How often do you wash your BC

[Cody & Duchess]

We have 2 dogs - BC and BC/springer mix. The BC/springer mix loves the water - has to take oatmeal soaks to help with a pollen allergy - sits in the tub with my husband happily. We met a Texas rancher who admired our BC - said one on the great things about a BC is that their fur was self cleaning. ( We had our rescue only about 2 months at that point- age 1.5 when we got). We now bath the BC occasionally- he walks into the shower but looks like we have asked him to do the most awful thing. He suffers through the shower with the most mournful look. Question - are BC a breed that has fur that stays clean easily and/or if you do bath your dog - how often (as needed or regularly schedule). He sleeps on the bed -(bed covered with a flannel sheet that get cleaned). Thanks

[Barb Scott]

My BCs are the self-cleaning variety. In the summer they swim in Lake MI and play in the hose. In the winter, I guess the snow keeps them clean. I can't remember the last tie any one of them except the puppy has had a bath. (Spirit, our puppy walked under our male while he was lifting his leg! He did get a bath!)

Barb S

[PSmitty]

I wash my dogs as infrequently as possible! I do tend to think that border collie coats are more easily maintained, they stay cleaner and smell fresher longer than some other dogs. My lab mix will need a bath before my border collies will.

[Elizabeth77]

I have not washed Meg in the 6 months I have her. Her coat is lovely as I do brush a couple of times a week. She goes in the sea up to her tummy and that cleans her underneaths.I think she may have a breakdown if I put her in a bath!! Me too

[Journey]

Oh maybe 2 times a year. Mine mark their calendar and protest if it's more then 2

[WildFlower]

I have only washed Daisy once in about 9 months. And that was because she rolled in some irresistable poop! She looked at me as if I was killing her quietly as I washed her. I haven't need to bath her since. She loves to swim in her pool in the summer and dig in the snow now. My boyfriend doesn't even think she smells like dog.

[Sue R]

We have three and I haven't washed any (well, except Celt and Bute each once when young pups because they rolled in something that didn't clean up with just a hosing). If one now rolls in something (which is extremely rare) that won't hose off, I only spot-clean that. However, I do find that virtually everything will clean up sufficiently with just a hosing and a hand rubbing.

 

We live on a farm with cattle and, in some seasons, our dogs can get pretty dirty - cow manure, mud, even little ice balls of mud in the winter on their feathers - they get hosed off outside at the cold water spigot if they need it no matter what the weather. We started training them with that when little (and Celt came here in late December as a seven-week-old pup) and they stand for the hosing very well.

 

I know their white would be whiter if I bathed them, but there is no need and I don't have to worry about irritating skin or drying it out. They also spend time running in fields and pastures, and I might feel differently if I had just a pet in the house. I think running through the grass and hayfields, and swimming in ponds does help keep them clean and fresh. The funny thing is that most people compliment how white their "trim" is and how glossy their coats are, so I think no baths works out fine for us. Your results may vary.

 

And, yes, they sometimes smell a bit "doggy" when they are damp - but not like so many other breeds can smell, especially the "greasier" ones like Labs.

[desertranger]

Mookie is comes from the bottom of the dog gene pool and hates water. Hence she becomes very stinky quickly. Add to that she doesn't really smell like a dog. Bathed once a moth. Fortunately she dries ultra quickly.

 

Jin if he's typical of other BC's I've had will spend the summer in the water and playing with the hose winding up with a Plimsol line from sitting on he top step of the pool. He'll love water. BC's are bathed whenever the white parts turn tattle tale gray.

[JohnLloydJones]

I actually get asked quite frequently what I wash Senneca with as her fur is soft and shiny. The answer is plain water from a hose. I do so only when she is too disgusting and or muddy to get into the car or come back into the house. That may be as frequent as two or three times a week or it may go months between showers. I am blessed to a girl with a teflon coat that sheds dirt easily. You have to get really close up and personal to get her smell; it's mild and distinctly feminine.

[1sheepdoggal]

Mine all have what could be considered teflon coats, however, I am the flip side, as I wash my dogs about once a month whether they need it or not, as being a groomer I have acsess to the facilities, and I like my dogs to be clean and smelling good. Too, when doing a full groom, it gives me the opportunity to get my hands on the over all dog and check in places on them that I would not normally handle, IE ears, pads, anal glands, armpits, underbelly, etc. I like to consider it, (to offset in my mind the work involved) thier once a month check up. It also could be construde as a good preventative as things that may crop up can be caught sooner before they become a vet bill.

[Shetlander]

I find that Quinn sheds dirt quite nicely for the most part. But since he sleeps in my bed, he still gets baths anywhere from once a month in the summer to to once every couple of months in the Winter. If he comes home from a sheep lesson caked in mud, he gets a bath then as well. I've noticed bathing cuts down on shedding and the fur always feels soft after, even if it seemed fine before.

[sandra s.]

