WickAndArtoo Posted September 29, 2016 Report Share Posted September 29, 2016 Just out of curiosity, how often does everyone bathe their dogs? And do you use shampoo everytime etc and why. I am a first time dog owner in the sense that these are my first two dogs in my life Wick our Aussie mix has long fur so I bathe him when it seems a little raggedy and I want to do a full groom session (about every 1-2 months) sometimes it's more often if he needs it... Artoo has short fur (the bc) and all the dirt etc falls right off of him, in fact it took until today for me to give him a bath (nearly a year) because this week he started to smell doggish and not in a good way! I do brush them and trim nails etc regularly, but I kinda live by the motto if they are healthy and don't look or smell dirty then live and let live. I am not a clean freak about germs or dirt (but I am a tidy freak). So I just was curious how everyone else decides it's time! We use this WONDERFUL shampoo+conditioner called "buddy wash" from our natural dog store in town that is Lavendar and Mint flavored. It leaves our long haired Wick smelling amazing for days even though I rinse him thoroughly. Any one have fun tips or stories about their bathing process? Pictures would be fun too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D'Elle Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I have a small white fluffy dog (coton/maltese/poodle? who knows) who requires daily brushing and very frequent bathing and grooming, all of which I do myself, which is a good thing or I would go broke. As for the border collies I have had in my life, my experience is that they have what I call Teflon Fur. They can get totally muddy and as soon as it dries, it all falls off and they are clean and shiny. It is amazing. My first border collie simply astounded me with that, but now I am used to it. My experience is that unless the dog gets into something sticky or a skunk or something truly foul, bathing is virtually never required on border collies. In the heat of the summer I sometimes will hose them off with cool water just to cool them down and get the dust off. I did Canine Musical Freestyle with Jester and sometimes I would bathe him before an important performance just so he'd look extra great, but usually a good brushing is all that my border collies ever need. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WickAndArtoo Posted September 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I have a small white fluffy dog (coton/maltese/poodle? who knows) who requires daily brushing and very frequent bathing and grooming, all of which I do myself, which is a good thing or I would go broke. As for the border collies I have had in my life, my experience is that they have what I call Teflon Fur. They can get totally muddy and as soon as it dries, it all falls off and they are clean and shiny. It is amazing. My first border collie simply astounded me with that, but now I am used to it. My experience is that unless the dog gets into something sticky or a skunk or something truly foul, bathing is virtually never required on border collies. In the heat of the summer I sometimes will hose them off with cool water just to cool them down and get the dust off. I did Canine Musical Freestyle with Jester and sometimes I would bathe him before an important performance just so he'd look extra great, but usually a good brushing is all that my border collies ever need. Oh my gosh I love the nickname "Teflon Fur" but seriously that is exactly like Artoo! I am so glad that I asked because I am just amazed by it and was kinda feeling weird about not bathing him, but there really was no reason to until now. I guess it kinda evens out for you with your fluffster Even though wick requires more grooming, he is luckily black so usually it's just when he gets sap or sticks stuck in his fur lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WickAndArtoo Posted September 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I have a small white fluffy dog (coton/maltese/poodle? who knows) who requires daily brushing and very frequent bathing and grooming, all of which I do myself, which is a good thing or I would go broke. As for the border collies I have had in my life, my experience is that they have what I call Teflon Fur. They can get totally muddy and as soon as it dries, it all falls off and they are clean and shiny. It is amazing. My first border collie simply astounded me with that, but now I am used to it. My experience is that unless the dog gets into something sticky or a skunk or something truly foul, bathing is virtually never required on border collies. In the heat of the summer I sometimes will hose them off with cool water just to cool them down and get the dust off. I did Canine Musical Freestyle with Jester and sometimes I would bathe him before an important performance just so he'd look extra great, but usually a good brushing is all that my border collies ever need. Oh my gosh I love the nickname "Teflon Fur" but seriously that is exactly like Artoo! I am so glad that I asked because I am just amazed by it and was kinda feeling weird about not bathing him, but there really was no reason to until now. I guess it kinda evens out for you with your fluffster Even though wick requires more grooming, he is luckily black so usually it's just when he gets sap or sticks stuck in his fur lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riika Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I almost never bathe. My old girl