I think I can answer this question myself given that my previous black lab never had a bath in 12 years but I got some very funny looks if I ever mentioned this. He used to swim in the river/lake/sea fairly regularly and would be towelled dry afterwards. His bedding was kept clean and his collar washed frequently. He didn’t smell doggy until near the end when his breath got bad! Now I have another lab who gets the same treatment and given how strong quick and wriggly he is I think I would struggle to bath/hose him down. He doesn’t roll and I’m guessing that like human hair a dog’s coat is self cleaning after a while. Any thoughts?
Meg is 5 and never had a bath. She has regular dunks in Yorkshire water, river or reservoir and that’s the extent of her pampering
Not really and certainly not often. Cooper has had a few showers over 4 years. Probably less than one a year. She gets to swim in the warmer seasons but not much in the Winter. Is typical of all of our dogs. My Malamute only had one bath in his life, and he explained that it would never happen again (just like swimming). None of our 3 Labs have had many baths. Maybe one a year, probably less. They really don't need to be bathed unless they roll in something disgusting. Swimming in salt water gives them a super soft feeling coat. We always try to rinse in fresh water after the ocean, which is easy in Oregon, because there are so many freshwater streams going across the beaches.
No, they don't need to be bathed unless they roll in something smelly that you need to wash out. If they are just muddy or have been in water which dries a bit stinky, then just rinse them off with water only (no shampoo).
We haven't bathed any of our labs much, if at all. They get along by rolling in the grass. They eat it too to help with their digestion.
Willow had a bath after this episode but not normally. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10157527331037630&id=665052629
Kyko had a shower last week when he dunked himself in a muddy puddle, other than that I gave him 1 other shower & that was after he'd been in kennels for 10 days cos he was a bit stinky
I do bath 2x a year, in the spring and in the fall. It helps remove the hair when he is shedding. Plus you won't believe the amount of dirt in the water when I rinse. And he swims all the time during the summer months + I brush him daily. So yeah, I do believe they need a bath now and then. I wouldn't bath every month, but I believe not bathing at all is also extreme.
I also rarely bathe my 13-month-old. I haven't in at least 4 months. She goes swimming multiple times a week in the lake and towel dried. I brush her out every week or so after we come back from the park and she is about 95% dry. As far as not cooperating with bathing or brushing, mine struggled a bit, too, at first. But she's gotten much better and now loves to be brushed. Her biggest problem at first was seeing the brush as a toy and constantly trying to nip at it while I brushed. She also seemed a bit sensitive to the feeling of being brushed. As she's grown, she seems to really enjoy it. She still might chase a hair ball sometimes, but generally she's become much more compliant to being handled. I can't be certain, but I attribute it to (1) increasing maturity, and (2) my practice of very often manhandling her, picking her up to my lap, etc., and often giving her treats and belly rubs when I do so and she stays calm.
On the rare occasions that we do bathe a dog, we actually do it in a walk in shower with a movable shower head. I just go in with the dog and we both get wet. None of our Labs ever seemed to mind the shower much. Cooper is the first dog I've had that did not like being brushed. With a lot of patients and treats, we have finally gotten her to tolerate brushing with no complaints.
