Between baths?

im_nice1 · 08-29-2009, 12:08 PM

I wanted to ask the experienced ppl here a few questions re grooming:

a-How frequently do you bathe your dog?

b-What product would you recommend (spray/powder etc) to make the dog smell nice and fresh between baths?

we have a 10 month old lab mix pup, who has become too huge to bathe comfortably by myself. so she has gone to her first professional grooming appointment today...and im wondering how frequently to send her coz its not cheap. On my own, I used to bathe her every week.

Kathyy · 08-29-2009, 12:25 PM

My dogs don't stink any more. The lab mix/shedder hound did but a food change seems to have solved that little problem for the past couple years. I do use a nice smelling grooming spray when I brush and comb the dogs between baths. Flattens the wavy coated guy's coat and helps pull hair out of the shedder hound. I like to rinse weekly and bathe monthly but it is hard on the 16 year old dog so I am slipping to 2 weeks now.

I find that attaching the garden hose to the kitchen sink so I can use warm water outside, leashing the dog to the chair, me sitting on that chair and the dog on my low rough surfaced agility table with all supplies at hand it isn't hard. And cookies, must have small cookies that don't dissolve in wet. Then the clean dripping wet dogs go for a dry off walk. Today is the day. Now is the hour. It is easy and not a mess but I am comfortable and on the 'puter and don't want to move!

Today's improvement - cookies in the treat pouch, poor Sassy hardly got any last time as Max snatched all of them from the tabletop!

Pai · 08-29-2009, 02:50 PM

Icesis gets a bath once a week. I don't use any sprays, because she doesn't end up smelly in between them, so I can't help with that. =/

Binkalette · 08-29-2009, 03:12 PM

Zoey and Maggie get bathed once a week with Eqyss Micro-tek and Eqyss Premier.

Graco22 · 08-30-2009, 11:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by im_nice1

I wanted to ask the experienced ppl here a few questions re grooming:

a-How frequently do you bathe your dog?

b-What product would you recommend (spray/powder etc) to make the dog smell nice and fresh between baths?

we have a 10 month old lab mix pup, who has become too huge to bathe comfortably by myself. so she has gone to her first professional grooming appointment today...and im wondering how frequently to send her coz its not cheap. On my own, I used to bathe her every week.

Since you are no longer bathing her at home, I would recommend you have her groomed monthly, or at least every 6 weeks. This will keep her pretty clean and fresh for you. There is no magic potion unfortunately, to keep them smelling fresh between groomings however. If she is given a good bath, blow dry and brush out by a good groomer, that should last at least 2-3 weeks. I also spritz my groom dogs with a cologne as a finish, and that helps to keep them fresh smelling also. You can purchase cologne sprays at pet stores, that may cover up a doggie smell for a day or two if she gets really stinky between baths. Or you could find a self wash that you can take her to if you can't afford to have her groomed so often.

I bath my poodle weekly, but my airedale only every few months. He doesn't get stinky between baths, and frequent bathing will soften his coat, and I show him so I can't have that.

im_nice1 · 08-30-2009, 12:02 PM

thanks all for your informative replies. it seems there are no favorite nice smelling pet sprays out there

I think i will take her to the thorough professional grooming once a month and try to give her a wash myself every two weeks. the problem is that she hates baths (and i do have peanut butter as a treat, though no agility table or a garden) and trying to wrestle a 65 lb wriggling/unhappy/clawing puppy in the bathtub is no joke.

meghf · 08-30-2009, 03:52 PM

I found this shower attachment at petco that's helped in bathing Buddy.

http://www.petco.com/product/6551/Ri...ogSFC_Grooming

The other thing that I do is bathe him in the tub that has sliding glass doors, not just a shower curtain. That way he can't jump out (I don't think he would but this just doesn't give him the option). Then I put on old ratty clothes and prepare to get wet. I get in the tub with him and just stand in there with him while I bathe him. It works well.

I've also put puppy cologne on him but it ends up just giving me a headache. I don't think standard poodles have a dog smell like labs do though. Just my opinion.

HuggaPug · 08-30-2009, 05:43 PM

Standard Poos smell like the angels they are :0) Although mine gets a bath weekly

meghf · 08-30-2009, 05:52 PM

They do smell like angels! :-) Love that standard poodle smell. Unless, said standard poodle has rolled in goose poo. Yuck!

Kathyy · 08-31-2009, 12:26 AM

That is how I used to wash the dogs. Worked fine except for the drain and dog hair. Neither dog seems to have poodle hair! And my poor back. The mad dash outside was something else! I love my little garden and sitting down with the dogs waiting leashed to the chair. Then I have plenty of energy to take them for a nice long walk on the sidewalk to dry off. I tried a trail a couple times and a certain black dog needed another bath as soon as we got home! A nice mud puddle was calling.

meghf · 08-31-2009, 10:35 AM

Haha! It definitely hurts my back when I wash Buddy like I described. But there's not any hair to deal with in the drain since he doesn't shed. We just don't have a setup to bathe him outside.

