Keeping Your Dog Clean

[juliepoudrier]

It's the stuff little old ladies put in their hair to whiten it. Too much gives a bluish tint, hence the phrase "little old blue-haired ladies."

 

The principle behind adding blue color is that it "cancels out" a yellowish tint (they are complementary colors). You can find shampoos made for white hair (for people, dogs, horses, etc.) that contains bluing (so the shampoos are blue) and it will make any yellowish hair appear whiter.Bluing itself can be more than one compound, depending on who's manufacturing it, from synthetic Prussian blue (for example) to blue iron powder. It all serves the same purpose, which is to make white appear whiter. It used to be used for laundering white clothing too, but I think bleach has pretty much taken over that market sector.

 

J.

[teresaserrano]

Thanks Julie, I might buy one of those for when I do bathe her.

[Sue R]

 

Sue, I'm curious - is there a reason you add extra fat instead of feeding kibble with those ratios?

I really like the kibble I feed plus I have plenty of quality fat from our grass-fed beef.

[Sue R]

Maralynn,

I'll answer for Sue. It's not always easy to find commercial dog foods that have that exact ratio (protein:fat). Often to get that ratio, you have to add fat.

 

J.

This!

[rushdoggie]

Thanks Julie, I might buy one of those for when I do bathe her.

 

I bathe my Papillons with Kelco Plum White shampoo which is pricey but dilutes well, and still whitens well when diluted (which I have not seen with other diluted white dog shampoos). It also smells pleasant and not perfume-y.

 

I am growing out my dyed hair to let the gray show, and I have some blonde hi lites to help the two colors blend in as they grow, and my hairdresser got me some "white dog shampoo" for humans to keep them ashy and prevent the dyed brown from fading to red. I thought I should have just started shampooing myself with the Plum White.

 

[gcv-border]

I thought I should have just started shampooing myself with the Plum White.

 

Nothing wrong with that. I once or twice tried using a dog shampoo on my hair. I had used it on my dog, and I liked how it left her fur. (Note: this was about 10 or 12 years ago. I didn't shampoo my dog frequently then, and even less now.)

 

I liked how my hair felt after using the 'dog shampoo', but didn't keep it up because of the assumed pH difference between human and dog shampoo. (I say 'assumed' because I did not specifically check the pH of the shampoo.)

[emilyfalk]

Like others, I love that my dogs don't need baths!

 

However, I do realize how happy I am after bathing them.

 

They get a bath before prestigious sheepdog trials. I find it respectful that me and my dogs all clean up nicely to go to the post at big events.

 

They get a bath during heavy shedding times. Brushing alone just hasn't been a substitute for a good bath.

 

Like someone else mentioned, I bathe them if they build up too much residue from their flea and tick preventative.

 

I find a bath to be a great time to put my hands on every inch of every dog. They're all house dogs and get snuggled plenty, but I'd be lying to say that I carefully inspect each dog on a regular basis.

 

A bath is also a convenient time for personal grooming needs: manscaping, trimming foot fur (the underside of the paw), taming Gabe's leg fro, and hunting for tangles or mats. But that stuff does happen regularly without a bath.

 

When I do the real-deal bathing (vs. the hose in the stock tank or taking them to a stream), I go all out! They get super fancy professional grooming shampoos, cream rinses, conditioners, etc. But I have access to grooming facilities and supplies at work, so it's kind of cheating. Sure my dogs live on a farm and get icky on a regular basis, but that doesn't mean they can't have a spa day from time to time. They look, smell, and feel AWESOME! And really, who doesn't smile at post-bath zoomies

 

Are my sheepdogs spoiled? Absolutely They've earned it by being my partners and best friends.

 

Edited to add a post-bath pic of Livy: so fresh and so clean!

[GentleLake]

On the rare occasion I bathe my dogs (recently the old gal got a bath after she'd had some accidents in her crate) I've found the $7.50 at the dog wash bay at the car wash to be money well spent.