Not at all, and they're nice and clean

[urge to herd]

Shoshone needs to be bathed every month or so or she gets itchy, more often in the warmer weather. She's got some allergies, and will smell pretty rank if I let her go too long. Before anyone jumps on the change her food band wagon, I've done everything regarding diets for her: raw, raw w/no grain, home cooked. Any permutation of dog food I've done, none have helped Shonie's itchy, smelly skin. So, she gets a bath.

 

Sami only gets bathed maybe 3 or 4 times a year. She also gets clipped every summer. It keeps her more comfortable in the heat, it's noticeable how much better she feels after her hair cut.

 

Buzzie was one of the ones who never needed a bath. His coat was always silky and soft, he always smelled wonderful.

 

Ruth

[juliepoudrier]

Mine get bathed occasionally. Generally anything they get on themselves will eventually wear off, but since some of them sleep on the bed with me, I draw the line at dogs who have scrubbed themselves in any sort of manure. Usually they don't get a full bath for that, though. Like Sue, I grab the hose, and if the mess is pretty egregious, some shampoo, and just spot clean them outside.

 

As for the white parts, my white dog never looks sparkling white, unlike his brother, whose white parts glow. I know his brother's owner doesn't bathe him all the time, so I'm guessing that the farm dirt does eventually grind in and discolor them a bit (red clay), but if they get muddy or whatever, it usually comes off without the need for a bath.

 

J.

[cgt]

I have 5 Border Collies and it's just too much work to be washing 'em all the time.

 

So, I run 'em through the automatic car wash occasionally.

 

I find the underbody wash to be especially effective.

 

charlie

[desertranger]

Teflon works very well for the coats description.

 

 

I run 'em through the automatic car wash occasionally.

I find the underbody wash to be especially effective.

 

charlie

 

 

That works.

 

 

What kind of shampoo do you use? I use baby shampoo since it keeps them from getting dry skin

[sweet_ceana]

Ceana rarely needs cleaning. She always smells good and her white fur is incredibly white. Poke can wind up getting dirty sometimes. He got a bath this week because he kept face planting in goat poo on Saturday and he had an accident on himself in the car. He is usually very clean. The only time my dogs got bathed frequently is when one of our foster dogs brought in an army of ticks...ARGGG!

 

... Oh yes, and the almost pure white puppy Abby had baths every other week. You can't bring a dog with grass stains to an adoption event !

[1sheepdoggal]

What kind of shampoo do you use? I use baby shampoo since it keeps them from getting dry skin

 

Id save the baby shampoo for yourself, and get the a shampoo made for dogs. Human Ph and dog Ph are vastly different and human shampoo can and will dry out the skin and coat. Try a mild detergent puppy shampoo. You'll find that dog shampoo rinses out easier and quicker too.

[Dan28]

I guess I've been washing Gus at least once every two weeks. We've been spending a lot of time at local dog parks on weekends, and he seems to get quite a bit of dog slobber on him from other dogs. Boxers seem to love Gus for some reason and they are a real popular dog around me. He seems like he picks up a lot of their slobber. When I wash him, I use some puppy shampoo I picked up at Pet Smart.

[Jumpin Boots]

Our bc's very rarely get washed, unless they roll in something really gross, but even w/out bathes they always smell good and have glossy coats.

 

Our Toller and beagle/kelpie however, gets bathes all the time and both still tend to have oder. With Mama Dog I think part of it is the old dog smell and Smudge has always been an oily, smelly dog. Their coats aren't nearly as nice either.

[Ms.DaisyDuke]

Daisy usually gets a bath once a year. And she's usually stupid dirty when she gets it. We have these weeping poplar trees that drop sticky shells off them in july and august, frickin gross, Daisy will roll in them and play in them and be COVERED. Her white gets turned green and she has to have a bath at this time. If not, her toes would get stuck together. Other than that she always smells like laundry.

[monicah]

I have only washed Kira once in the shower. I have washed Zimba once in the shower and once in a lake. I got them both in July '08. People always say that my dogs smell really good. It can't be the shampoo from 6 months ago when I did wash them. I walk them in the woods for 2 hours every day and they get to play in the water. That's probably how they stay so clean and smell so good!

[Lizmo]

Not often enough probably. After about 4-6 months of no baths, I start to smell an odor. Or there coat starts to feel greasy.

 

If we go down to the lake or they roll is something stinky, they get a bath.

[bc4ever]

When he smells. Or when someone else offers to do it for me--for free! LOL! Niece took Scooter with her to work at the vet's yesterday. She delivered him back home about six hours later. DH was gone in the evening too. First time in ages I've actually been totally alone! She said Scooter had a blast--lots of attention from the staff. I'm sure he just hated that!

[Ceredwyn]

Used to have to bathe Girlfriend fairly frequently in the warmer months -- she was badly allergic to some wild grass seed around here and would break out with scabs and scales on her back, but Belle has stayed fresh-smelling without a bath in the 18 months we've had her. Of course, she loves to swim, and that helps! On the other hand, Belle likes to lick fresh (and ONLY fresh ) cowpies, so her breath is another question entirely at times! And, of course, her puppy mill teeth contribute to the problem as her professional teeth cleaning gets nearer. I don't remember Girlfriend's breath ever being nasty.