# How often to bathe?



## sugarmag (Jun 19, 2013)

Chica tends to get smelly after about a week, but I'm not sure if it's OK to bathe her that often. I'd like to, tho! I read another thread on here in which people were saying you shouldn't bathe your chi more than once a month because bathing more often than that can cause dry skin...? How often do you give your chis a bath?


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## Kalisee (Jun 1, 2012)

I clean her daily with a wet cloth, her feet and her fur but I practically never give her a full bath, sometimes its months. But I do clean her off daily with the cloth because she sleeps with us and the thought of a dusty girl in the bed...ew.

She never smells, I think only once. Maybe something in Chica's diet is making her smell a little off? Bathing frequently can cause dry skin but maybe someone can recomend a good mild shampoo for you if she needs to be bathed frequently.

P.S Your baby girl is darling!


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## AnnHelen (Nov 29, 2010)

I have to bath my boy once a week, because he smells of pee pee very fast hehe ! He is out running and sniffing and digging in dirth all day, so he needs it..but we use only the best doggy shampoo and conditioner, so it wont harm the delicate skin <3 Isle of dogs products <3 AND do not poor the shampoo and condition directly to the skin...drench with a loofa sponge in a little tub/bowl/sink and spritz some conditioner on with a little mix of conditioner with water in a spray bottle..then stand on a rubber mat in shower and rinse... <3


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## MMS (Aug 2, 2012)

All my dogs get a bath about every 6 months, barring severe dirtiness or rolling in something nasty. Anything less serious gets wiped down with a baby wipe (sensitive).

If your dog is starting to stink so often, I would first look at what you're feeding. What are you feeding?


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## AnnHelen (Nov 29, 2010)

The pee I*m talking about for my boy isn*t from himself hehe..he eats other dogs pee..lick it and run and walk in it hehe..he is a little pee lover  And what is better than a large dog peeing in high grass and running true it afterwards hahahaha...????  They are so tiny and low to the ground...that*s where it comes from


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

I totally agree with MMS, a healthy dog shouldn't smell. A lot of 'doggy odour' is caused by low quality dog foods.
Mine never get smelly, even when wet they still smell nice. I only bath them when they get muddy or roll in something horrible, and even then it is usually only with warm water. (Although really horrible rolled-in dirt like fox poo does need shampooing out just to get the stink out lol)


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## Lisa T (Sep 3, 2010)

Bella is four next week and she's honestly only had 3 baths her whole life, she simply does not get dirty or smells. As the other members have said I wipe her down with wipes if need be but that's not very often either.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

That is because Bella is a lady lol unlike my rabble! Delilah is the only one who refuses to get muddy and roll in revolting things, she is better bred than the others, maybe that is why lol She really is a princess!


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## sugarmag (Jun 19, 2013)

Thank you all for your responses! Chica eats food rated 5 stars by the AAFCO standards (according to DogFoodAdvisor.com). Wellness Core dry food for puppies and Innova canned food for puppies. I also give her a tiny bit of high quality coconut oil on most days and some non-fat plain yogurt a few times a week. Her coat is healthy, shiny and beautiful. 

She likes to go on walks and she LOVES to play outside in the backyard every day (closely supervised by me) and so I'm wondering if that's where her doggie smell comes from. She digs and runs and frolics (sooo cute). The smell isn't "bad" per se, like not rotten or anything like that. She just smells like, well, an outside dog. Like a big dog. But the smell isn't overwhelming, it's rather faint. 

Since I got her at the end of January, I have given her three baths at home. I had a coupon for a free bath at the Petsmart that I used last weekend, but she already smells a little like "big dog" again, lol

Maybe I should just start using some wipes on her daily, or try a wet cloth....? I'd hate to try switching her food again, I've already switched it 5 times before finally finding something high-quality that she likes. A friend of mine feeds her tiny chi low-quality dog food, but she never seems to smell. She also isn't as hyper as my Chica and I don't think she goes outside as much either.


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## debrawade10 (Oct 10, 2013)

I can count on one hand how many baths Raisin & Mia have had. They just turned three. I think Lily has only had one. 
I think you know when they really need a bath.


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## sugarmag (Jun 19, 2013)

Thank you, Kalisee! Your baby is adorable, too!!


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## motherdear (Jan 15, 2014)

We bathe our girls every 2 weeks. They both eat 1 egg a week cooked in coconut oil as well a teaspoon daily. After bathing we rub coconut oil into their coats.They don't have dry skin & smell like coconuts. I use Boots & Barkley honey & oatmeal dog shampoo I got at Target.


