If you weren’t keen on the importance of showering daily before the pandemic, I’m sure being quarantined indoors for several months has opened your eyes to the essence of hygiene.  Humans are one thing, but what about the four-legged critter in your house that sniffs butts as a sign of friendship and spends half the day licking himself?  Dog hygiene is quintessential to dog health and life longevity.  But how often should your dog get a bath exactly?

Breed

You would assume that the less hair your dog has, the less regularly they need to be groomed.  Surprisingly, many hairless breeds require the most high maintenance skincare routines.  Breeds like the Xoloitzcuintli need to be bathed weekly.  But objectively, a longer coat of hair means more work for the groomer and more frequent appointments.

“For dogs with medium to large coats, a bath could be needed from weekly to every 4-6 weeks, as long as the coat is properly maintained in-between baths.” 

-Jorge Bendersky, celebrity dog groomer, best selling author

For breeds like Golden Retrievers, Labrador retrievers, and Siberian Huskies, a bath every 4-6 weeks should be more than fine.  These double-coated dogs have a seasonal insulation process when it comes to their fur.  Bathing these breeds too often interrupts that process and drain too much oil from the animal’s skin.  When you do bathe them, use antidandruff shampoo to help keep their skin hydrated and strong.

Day to Day Lifestyle

A dog that spends most of his day off-roading with his owner by the lake is going to need more baths than a dog who spends most of its day on a couch in a studio apartment.  Dogs that swim in nearby oceans and ponds should especially be bathed more often (especially if you let them sleep in bed with you at night).  Jorge Bendersky’s general rule of thumb is it’s time for a bath when your dog is “no longer huggable”.

Desensitize your pup to bath time from an early age to prevent any anxiety about the task in the future.  If you randomly throw your dog in the bathtub for the first time in 6 years, odds are they’ll be a little confused and nervous about what’s happening.  Get them used to the idea that cleanliness is a good thing and bath time is fun.

Overall Health 

Dogs with more sensitive skin or allergies may need more steady bathing than others.  Just like the double-coated dogs, excessively bathing dogs with skin conditions depletes the coat of necessary moisture and leaves the skin dry and irritable.  For sensitive pups, fill a tub with the lukewarm bathwater.  Hot water will only cause more irritation and a cold bath is simply miserable.  A modest temperature allows your dog to reap the full benefits of the bath.  It also helps to brush them beforehand to remove excess hair, dirt, or debris.

Bathing helps reduce your dog’s odor, reduces shedding, keeps their coats silky soft, and helps with both of your allergies.  Keep your dog’s breed, lifestyle, and general health in mind when adopting the right bathing routine.