Bathing

**Tollers-n-Dobes** · 11-07-2005, 12:05 AM

I really enjoy grooming dogs so I do them myself. They usually get a bath about once every 3-4 weeks on average, I can't stand for them to go any longer than that. I find their fur feels disgusting if it's been over 4 weeks. I use EarthBath shampoos and conditioner on my dogs, but if I run out of that I have some Lambert Kay Fresh & Clean aswell which I also like, but I prefer the EarthBath.

**Bigyummydog** · 11-07-2005, 12:16 AM

MAXIMUS gets a shower when he starts to "smell like a dog" too. I usually get my shower for the day, either with or right after he does, whether or not I've already had one. He puts up a small fuss, but I think he secretly likes it. It's gotta be the shower head that I make real hard on his favorite spot. You know, right above his tail on his butt. THE spot of all spots.

**wolf_Q** · 11-07-2005, 12:38 AM

I bathe Nebo myself, but I work at a grooming salon too, so I do it there. I have washed him at home once and I do wash his feet and stuff at home but I prefer to do it there. He gets a bath once a month, his coat never smells and it always looks clean but I love that freshly bathed feel...plus it helps with the shedding. I use Tomlyn shampoos because that's what we have at work and I like them too (can't beat free shampoo). I use the milk shampoo on his body, tearless puppy shampoo on his face/ears, and whitening shampoo on everything else that's white, then I use the cream rinse (brush with that on, it really releases the loose hair) and also we have an espree remoisterizer I use sometimes as well. I love the milk shampoo, it makes him so soft plus the smell lingers for weeks. If he gets wet at all I smell milk shampoo again lol it reminds me of vanilla ice cream. I use the force dryer on him which works wonders for shedding dogs like huskies! After he's dry I spray "The Stuff" coat conditioner on him it makes his coat very smooth. I agree, though I bathe several dogs every day it's fun to give Nebo a bath!

I only take Reggie and Sydney to work for a bath when they also need a haircut. Nebo is excellent at work, he's so quiet, just sleeps...very good boy. Reggie and Sydney, well, they like to make a pain out of themselves (nonstop barking) so I don't like to take them much. I don't like stinky dogs either so I bathe them at home in between haircuts. I have some Tomlyn tearless puppy shampoo I use on them, usually they get a bath every 2-4 weeks.

**.sarah** · 11-07-2005, 12:54 AM

Originally Posted by wolf_Q

I bathe Nebo myself, but I work at a grooming salon too, so I do it there. I have washed him at home once and I do wash his feet and stuff at home but I prefer to do it there. He gets a bath once a month, his coat never smells and it always looks clean but I love that freshly bathed feel...plus it helps with the shedding. I use Tomlyn shampoos because that's what we have at work and I like them too (can't beat free shampoo). I use the milk shampoo on his body, tearless puppy shampoo on his face/ears, and whitening shampoo on everything else that's white, then I use the cream rinse (brush with that on, it really releases the loose hair) and also we have an espree remoisterizer I use sometimes as well. I love the milk shampoo, it makes him so soft plus the smell lingers for weeks. If he gets wet at all I smell milk shampoo again lol it reminds me of vanilla ice cream. I use the force dryer on him which works wonders for shedding dogs like huskies! After he's dry I spray "The Stuff" coat conditioner on him it makes his coat very smooth. I agree, though I bathe several dogs every day it's fun to give Nebo a bath!

I only take Reggie and Sydney to work for a bath when they also need a haircut. Nebo is excellent at work, he's so quiet, just sleeps...very good boy. Reggie and Sydney, well, they like to make a pain out of themselves (nonstop barking) so I don't like to take them much. I don't like stinky dogs either so I bathe them at home in between haircuts. I have some Tomlyn tearless puppy shampoo I use on them, usually they get a bath every 2-4 weeks.

Just curious, how do you like working at a grooming salon? I may be quitting my job sometime next year because my boss is a pain in the butt, but I've always thought about working at another vet because I hope to a technician one day. But my favorite job working in the kennel, besides playing with the dogs, is bathing and grooming them.

**wolf_Q** · 11-07-2005, 01:06 AM

Just curious, how do you like working at a grooming salon? I may be quitting my job sometime next year because my boss is a pain in the butt, but I've always thought about working at another vet because I hope to a technician one day. But my favorite job working in the kennel, besides playing with the dogs, is bathing and grooming them.

It has its ups and downs (my problems, mostly are with people though...like the store management) but I do enjoy my job. I've worked there for over 3 years now. I think I've become good at what I do, I have many customers who are just wonderful to me and they always request me. I've become the go-to person for brushing out longhaired dogs lol. I enjoy working with animals and making them beautiful...learning new things, seeing all different breeds of dogs.

I'm sure you have already experienced some of the bad sides while working at a vet....such as dogs biting/being difficult, rude customers, cleaning up nasty messes, etc. While I know some groomers make excellent money, I don't make enough money really to even live on my own and working on commission can be frustrating. It's funny you ask when you work at a vet, because that's something I've thought of doing instead of grooming.

p.s. It requires a LOT of patience!