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## sugarmag (Jun 19, 2013)

OH yeah, I should rub some of the coconut oil into her coat! Good call. That'll make her smell yummy :tongue:


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## Saqqara (Feb 14, 2013)

I bathe my longcoat Cai once a week. At first it was because he smelled funny. I changed his diet, and he doesn't smell that way anymore. Now it's because pee gets on his legs and tummy when he goes. I wipe him off everyday with a wet towel and waterless shampoo. However by the end of the week, he usually gets smelly. His upper body smells fine just his bottom half stinks. :foxes15: I rub him down 1-2 days before with coconut oil and use a natural shampoo and conditioner. He doesn't have dry skin or a dry coat.


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## sugarmag (Jun 19, 2013)

Thanks for your input! What was Cai eating before and what did you change his diet to?


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## Saqqara (Feb 14, 2013)

He was eating Beneful but I changed him to Fromm Gold puppy. Now he is eating Fromm Grain-Free variety.


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

I'm creeped out by germs. So my dogs get a bath every 4-6 weeks. They get a massage with coconut oil, then we use nootie dog shampoo because it is gentle on the skin and it's also soap free. I personally think that dogs do get odors no matter the size, age, or breed. Dogs that are very active and outdoors often, come inside smelling like the outdoors. They walk through grass that has been pooped and peed on by other animals etc, so I think it is more sanitary to bathe a dog once in a while or atleast use a dry shampoo or wipe clothes. I read that baby wipes are too harsh on their skin. As well as too frequent bathing causes severe dry skin, no matter how high quality the food you feed. Maybe try finding a dog shampoo such as nootie, pet head, Burt's bees, that also has some dry shampoos, or waterless shampoo for in between washes if you are interested in cleaning your dog more frequently. 


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

s ugarmag said:


> OH yeah, I should rub some of the coconut oil into her coat! Good call. That'll make her smell yummy :tongue:


I will add that rubbing the coconut oil on the coat before a bath works wonders!!! It will leave the coat looking lustrous, and so so smooth and shiny, also it makes the aroma of the shampoo last longer and more potent. 😊



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## Lisa T (Sep 3, 2010)

Wicked Pixie said:


> That is because Bella is a lady lol unlike my rabble! Delilah is the only one who refuses to get muddy and roll in revolting things, she is better bred than the others, maybe that is why lol She really is a princess!


Ha ha, I like that Lady Bella. xx


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## sugarmag (Jun 19, 2013)

Thanks ChiLuv! I have a coupon for some Burt's Bees shampoo so I was thinking of giving that a try and I'm going to look for the waterless kind. And I'll definitely try the coconut oil. As long as Chica is so active and loves playing around outside I'm sure I'm going to need to keep "freshening" her up a bit


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

sugarmag said:


> Thanks ChiLuv! I have a coupon for some Burt's Bees shampoo so I was thinking of giving that a try and I'm going to look for the waterless kind. And I'll definitely try the coconut oil. As long as Chica is so active and loves playing around outside I'm sure I'm going to need to keep "freshening" her up a bit



If you live in the US and near a Tj maxx, Homegoods or Marshall's they often carry Burt's Bees at a great price 😊. I saw some yesterday when I was shopping. They ask carry Pet head products. May be cheaper than the coupon. 


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

I find kibble fed dogs far more smelly than raw fed ones. The worse the kibble the smellier the dog, but feeding raw makes dog completely odour free. 
When we first got Mouse and Delilah, they were being fed cheap cereal based kibble plus chicken and rice, and they really stunk. The smell actually made me feel sick and it clung to my hands and clothes whenever i touched them. I put them straight onto raw and within 3 days the smell had gone, I didn't need to bath them. I have friends with big hairy dogs (Goldendoodles) who are also raw fed and you can wriggle your fingers into their coats and your hands never smell of dog after, it is another great thing about feeding raw.


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## sugarmag (Jun 19, 2013)

Wicked Pixie, where can I find some more info on feeding raw? I'd like to look into doing this for Chica, but I don't know what's safe. Even tho her kibble and canned food is rated top quality, I wonder if I could be doing even better for her.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

There is a raw feeding section in the Food & Nutrition Forum, have a read there first.