 

It has a nice raised tub with a ramp and all sorts of options on the dial (just like the car was side) for shampoo, conditioner, flea shampoo, and rinse. There's even a dryer for people inclined to use it. I don't bother myself.

 

But the very best thing is being able to just stand back and let the dog shake off the water to her heart's content without having to scrub down the bathroom afterwards.

 

Best invention evah!

[Maralynn]

Maralynn,

I'll answer for Sue. It's not always easy to find commercial dog foods that have that exact ratio (protein:fat). Often to get that ratio, you have to add fat.

 

J.

Huh. I've actually rotated between 4-5 commercial kibbles with the 30/20 ratio for the past couple years. I didn't realize they weren't common everywhere.

[RemsMom]

I live in a climate with mild winters so when we built our home I had two of the outside faucets equipped with hot water. I can bathe my dogs outside even in the winter.

[Bogwoppit]

Does anyone here trust their dog to a groomer occasionally?

I'm curious as to whether it's enjoyable for the dog, and what reasons people would have for choosing them over doing it at home.

[simba]

I know some people who have vision or manual dexterity issues who bring the dog to the groomer. Much more pleasant all 'round.

[urge to herd]

I've had groomers do my dogs when I've had back issues. At the local big box pet store they offer a 'special', for a larger fee of course. The owner comes in with the dog and is there through every minute of the grooming. I hate the thought of them undergoing anything frightening without me there.

 

Ruth and SuperGibbs, who seems to resist dirt quite nicely.

[Shetlander]

As my knees have become worse, bathing dogs in my tub is more challenging for me. So I will take Quinn to a groomer when he isn't able to swim in Lake Michigan. This fall, he went through the worst shedding of his life. I have taken him to my groomer three months in a row to try to get it under control (in addition to daily brushing). The groomer can get at the shedding hair much more effectively than my bathing/grooming techniques. I think we are finally pretty good and he looks very nice after she trimmed up some of the long scraggly hair. No undercoat to speak of, but what fur he has is glossy.

 

I doubt being at the groomer is "enjoyable" for the dogs. They don't act thrilled to be there but they are calm when we arrive and give the staff friendly greetings. I have used this groomer for close to 15 years, trusting her with small puppies and elderly fragile dogs.

[Donald McCaig]

Dear Doggers,

 

In the summer, we clipped Luke's belly so he wouldn't overheat but one year we hadn't the time to we took him to the groomer. They sheared him - except for a poodleesque tailtip and unshorn head. Luke was perfumed. Luke had become Jean-Luke. Handlers giggled when he went to the post.

 

Donald McCaig

[Gideon's girl]

Dear Doggers,

 

In the summer, we clipped Luke's belly so he wouldn't overheat but one year we hadn't the time to we took him to the groomer. They sheared him - except for a poodleesque tailtip and unshorn head. Luke was perfumed. Luke had become Jean-Luke. Handlers giggled when he went to the post.

 

Donald McCaig

Poor Luke

Though I do have a friend that has a standard poodle that does stockwork(exactly how you would expect a very well obedience trained poodle to work).

[GentleLake]

I hope you didn't pay the groomer for that debacle.

 

I once took a foster with an awful thick, matted coat to a groomer. She didn't shear her but she perfumed her and put little blue bows at her ears. I took them off immediately, telling her no self respecting border collie would allow herself to be seen in public like that.

 

The local do-it-yourself dog wash (at the car wash) is great for my ailing back on the rare occasion my dogs need bathed,

 

And I do sometimes take them to a groomer for nail clipping as my eyes aren't the greatest any more and I worry about getting a quick. All mine already hate getting their nail's clipped so badly that it can be quite an ordeal for all of us. I think the combination of their being distracted by being up on the table and a different person doing it, plus my having both hands free to help hold and squirt spray cheese into their mouths makes a huge difference. And for $5 it's totally worth it to me.

 

ETA: I'll take my old gal to the groomer once or twice a year for a good comb out, too, now. She's a border collie/spitz-type mix with a thick spitzy coat and she hates to be brushed. At ~17 she's become less tolerant of any kind of grooming so it's much less traumatic for both of us and helps our relationship if someone else does it instead of me.

