# How often do you wash your Golden?



## Lucky's mom (Nov 4, 2005)

Well, I been doing only once a month...but I know he needs more. Lucky loves the water so much...he puts me on edge. I have to give him a bath, as I don't have a hand spray yet, and he sticks his whole head in the water and I'm in fear he'll get a snoutful of water. With my kids, I've hung them upside down to drain water from their lungs...but what do you do with a dog?

Oh yeah...he gets going in the water. Splashing, rolling, head dunking. His tail is a fun thing to catch in the water too. He dives in after it. Bathing is a lot of fun for him, but I end up soaked.


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## Joe (Apr 9, 2005)

We didn't find necessary to wash our Goldens more often than every 2-3 months, unless there is some really bad weather and they need a shower. 
I don't know how they do it, but they're keeping pretty clean.
Joe


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## Bonni (Apr 12, 2005)

Since we've had Daisy, she's gotten herself into trouble and has needed bathing at least every few weeks. First it was major dry skin/dandruff and the vet recommened baths with a special shampoo (actually turned out to be her food. She's been fine on the food she's on now). Then there were trips to the lake and then she got skunked. During the fall, she seemed to find any and every mud puddle possible while we walked. She enjoyed playing in them so much, I couldn't say no, so I let her play. This required many baths, as we had already pulled in the hose for the winter.

Now that the ground is frozen and we only have snow instead of rain :no: , she seems to be staying cleaner. This is a good thing, as her paws were next to impossible to keep clean. Not a good thing when you're trying to sell your house!!!

I would imagine that once the ground thaws again, she'll be back into the messy stuff and the baths will be necessary. Maybe we can go the whole winter without one. That would be AMAZING!!! Our new house is in a new development. That equals masses of mud and no grass, which in turn equals DIRTY PAWS!!! Yikes! :doh: 

Later,
Bonni


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## Bogart'sMom (Sep 16, 2005)

We give ZsaZsa and Bogart a bath as needed but most of the time about every 6 weeks. Unless ZsaZsa rolls in something nasty she loves to do that or Bogart comes home looking like a Flatcoated retriever he gets a bath LOL.
Elke,ZsaZSa and Bogart


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## Skenney (Jul 10, 2005)

I don't know what it is with Rusty because he doesn't seem to get into anything to get himself dirty, but if he goes longer than 4 weeks he looks and smells dirty. I don't have the type of shower to bathe him myself so he goes to the groomer every 4 weeks. Maybe I'm just vain because I like how soft he feels and how shiny his coat is after the visit to the groomer.


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## Chloe's Mum (Jan 1, 2006)

I got into the habit of bathing Chloe because of her baby dandruff, think thats why she loves her baths/showers so much now! Plus it makes her smell girlie!


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## goldiegirl (Nov 18, 2005)

When Manni was a pup, she had her first bath at 5 months..She never got into anything messy..then when she started day care, it was every month. Her daycare hoses them off so the come back clean, but after a while, she becomes pepe la pu. She goes to the groomers every 2-3 months.


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## MaddyB (Dec 27, 2005)

Hmmm, we give Harvey a bath every few weeks, but lately, because of the mud/snow it's been a quick rinse in the bath after every walk (just with water to get off the worst of the mud) however he still has his proper bath (with shampoo) once every 2-3 weeks


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

We've had Samson for six weeks now and we haven't bathes him yet. He doesn't smell and his coat still looks very nice... I was considering bathing him today, only because I've read in some of my books to bath him once a month. Plus, I want him to get used to it. But I'm not sure yet.....

I am washing all his bedding today though. It smells like dog, even if he doesn't.....

Rick


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## Goldndust (Jul 30, 2005)

Hardly ever! Really, he smells so good too! Summers he's in water every day, winters he's out in the fresh clean air and fresh fallin' snow. He smells so good, like the great out doors.

Usually a couple a year is about all he gets, three would be tops!


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## Cassey (Sep 9, 2005)

In our house, bedding cleaned every week. We go to our cottage every week and Cassey rushs out of the car and right into the water. So far no stinky dog at our house but Tasha (our previous golden) stunk! We would bathe her one day, into the lake the next-just a smelly cycle. She would spend hours trolling for tad poles and she just couldn't be destunked!!!!


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## angelica_hugo (Aug 27, 2005)

I wash our puppy about once a month, it starts to show on his coat if we don't. Plus - he smells 'funky' if we didn't. 

He has never liked cleaning, I don't understand. He loves jumping into the water at the river and lake, so ?? But either way, he goes into the tub because poor thing smells bad after a while. [He loves the mud and grass!]


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Yeah....Samson loves dirt, laying in the grass, stomping in puddles. All of that. Fortunately, it hasn't made him stink yet. I've been thinking about giving him a bath here in the next couple days, I'm just dreading what ever mess we're gonna make. And it's not so much that he needs it yet, but I want him to be used to it....

Rick


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I forgot to mention......our last dog was a miniature daschund, and he hated water, rain, snow, moisture and cold. So this is really different for us.

It was funny.....the first day we got Samson, it was a wet rainy day.....and the first time we took him outside to go potty, he found a big puddle and flopped down in the middle of it. My kids were all shocked "Buddy would never have done that....."

Rick


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## NorCal Andy (Dec 21, 2005)

Rusty has been bathed just about every other day due to the fact that when he is home alone while I am at work, he eliminates everywhere and steps in it/etc.