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

sugarmag said:


> Thanks ChiLuv! I have a coupon for some Burt's Bees shampoo so I was thinking of giving that a try and I'm going to look for the waterless kind. And I'll definitely try the coconut oil. As long as Chica is so active and loves playing around outside I'm sure I'm going to need to keep "freshening" her up a bit



I just finished shopping with my girlfriend. And I stopped at homegoods, they have Burt's Bees waterless shampoo in the form of a spray, so it should be easy to use. It was $6.99 for a large bottle. I feed a 5 star high quality kibble as well as Primal freeze dried raw or Stella and Chewy's freeze dried raw. I think freeze dried is a great way to start if you're interested in raw feeding. My dogs have never had bodily odors due to eating high quality kibble. However I had taken in a yorkie for a month or two who had been fed dog chow (low quality food) for his entire life, he was in very poor health. His body wreaked, his teeth were terrible and loose. It was very sad. I am pro raw feeding and high quality kibble feeding. I don't knock people for feeding either. Let us know how shampoo shopping goes. Goodluck! 😊


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## sugarmag (Jun 19, 2013)

Oh, you know what, Wicked Pixie... My friend feeds her chi kibble that is only rated 2.5 stars and that's all she feeds her, but her coat is gorgeous and she never gives her a bath and she NEVER smells bad... But this chi doesn't go outside much and she is very calm all the time. That makes me think that smell might have more to do with activity level, but I'm pretty new at all this... Perhaps her chi is just really exceptionally well bred or something.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

Some dogs just cope extremely well with bad food. My brother in laws dog was fed Bakers which is the absolute worst dry food in the UK. The dog looked great on it, good coat, clean teeth, nothing like your typical Bakers fed dog lol. (She did have really terrible issues with wind though. ;0 )


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## sugarmag (Jun 19, 2013)

Well, I have an unexpected update to share! Even though Chica has spent a lot of time outside this weekend, she doesn't smell at all!! I just smelled her again to make sure, lol. She actually smells kind of good and I never gave her a bath. I started feeding her the high-quality kibble and canned food about a week ago, so I'm thinking it took this long for the full benefits to surface...? I'm still looking into switching her to a raw diet, tho, because from what I'm reading I think it may be the best way to go. 


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## xela (Apr 19, 2014)

Hmmm... brace yourselves with my reply: I bathe my chi 1x- 2x a week.


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## Chi Chi Mama (Oct 11, 2012)

In the Summer we bathe ours every other week. We also use a conditioner so their fur and skin doesn't get dry and itchy. In the winter we don't bathe them as often, since they are inside more and not getting dirty.


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## joshall (Oct 13, 2013)

You can use Hartz waterless shampoo that smells gorgeous. I use it once a week.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

sugarmag said:


> Well, I have an unexpected update to share! Even though Chica has spent a lot of time outside this weekend, she doesn't smell at all!! I just smelled her again to make sure, lol. She actually smells kind of good and I never gave her a bath. I started feeding her the high-quality kibble and canned food about a week ago, so I'm thinking it took this long for the full benefits to surface...? I'm still looking into switching her to a raw diet, tho, because from what I'm reading I think it may be the best way to go.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


That is great news! It definitely takes a while for all the toxins to filter out of the system.


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## Wicked Pixie (Oct 14, 2011)

sugarmag said:


> Well, I have an unexpected update to share! Even though Chica has spent a lot of time outside this weekend, she doesn't smell at all!! I just smelled her again to make sure, lol. She actually smells kind of good and I never gave her a bath. I started feeding her the high-quality kibble and canned food about a week ago, so I'm thinking it took this long for the full benefits to surface...? I'm still looking into switching her to a raw diet, tho, because from what I'm reading I think it may be the best way to go.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


That is great news! It definitely takes a while for all the toxins to filter out of the system.


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## LadyDevlyn (Jul 8, 2013)

I bathe Candi and Romeo before a dog show weekend and before visiting family on holidays. They never smell, I just like to get them spiffy for special outings. They are raw fed BTW. 


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## xela (Apr 19, 2014)

Good to know there are quite a few chi owners that feed raw. Glad I signed up with this info so I have folks to compare notes with. Back to topic- same with my chi. Practically no nasty smell since he started on raw.


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## Lubu (Jan 31, 2014)

I bath Lubu once a week to every two weeks since I got him... I don't know if its a boy thing, but he has like a ponytail on his wee-wee that holds on to wetness when he wees, and before you know it that's how he smells! When he wees and my husband or I see it, we always wipe him, but it does add up! It's not always a "whole" bath, sometimes he just has muddy/smelly legs after walking that need a rinse.