hasn't had a bath in years and doesn't swim. All the others swim almost daily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sue R Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I don't bathe my Border Collies. They are hosed when needed and, should one get into something really foul, then just spot-shampooed. They just don't hang on to the dirt the way other coats (like our Aussie's) do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CptJack Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 When I absolutely have to? Which means very, very rarely. I bathe the little mutt fairly often because her hair starts looking really 'greasy' after a bit and the big mutt regularly but infrequently because it actually helps knock out some undercoat during prime shedding season, but the others all have 'self-cleaning' coats to various degrees. The BC actually the easiest. She has a short, very harsh, very dense coat. Nothing sticks to it. She might be SOFTER if I washed her with shampoo more (She's almost 2.5. She's had... 2 baths with me, ever?), but I don't really consider that a good thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petes Mom Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I only wash my BC and my Aussie/ BC/ whatever mix when they get into something stinky, like when they take a dip in a mucky pond or roll in stinky poop. I also use Buddy Wash, and I love that stuff! I've even used it myself! I love the green tea & bergamot scent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjones Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 All mine except Quinn like to go in the creek so they wash themselves. Spring time I will do an undercarriage rinse to get the main mud off. Only if someone has rolled in something vile will I wash the stiinky area. Quinn is my diva dog, he doesn't like getting dirty so I don't have to worry about him, the girls are the ones who enjoy a good stink roll on occasion. Regular brushing is all a dog really needs, too much bathing can strip the natural oils from their coats. Samantha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WickAndArtoo Posted September 30, 2016 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I only wash my BC and my Aussie/ BC/ whatever mix when they get into something stinky, like when they take a dip in a mucky pond or roll in stinky poop. I also use Buddy Wash, and I love that stuff! I've even used it myself! I love the green tea & bergamot scent. I have seriously considered using it on myself too, it smells so good. I will have to try that scent next, I think I saw it at the store when I bought this one. My Aussie mix loves rolling in anything stinky, but dead worms are his absolute favorite ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alligande Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I have always washed mine every few months, basically when needed which is about every 3/4 months. We have always used the term Teflon coat as well. All my border collies have been heavy coated and I find that there just comes a point where as house pets they just really need a wash, I always do it myself, I don't think border collies need to visit a groomer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mum24dog Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 Used to bath my dogs years ago but never now. As above, hosing off mud and spot washing when necessary is enough. Had Kye 10 years and he's never been bathed. Only brush when they start getting tufty but they're all short coated. Same applied to my late long coated dog though and he never got matted. All live in the house. Dogs shouldn't smell like a perfume counter and I'm sure their acute sense of smell must be assaulted by having to carry around a scent that is only there to please humans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teresaserrano Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I also only bath Tess about twice a year, and then only because, being almost all white, she will eventually get yellowish/greyish. But she does have the teflon coat, and a good brushing now and then is enough for her to look good, usually And she smells quite nice without frequent baths, I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maralynn Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I bathe when they roll in something or when allergies flair up. And even then it's usually a spot bath or a rinse off with the hose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrisandgabe Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I'm so happy to read this thread. Our labradoodle got bathed regularly, and groomed every other month or something. Gabe gets bathed when he stays at my friend's farm, and she does a hose and shampoo when she returns him. I'd be okay with him coming home with no bath, but she bathes all dogs before she sends them home. He hasn't been there in a while, and I was just feeling like a neglectful dog mom for not bathing him, but he doesn't look or smell dirty! So now I'll give myself a break, and be grateful for his Teflon border collie fur. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luana Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I do not bathe Spillo during the winter; when it is raining, I just wash his paws to get the mud off. (but he get generally a professional grooming during the Xmas holidays, and yes...then he smells like a cookie ). before he was getting a bath every 3-4 months, now when we go to the farm, he gets generally a light bath when we finish training, and I use Zimox shampoo and conditioner, and check for ticks. he likes to roll into sheep poop and sleep on my bed, so... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rushdoggie Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 My Papillons get bathes monthly, they stay pretty tangle free if their are clean but develop tangles and mats around debris and dirt. My BC gets bathes about every 3 months, his butt sometimes get stinky because he has a lot of dense fur there and it will hold onto a slight "anal glad" smell over time. So I bathe him, use a power dryer on his to help blow out dead coat and work on undercoat removal at that time. In theory, I could probably almost never bathe him, he swims and wades (even in winter, its mild here) in the river, he gets hosed after sheep work if he is muddy or I have him jump in the creek, and the dirt mainly falls off. If I brush him weekly the rest falls off with the fur. But, since he sleeps on my bed and my couch, and I like to have him smell really clean, he gets occasional full grooms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airbear Posted September 30, 2016 Report Share Posted September 30, 2016 I bathe my dogs about once a month. I love how their fur feels after a bath. I don't blow dry them or anything fancy - just wash them with whatever I have (currently, it's Show Sheen). There's a booster bath in the yard, and I have hot water plumbed to the outside. If they're really dirty after working, or rolled in something vile, I will hose them down but that does't count as their monthly bath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Islanddog Posted October 1, 2016 Report Share Posted October 1, 2016 Sonic is greatly relieved to hear that regular bathing will not be necessary. He is terrified of all things bath, including the production of a bucket of water, people (including myself) holding anything that remotely looks like a shampoo bottle, and overly friendly people trying to coax him in. He was part of a canine outreach program and regular medicated baths (for parasites) would have been performed against his wishes. Lucky he, that I think he smells wonderfull and looks gorgeous. He once wandered into a trickle and came out looking like Gollum and smelling like dead frogs, but shortly after, to relieve the heat, jumped in a pond and came out sparkly and smelling like roses (the unsented kind). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GentleLake Posted October 2, 2016 Report Share Posted October 2, 2016 I consider border collies to be self cleaning. As D'Elle said, it seems no matter how dirty they get, all they need to do is dry off and the dirt just drops off around them. I literally can't remember when the last time Bodhi got a bath . . . and people are always telling me how nice and clean his fur is and how good he smells. He hasn't even had a chance to do much swimming this year either. I'll give him a quick brushing once in a while before we go for a therapy visit, and strip the dead fur out during shedding season, but that's about it. Same with Tansy, though her longer rear fringes do tend to get matted so I'll brush them out a little more often. I met a woman a number of years ago who spins and weaves dog fur. She told me that she can always tell which dogs have been bathed and which not by the quality of the fur and the ease of spinning. She greatly prefers working with fur from dogs who don't get shampooed, and she complimented me on the quality of the fur I sent her from my dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Coyote Posted October 2, 2016 Report Share Posted October 2, 2016 My dogs have never had a bath. And they never smell doggy. They smell wet sometimes but it goes away as soon as they dry off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elwood Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 For me I bathe Elwood our BC who has thicker fur (meaning each strand is thicker than fine) only when there is a build up of salt on his skin from the beach or if he has been in a creek bed where the mud has oxidised....meaning the mud smells. This is quite important to shampoo off as the bacteria the mud carries can be quite toxic to dogs as I found out the hard way. A girlfriend never bathed her BC only hosed him down after the beach and he always had a lovely coat. Dogs can start to stink if their diet doesn't agree with them. When Elwood was given Hills Science as a puppy, he stank a lot and needed regular baths. Now he is on a totally raw diet, he only stinks if he has been rolling in stinky mud or poo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DutchBorderfan Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 Almost never, with one exception: My dog sometimes has the annoying tendency to look for large and fresh cow excrements, make a strategic plan how to get most of that on her coat, and then goes in head first.. The times she does that, I shampoo her, head to toe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elwood Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 What a talent your BC has there " Dutchborderfan", I think that talent 's 'genetic' , as Elwood is a "ninja master" at the "drop n Roll, Poo Roll" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LauraV Posted October 10, 2016 Report Share Posted October 10, 2016 Every other week. I am allergic to dogs and my vet said it's ok to bathe them that often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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