I am really hoping he will stop doing this so I dont have to give him these frequent baths, but its not like he hates them!


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## LuvOllie (Jan 5, 2006)

Our babies normally get bathed about 1xmonth but until 2 weeks ago I was falling slack.. Ollie just had surgery to remove a hematoma from his ear as the result of an ear infection(his first ever) about a week ago and I have a feeling we will be backing our back schedule back to about every 2-3 months..


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Does anyone take their golden to a groomer for bathing? My wife just informed me that she'd like to take him Saturday to a groomer, to get a bath and the flea dip. 

Just curious to hear if anyone else does this....

Rick


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

I used to take Reyna to the groomer twice a year for a really good bath and a trim. She had terrible allergies and it helped to keep the fur between her toes trimmed up. 

So far, except for nails, I've managed Brandy and Jenna at home. We boarded them twice over the holidays at a kennel where they have several acres of fenced land to explore. Both times, after we picked them up they had to be marched directly into the shower! They were filthy but happy and exhausted from their time at "camp".


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Brandy's Mom said:


> So far, except for nails, I've managed Brandy and Jenna at home.


You don't do their nails? We used to take our daschund to the pet store to have his nails cut.....it just makes me nervous to do it.

So far, we've taken Samson once, but I keep feeling like I need to just learn to do it myself. I'm just so worried about screwing up....

Rick


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

No nails! I cut Reyna's too close once, she bled for what seemed like hours, and my husband spent every minute of it complaining that I'd hurt his baby. 

(She wasn't in pain, but she kept licking off the steptic powder!)


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Well, then I won't feel bad that I'm scared to do it. It only cost $6.00 to have the pet store do it.....plus, it's right by my favorite Starbucks and it's a good walk.....

Rick


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## police (Nov 24, 2005)

Normally 2 to 3 times a year as I was told to much bathing can be bad for the coats Rivers and things like that are fine just not to much soapy water from bathing as it can remove the natural oils from the skin /coat dont know how true it is but thats what i have stuck with over the years and I have also done lots of dog shows. 
I will cut Baileys nails as they are white and you can see the black vein so you know how much to cut Jadens are black so hes of to the pet store to get hes done Im not that brave lol


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

Well, I was feeling a little wimpy to not do the nails ourselves. Now I feel better. I just don't want to hurt my dog.....

Rick


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## Buffy & Abby's Mom (Nov 27, 2005)

We've not bathed Buffy more than a couple times a year. She always smells really good, a sweet smell, never "doggy", even when she's wet. Of course, I wipe her paws and belly when it's rainy or if she gets muddy. She fusses but that's OK. I brush her a couple times a week and that seems to keep her really clean and shiny. She doesn't enjoy baths so I'm glad that she doesn't need them frequently.

Abby has a little bit of a doggier smell to her but even that is getting better with regular brushing. At this point, with only having her a month, I don't know how frequently she'll need bathed or if she'll like baths. :crossfing


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## lola'smommy (Dec 19, 2005)

WOW!! You can definitely tell I'm a new GR owner. I have been washing Lola, like every couple weeks. She rolls out in the dead grass and gets matted up hair around her "hoo hoo"  I think it's gross. So, I bathe that little furball. I didn't know about the natural oils and coat. If that is the case well then I will change my bathing schedule. Mmm. Very interesting. So, what do you do when they get funky and it has only been a week since you bathed them???


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## Brandy's Mom (Oct 5, 2005)

If she gets funky, and you can't stand the smell, bath her. Try to brush her out frequently to keep the dust/dirt from building up.


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## Buffy & Abby's Mom (Nov 27, 2005)

If it's Lola's "hoo hoo" that's dirty, just wash that part with a washcloth. Buffy has had many, many butt washings without the rest of her being bathed. Like a little doggy spongebath.


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## tite louloute (Jan 9, 2006)

i don't wash my goldens regulary, just before an important dog show.


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## lola'smommy (Dec 19, 2005)

Well, then I'm sold!! Save $ on dog shampoo and no more completely soaked clothes.


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

I found this poll / thread helpful thank you !!!


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Two or three times a day when we go to the park, he gets a rinse down. I do not let dirty dogs in my house, but as a result my dogs have super heatlhy skin and coats and are always show-ring clean and welcome on my furniture, etc. It's a lot of work, but worth it. They all get a real bath weekly, or more if the rinse down isn't good enough.


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## greg bell (May 24, 2005)

wash???? does swimming in a duck lake count?


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## HovawartMom (Aug 10, 2006)

I do it every 6 to 8 weeks,depending on how dirty they are.My golden loves swimming in the pool and even though i rinse her off,she still gets itchy, after a while.


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## Katiesmommy (Sep 10, 2006)

The more I think about this. I think I would say....every two weeks.


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## Maggies mom (Jan 6, 2006)

You *don't *want to wash them to often... it takes the oil out of there coat...... Mine usually get washed a couple times a year and the rest of the time ...I rinse them with the hose.....


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## Lexie's Mom (Dec 14, 2005)

Well it's funny. i just logged back on because i put Lexie in the shower!! She was a little stinky girl. I'm not sure who is wetter. Me or her!!! LOL


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## RickGibbs (Dec 16, 2005)

I agree with Maggie's Mom......every two weeks is too often. We can go every two months with Samson.... I think every two weeks would do more harm than good....


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