I use a soap bar made for dogs from Chagrin valley soaps. He eats wellness core puppy kibbles, I'm considering raw but a little intimidated about constructing the correct diet. His coat is soft and lovely, and I haven't seen any evidence of dry or irritated skin. Apart from sometimes smelling of wee-wee, he has no discernible "doggy odor".

I think "washing" them often isn't that bad if you are using a very gentle soap and monitoring them for skin changes. I also don't use soap when rinsing will suffice. My previous dog had really sensitive skin so he got very limited baths, at the time I didn't really know about all the chemicals in dog shampoos so I'm sure that didn't help either.


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## MMS (Aug 2, 2012)

Lubu said:


> I think "washing" them often isn't that bad if you are using a very gentle soap and monitoring them for skin changes. I also don't use soap when rinsing will suffice. My previous dog had really sensitive skin so he got very limited baths, at the time I didn't really know about all the chemicals in dog shampoos so I'm sure that didn't help either.


Actually, it's not just drying out the skin that is the problem - though that is a concern for sure. Dog's fur, like our hair, is coated in natural oils that help to draw dirt and bacteria away from the body, and protect from the elements. Soaps and shampoos strip away these oils and leave your dog open to sickness and infestations (it's never the dirty kids who bring lice to school), as well as more apt to sunburns and the like. Wiping down visibly dirty spots is fine, but it's not recommended to bathe on a regular basis.


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## Lola's mommy8 (Feb 2, 2014)

I bathe mine about every two weeks. She eats Wellness too. I notice an unpleasant odor of things she has rolled in out in the yard. I think that is where your dog is getting smelly, playing in the yard. Some of us are just more sensitive to odors than others. I have never had a problem with dry skin, I think that is more often caused by lack of proper oils in the food than by too much bathing. I do ad conditioner (human conditioner) after I have rinsed out the shampoo (dog shampoo only).


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## Saqqara (Feb 14, 2013)

Lubu said:


> I bath Lubu once a week to every two weeks since I got him... I don't know if its a boy thing, but he has like a ponytail on his wee-wee that holds on to wetness when he wees, and before you know it that's how he smells! When he wees and my husband or I see it, we always wipe him, but it does add up!


"Ponytail on his wee-wee"  I'm sorry but this made my day! Cairo has the same _ponytail_ that grows ridiculously long. I keep it trimmed.  

I wipe him down all the time but it really does add up. I do a "pre-poo" with coconut oil and massage it into his hair and skin. Sort of like this (How to Do A Pre-Shampoo Treatment | eHow) I use either Earthbath or Buddy Wash once a week and he has never had a problem with dry skin/hair so far.


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## Lubu (Jan 31, 2014)

Saqqara said:


> "Ponytail on his wee-wee"  I'm sorry but this made my day! Cairo has the same _ponytail_ that grows ridiculously long. I keep it trimmed.
> 
> I wipe him down all the time but it really does add up. I do a "pre-poo" with coconut oil and massage it into his hair and skin. Sort of like this (How to Do A Pre-Shampoo Treatment | eHow) I use either Earthbath or Buddy Wash once a week and he has never had a problem with dry skin/hair so far.


I wanted to trim it, but my husband said NO WAY! I guess its different from a male perspective.. Haha! I have been seeing lots of good things about coconut oil, I might try to get some. The soap I use has no detergents or surfactants so the fur can retain the natural oils. I actually use a similar soap for my own hair!


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## Benitosmom (Mar 6, 2014)

I clean my baby with a wet cloth about every third day and give him a bath every 4 weeks, tho I was told every 6 weeks would suffice. I wish I could bathe him at least every 2 weeks cause he likes to roll around his dry pee :foxes15:


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## Saqqara (Feb 14, 2013)

Lubu said:


> I wanted to trim it, but my husband said NO WAY! I guess its different from a male perspective.. Haha! I have been seeing lots of good things about coconut oil, I might try to get some. The soap I use has no detergents or surfactants so the fur can retain the natural oils. I actually use a similar soap for my own hair!


Lol I _was_ nervous about cutting it. Took all of 1-2 seconds. :coolwink: we had a funny little discussion about this a few months back :
http://www.chihuahua-people.com/chi-chat/114433-probably-silly-question-but.html

I need to use a dandruff shampoo that is pretty harsh  but I do pre-poo my hair with coconut oil. The conditioners I use are natural. Cairo's shampoos are gentle, soap free, and all natural. Even so, I still pre-poo his coat with the coconut oil since he is washed frequently.


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