**.sarah** · 11-07-2005, 01:14 AM

Originally Posted by wolf_Q

It has its ups and downs (my problems, mostly are with people though...like the store management) but I do enjoy my job. I've worked there for over 3 years now. I think I've become good at what I do, I have many customers who are just wonderful to me and they always request me. I've become the go-to person for brushing out longhaired dogs lol. I enjoy working with animals and making them beautiful...learning new things, seeing all different breeds of dogs.

I'm sure you have already experienced some of the bad sides while working at a vet....such as dogs biting/being difficult, rude customers, cleaning up nasty messes, etc. While I know some groomers make excellent money, I don't make enough money really to even live on my own and working on commission can be frustrating. It's funny you ask when you work at a vet, because that's something I've thought of doing instead of grooming.

Well of course there's the animals you hate to see but then there's always the ones who come in a lot and are just a joy to be around. They "drown out" the bad animals IMO. Thanks for the info

That's definetly something for me to consider.

**lv4dogs** · 11-07-2005, 11:37 AM

Just this morning on my way to the computer I was thinking of doing a poll to see how often people bath their dogs. I guess I still can, even though this thread is similiar the poll is not about how often you bath your dogs.

I bath my dogs myself... most of the time.
Nanook has been to the groomers a few times over the years. Most of the time I brought him to BOCES (a Technical and Career Center) sort of like a college but not quite, mainly for high schoolers and people with limited finances. They have an animal care class. You get the works for $12, how could I pass that up AND I Nanook gets to help train people too! He has also been to a "real" groomer 3-4 times in his life. When I didn't have half a day to devote to washing/drying him. Now that he's older he needs a bath more often that he used to but his health makes it so that he can't have a bath as often as he used to. So I'm constantly brushing him, using powder shampoos & deoderizing sprays.

Raustyk has never been to the groomers. I'd LOVE for her to go to help get her more socialized but I'm afraid they *may* have to muzzle her and possibly make her fear aggression worse. So to be on the safe side she gets groomed at home. She gets a bath when she starts to smell or gets insanely dirty, I'd say it averages out to be about 3-4 times a year.

Kaige has only had 1.5 baths so far by me (the breeder btahed him a few times to help socialize him to different experiences). He got one a week or so after I got him, mainly to keep him used to being bathed. Then he got a butt wash a few weeks ago when he got some poop stuck to his butt.

They are all due for their last bath of the year. I give them one weather they need it or not at the begining of winter (usually they are due though). I don't think Nanook will get one though, just the other 2. Maybe I'll take some pics, I've never tooken pics of bath time before.
OK I'm done rambling. lol

**elizabethann** · 11-07-2005, 12:53 PM

Both. About every 3-4 months, Fenway goes to a groomer. And in between, when he stinks (like yesterday when he rolled all over a dead animal), he gets a bath in the kitchen sink.

**Chica** · 11-07-2005, 06:51 PM

I bathe Chica maybe 2-3 times a year. My chihuahua book says that chi's do not need to be bathed unless they are dirty. So it recommends fewer baths. Brushing their coat is cleaning the little chi also. Chihuahuas never smell bad. They don't have any smell. They are very clean animals, especially if they are indoor pets.I bathe her myself and trim her nails myself.

Oh, I forgot to mention that she is a short hair, the long hair chis need more grooming.

**sammy101** · 11-07-2005, 06:57 PM

Mine get bathed at home about every 2-3 weeks,depends how dirty they are

**cali** · 11-07-2005, 01:23 AM

I bathe them when needed(BCs have teflon coats so thats not often) and I use a shampoo make I made myself, basicly a mix of dish soap, any pro-V conditioner, rasberry bath milk, a little human shampoo, diluted in water. it works great, the pro-v conditioner fixes any damaged hair plus makes the coat easy to brush, and the dogs come out smelling like rasberrys

my moms dogs get around 2 baths a year, my girls are a little more adventurous so they need a little more, basicly if they roll is something stinky, or go swimming in the creek they get a bath, mud is no reason for a bath for a BC, if its sunny I just tie them out of the deck(to keep them out of more mud) and let the sun dry up the mud, when the mud is dry it will just fall off and the gals will look like they just came home from a groomers lol if its not sunny, I just crate them till the mud dries.

**Muddy4paws** · 11-07-2005, 06:22 AM

My jack russell gets bathed at home because shes too noisy when she comes into work with me! My lab meg, she comes in to work with me because shes too heavy to lift into my bath and we have a huge hydro bath for the bigger dogs that come in for a bath, shes is a perfect dog in the bath she does exactly what shes told! She loves it when she gets dried with the blaster at work and she sheds soo much for a lab it helps ALOT! I normally just use the shampoo's we use at work because they smell gorgeous and they get the dogs really clean and shiny!

Does anyone else use oil on their dogs coats?

**Ginger's Mom** · 11-07-2005, 06:53 AM

I bathe Ginger myself every 3-4 weeks, plus she goes to the groomers three times a year for a trim, ear cleaning, teeth cleaning all of that kind of thing.

**anna_66** · 11-07-2005, 08:06 AM

My three get taken to the groomers (a few times a years) unless they happen to get terribly filthy. They have been bathed here at home...most recently by Amy (wolf_q) and Kay (kfamr)