FilleBelle · 08-31-2009, 12:50 PM

You all are bathing fiends! I give Alvin a bath when he smells bad (rare...he's on a quality food and there isn't a lot of smelly stuff to get into in suburban Los Angeles) or is greasy to the touch. This results in maybe three baths a year.

Nature's Miracle makes pet wipes that I like to use when Alvin needs a wipe down. They don't really smell like anything, but they leave him not smelling like anything either, which is nice if he previously smelled nasty.

Binkalette · 08-31-2009, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FilleBelle

You all are bathing fiends! I give Alvin a bath when he smells bad (rare...he's on a quality food and there isn't a lot of smelly stuff to get into in suburban Los Angeles) or is greasy to the touch. This results in maybe three baths a year.

Nature's Miracle makes pet wipes that I like to use when Alvin needs a wipe down. They don't really smell like anything, but they leave him not smelling like anything either, which is nice if he previously smelled nasty.

lol, well I probably wouldn't bathe my girls so much either if they had short hair.. Unfortunately they don't, and after about a week, Maggie's paws start looking gray.. you can't really tell on Zoey, but I know the dirt is there.. We always get muddy little foot prints in the tub just before their bath.

meghf · 08-31-2009, 01:19 PM

Buddy doesn't get bathed weekly like some of the other dogs but with every 4-6 week grooming plus a bath in between grooms it comes down to a bath every 2-3 weeks or when needed. Sometimes his white fur just starts to look dingy. The other thing is when I'm home I have to bathe him a little more frequently because of my allergies. I'm not allergic to him (he's a standard poodle) but I am allergic to the pollen, grass, tree stuff he carries in on his fur. I know it's time to bathe him when he makes me sneeze.

Graco22 · 08-31-2009, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FilleBelle

You all are bathing fiends! I give Alvin a bath when he smells bad (rare...he's on a quality food and there isn't a lot of smelly stuff to get into in suburban Los Angeles) or is greasy to the touch. This results in maybe three baths a year.

Nature's Miracle makes pet wipes that I like to use when Alvin needs a wipe down. They don't really smell like anything, but they leave him not smelling like anything either, which is nice if he previously smelled nasty.

Yeah, the short, coarse coats are nice and easy. Unfortunately, a white standard poodle...not so much..LOL I don't know how poodles got saddled with this "foo-foo" image..but they are SO not foo foo..If there is a puddle or mud..they will make sure they go thru it, rather than around it..and maybe even stop to roll in it..There is nothing foo foo about standards..lol

FilleBelle · 08-31-2009, 05:10 PM

It could very well be the fact that they have to be bathed so often and professionally groomed that has given them the frou-frou image.

I covet a Standard Poodle, but I don't covet that high maintenance coat.

Graco22 · 08-31-2009, 05:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FilleBelle

It could very well be the fact that they have to be bathed so often and professionally groomed that has given them the frou-frou image.

I covet a Standard Poodle, but I don't covet that high maintenance coat.

True, though they don't need bathing or grooming any more often than shih, bichons, maltese, etc..any long coated dog and they don't see to have that image.

lol I love my standard, and I would have lots of them, if I had more time to groom my own dogs. I could make it alot easier on myself by keeping them real short..but I think thats ugly and I like some style.. lol I am my own worst enemy!

meghf · 08-31-2009, 07:20 PM

I agree with you Graco! It's so strange to me that standard poodles have such a prissy, froo froo image. Quick history lesson, although I'm sure you know, standard poodles were originally water retrievers, most think they're originally german dogs although some say french. The show coat you see nowadays actually used to be a functional clip for the water retrievers. The hunters felt their fur was too heavy when wet so the shaved most of their body but left puffs of hair on their joints and organs to keep them warm. The tail poof was a way to keep tabs on the dog from afar. So really, even dogs in a clip like this, it's supposed to be functional. Correct me if you know something different than what I just said, that's what all the research I've done has said.

I think another reason some people think they're froo froo has to do with the way they carry themselves. Buddy prances, he picks up his feet and holds his head up and prances around. Even when he's in the middle of getting dirty and being a dog he's still prancing. So I'm sure that adds to it.

FilleBelle · 08-31-2009, 07:54 PM

Shih Tzus, Bichons, and Maltese DON'T have a rep for being frou-frou dogs?!? I absolutely think they do. That's why most men profess that they wouldn't own one, isn't it? I mean, people put bows in their hair, lol.

As I previously said, I covet a Standard Poodle. I would kill to have a big enough house for a big dog like that. But if we're just talking reputation, it would seem the poodle's is at least partially deserved. A dog that has to go to the salon is naturally going to be seen as more high maintenance than one that gets a squirt with the hose a couple
times a year.

We are so OT!

meghf · 08-31-2009, 08:05 PM

Whoops, you're right, we are OT. Sorry for highjacking!