[rushdoggie]

Does anyone here trust their dog to a groomer occasionally?

I'm curious as to whether it's enjoyable for the dog, and what reasons people would have for choosing them over doing it at home.

 

I once took 3 large breed dogs on vacation and they became seriously tick infested on a hike...couldn't very well flea dip them in the hotel room (this was pre spot on treatments) so off to a local groomer they went. I also used one once for bathing my dogs when I had company coming and zero time.

 

As someone who has bathed and groomed dogs professionally (worked my way through college managing a groom shop) I always take a puppy to be groomed once (poorly) at a groom shop so it can be low key and not terribly stressful. Then if circumstances require it they have that positive experience. Kind of like I always bath a kitten a couple of times so if an adult cat needs to be washed they don't freak out and panic,

[alligande]

How about this: drive up dog wash! Scarily it is located at a filling/petrol station alongside a busy main road, in a different location though it might be handy.

[Bogwoppit]

I'm undecided about using a groomers. I hope I will make sure I find one that doesn't do anything I don't ask for. Growin out shaven areas may purely look stupid, but I'd also imagine it's itchy as heck.

If I use one it will be because I cannot bend from the waist to the neck, so crouching over a bath is not always possible. Also our bath is very deep-sided, which I think could be frightening to a pip having high walls and no escape, I much prefer a walk-in bath outdoors. We'll see!

 

I am very apprehensive due to a small horror story on a forum I use where an owner brought his dog in for a shave, and they cut a piece out of the poor pup's ear, and wouldn't apologise. It was sorted out legally later, but it makes my hair stand on end.

[Gideon's girl]

I built a bathing table out in my barn just the right height for bathing BCs, but it's still too short for the JRT.

[alligande]

I used to take my first dogs to a groomer who I loved. She had built her facility out so the dogs walked into the bath and she did not use a traditional grooming table but had a platform built against a wall that the dogs walked up. She did not restraining dogs, especially on grooming tables and would turn unruly clients away. She worked by appointment so the dogs weren't there long. I then discovered border collies were very easy to wash and I stopped going. There are some great groomers out there you just need to hunt one down.

[1sheepdoggal]

Border collies have the "Teflon" type of coat that sheds dirt easily and always looks glossy and clean. But please, dont discount what a good professional groom can do for u and your dogs. Finding skin and allergy probs, sores, ear and or physical ailments that a person may miss or not nitice in time. Teeth and anals are ck'd and done, ect. Seeing a good professional groomer from time to time, a very good idea, and keeps folks like me working!

[Tess's Girl]

I've had Tess groomed before. Mostly to get her used to other people handling her and support the local business. I know the groomers personally and they just bathed her, clipped her nails, cleaned her ears, and trimmed her up. She did look very nice and shiny afterward. I'll probably only do it once or twice a year though.

Edited December 29, 2014 by Tess's Girl

[patriciag]

We were having to bathe Logan quite often because he would come in from playing outside, covered with mud. His tail was so black we could not tell it had ever been white. Then we finally got the bright idea of fencing off the muddy walnut tree area that he was always diving into when chasing the ball. We put up a temporary fence and now we have a fairly clean dog. I hope the bathing becomes less frequent.

 

However, Logan itches constantly. When we first got him, I felt he had a chicken allergy so switched him to a "Taste of the Wild whitefish" diet. He seemed to do better. Lately, though, he itches no matter what. The vet gave us some spray and advised a benedryl at night. So far, neither makes much difference, except that the benedryl makes him sleepy so he does not start scratching until the next morning. We keep flea stuff on him (frontline), and I give him a capstar once in a while if I find a flea on my little dog. Husband takes him to "Pet Extreme" which has a "do it yourself" doggie wash. Very clean, but I am wondering if it may be the shampoo they have on hand. So, next time around we will use shampoo from our house and take it with us.

 

Trial and error, I guess.