Hi, Molly's mum again! So Molly smells, she's a dog and personally I don't mind her smell but other family members are not as keen. I've read conflicting info about baths, should I bath her? We actually have some puppy dry shampoo but does that just mask the smell? I'm worried if she suddenly smells different to herself she'll be unsettled. Also she's sleeping with the blanket from the breeders which if I wash will not smell of her mum any more, when would it be OK to do this? She's been here 9 day's (only 9 day's, feels like forever!) Thanks
Hi Cherry, dogs come with a natural doggy smell and bathing will only remove that smell temporarily. Some dogs though do seem to have a stronger doggy smell than others. Frequent bathing can strip the coat of its natural oils and natural water protection. Personally I would not be bathing a young puppy unless she has been rolling in something extra smelly in the garden . Juno is nearly 2 years old and she hasn't yet had a proper bath apart from swims in lakes and streams.
I agree with Rosemary ( above post ) . Sam is nearly five years old and has only ever had one , very disastrous , bath He swims often, when it isn't too cold and to be honest , I love the Labby smell , wet or dry
Hi Cherry, you have just brought back a memory of my Dexter's early puppy days with us. I too thought he smelled but reassured that it was just a puppy smell. I bought shampoo as was going to bath him but never did and in time the smell went. Dexter is 101/2months now and has only had a mock bath standing in a tub after an extremely wet and muddy training session in a muddy raining forest. I only rinse him off with a porta shower with warm water now.
Oh dear, I might regret writing this ...... I've not had the delight of fox poo rolling yet Now how long is it going to be before that smug grin gets wiped off my post
I've only had it once, and from Willow, who doesn't normally roll in anything! Shadow, who takes his position of Chief Roller In Disgusting Goop very seriously, hasn't subjected us to that pleasure yet. It's the smell that just won't die.
I know a lot of people say to not properly bathe your puppy, but here in the US (especially the big city I live in) the vet says it's okay as long as it is 1 time per month MAX & you use gentle oatmeal based shampoo and check their skin after to make sure they aren't getting overly dry skin. My puppy got so muddy and smelly and gross the first few weeks and the breeder lived on a farm and he was so dirty when we got him that we have given him a couple baths and we have only had him about 5 weeks. The vet said this was fine and his skin looked good and we got very gentle natural oatmeal puppy shampoo from the pet store. He still smelled like a puppy and heavenly once shampooed and rinsed, but not really smelly like he did before the bath. Also, he kept stepping in his poop/pee at first so we would have to pop him in the bath every once in awhile and just rinse his feet as well - not whole body those times. I also got some pet wipes (like baby wipes) for his feet or other smelly parts when he gets into mud/dirt and I don't want dirty paw prints all over my house! they also make some soothing pet deodorizing spray for in between baths and we got some of that as well that's supposed to deodorize a bit / soothe irritated or itchy skin and make sure they don't get dry skin, but have not seen any difference in his coat or skin after 2 baths and it helped the smell a ton!
Oban was smelly too, as a pup, he's not now. I bathed him the first night when the poor wee guy got stuck in his own pee in his crate. Never again will I heed the advice that says let them shriek and not go to them till they're quiet. Poor little guy. Now he is only bathed as needed after rolling in stinky stuff that sticks. Or if he gets itchy. It took me 5 tries to find a shampoo that does help his itchiness. I agree that overbathing can be detrimental to skin and coat but dog shampoos are quite advanced these days and should not hurt a healthy skin or coat. I have friends with hospital therapy dogs and those dogs must be bathed before each visit so that's at least once a week and there is nothing wrong with their skin or coat.
If the dog has a healthy skin and coat why should it need to be bathed whether the dog shampoo is advanced or not? Interesting that your therapy dogs have to be bathed as our PAT dogs aren't required to be bathed before a visit to where ever they happen to be a regular visitor be it hospital ward, hospice or school
Pongo did have a puppy smell but it faded with time. Now he just smells of wet dog when he is a wet dog. Very fortunate that he is not a poo-roller. His only real escapade was when he was very little and discovered the farmer's slurry pond. He dived straight in and swam around it. Over his ears. The stench was incredible. I'm delighted to say that he has never repeated that one.
You've never encountered a healthy skin and coat that was covered in cow pie? Or, we have some mud puddles that are black and sticky and stinky. Maybe individual hospitals make this rule. I just know my friends have to bathe theirs, I don't know if every therapy dog has to do this.
Loving the reply's and tales of smelly rolling and swimming! It's my OH complaing about the smell which is ironic really.....
Saba was a stinky puppy. He and his litter mates lived outside with three adult bitches, and he was a proper pongy puppy! I got rid of his litter blanket ASAP, and encouraged him to spend time outside in an effort to blow away the smell. He had his first formal grooming session at six months after ten days in kennels, and looked and smelled 'normal'. However, now an eight month old adolescent, he has an entirely different smell about him, and it's not that nice. I should add that I have a very keen sense of smell, so what is unpleasant to me, someone else may not even notice! Don't bathe unless you really can't stand the smell, or fox poo is involved!
We never bath, but we do hose them down outside. If you do bath, just use water - then their natural oils are not affected .
Charlie smelled absolutely delicious as a puppy. I still think he smells nice now. Apart from the fox poo thing....
@Snowshoe have to confess that Juno has never rolled in anything smelly When she ploughs through muddy stuff she usually ends running through a stream to rinse off or the long grass followed by a quick rub over with one of her towels when we get home. Very worst case is a rinse off with a bowl and some water
Cooper was a little smelly sometimes as a younger pup, but not anymore. Our pup and dog get very few baths. I think Cooper (almost a year) has had one or maybe two. Tilly our 10yr old has had one in the last year. Cooper was a little smelly sometimes as a younger pup, but not anymore. Both get some chances to swim, and they will both get a lot more this year, since we have a normal snow pack and consequently full reservoirs and full running rivers. Salt water, preferbaly followed by fresh seems to be a great dog shampoo. Cooper has not experienced it yet because we spend most of our free time in the mountains, but she will get to the beach at least a couple of times this summer. Dogs, Crabs, Kites and Scenery are the main reasons to go to the Oregon Coast. It is too cold to swim most of the time. When they do need a bath, I just take them into the walk in shower with me, and use very mild puppy shampoo.
