can be used often. Just make sure to rinse VERY well.

[flipgirl]

I was at a pet show a couple of months ago and saw this thing you can put on your dog to avoid getting dirty on his legs and underside. It was like underalls with material covering the dog's legs and tummy and it was waterproof. I wouldn't mind getting it for my little white dog. There are waterless shampoos out there as well. You can also dusting baby powder on her to deodourize - it whitens a bit too!

[sweetmazzy]

I have a white bichon poo, and I use dog wipes all the time on her. I'm actually more concerned with the feet cleanliness cause she's an indoor dog that goes to our bed and couch. You just never know what your dog stepped into through out the day...

[ara28]

I just wipe my dog down with a wet towel when he gets dirty and then I bathe him like every 2-3 weeks. But, I don't have a yard so he doesn't go rolling around in the dirt on a regular basis.

[BoxMeIn21]

Vinegar. It worked wonders for my white boxer Manny. I put half water and half white vinegar in a spray bottle and spritz him down between baths. Yes, you dog will smell a little like an easter egg, but that goes away.

[Kathyy]

My short haired dog used to dig a lot. The dirt just fell off her. Or maybe it is her perpetual shedding, the dirty hair fell that quickly??? I would just go over your dog with a wet towel and really wipe the feet. That is a good thing to do with a dog anyway, if they are out in wet weather you need them to be okay with wiping down. Baby wipes seem too small to me, they are a great product though. You can always just rinse the dog well like you are giving her a soapless bath.

[jesirose]

Is it the shampooing that will dry out skin or just bathing? Could you just spray her down outside and dry off with a towel, then brush? Not as intensive as a full bath I would think.