Bath time

My boy Lightning has had maybe one bath in his entire life (he's 7), and that was only because he rolled in dog doo. His coat is not oily at all but soft like a puppy's. Stomps, on the other hand, has the oilier coat. But somehow they both tend to keep themselves clean. I should bathe Stomps, but I cringe at the thought. So I guess my answer is that it depends on the particular dog. If it's not dirty or smelly, why bathe her?

I've heard that you shouldn't bathe them very often, as it removes the oil from their coats. But I do bathe mine about once a month, Copper in particular, as he is a stinkbucket. But I think usually they only need a bath when they get really dirty or really smelly. Hope this helps!

Cindy

The bath question is individual as the dogs are, the pat response is bath as needed doesn't help much but is the truth. Basset hounds are at increased risk as compared to some other breeds to certain genetic conditions such as Seborrhea that require as part of the treatment shampoo therapy which can be as often as a couple times a week. Other dogs are not in need of frequent bathing so it is best to let your nose and your hands be your quide as to when to bath the dog.

I bathe them when they're dirty, or when we have a show. If I'm showing a dog regularly they may get bathed weekly or sometime even twice in a weekend if the showgrounds are particularly dirty.

The main thing is to use a mild shampoo and rinse, rinse, rinse. When you think she's done rinse a little more.