# How often does a GSD need a bath?



## ruchika

We've had Pepper since she was 8 weeks old and she's had a full bath once. She does get wiped down and brushed...but not shampoo-ed. How often are you supposed to bathe them?


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## JustMeLeslie

You are not suppose to bathe them more than once a month I believe. If you bathe them often it strips them of essential oils they need.


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## Deuce

You can bathe your dog when it needs it. There is no special "schedule" you need to follow or avoid. It's never good to bathe too much but if your dog needs a bath, give him one


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## Kelly's Buddy

Deuce said:


> You can bathe your dog when it needs it. There is no special "schedule" you need to follow or avoid. It's never good to bathe too much but if your dog needs a bath, give him one


:thumbup: It worked out to be about once a month with Sadie and I'll likely keep to it with Kelly.


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## ZAYDA

Depends on your nose..We give baths every 6-8 weeks.


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## PaddyD

ruchika said:


> We've had Pepper since she was 8 weeks old and she's had a full bath once. She does get wiped down and brushed...but not shampoo-ed. How often are you supposed to bathe them?


How old is Pepper now?

I've had mine since she was 11 weeks, she is 17 months now and has only had one bath. However, she has bee swimming several times and she gets brushed and wiped with a damp towel often.


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## Deuce

Kelly's Buddy said:


> :thumbup: It worked out to be about once a month with Sadie and I'll likely keep to it with Kelly.


Yep, it's working out well with Deuce as well. He's had two since we brought him home.


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## onyx'girl

I only give my dogs baths when they get dirty. They just got bathed on Saturday as the coats had alot of dirty dust in them(we haven't had rain in over a month)
It was my 20 month old's 2nd ever formal bath. 
Diet plays a role in doggy odor, my dogs have none, they are rawfed and get many supplements.
My dogs love baths...I just prefer to let the natural oils keep the coat healthy(and frequent brushing)
Here they are just after their baths, begging to go out and roll in the yard:


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## JakodaCD OA

My shepherds have rarely needed baths, yes the occasional 'show', or when they've decided to roll in something nasty, (but most of my shepherds would never even think to do something like that

In the summer Masi swims alot and I do the occasional suds up...In the winter, she'll most likely go to the groomers atleast twice..

My aussies on the other hand, well my 'girl', is a little pig pen and has that long flowing aussie coat, so she needs regular bathing, grooming, but I do it myself most of the time, unless I decide I don't want to deal with all the hair..

I use my metro air force blower ALOT, which keeps alot of the dust/dander/loose hair off them..can't live with that machine


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## GSDAlphaMom

3-4 a year is plenty...unless you have a dog playing in the mud on a regular basis. You definitely don't want to over bathe.


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## JudynRich

I agree on 3-4 times a year..they are not really a "smelly" breed. Mine always get a bath around this time to get ready for all the company we will have over the holidays. So, if it is sunny this weekend they will get their shower (that is where I bathe them).


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## onyx'girl

We were talking about that at training yesterday...company coming=baths! I was lucky when I bathed the dogs on Sat, it was sunny...Karlo and Kacie laid in the sunspots(for a change) to dry.


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## Syaoransbear

I don't think it matters. If you are a frequent bather, the dog's skin will adjust to produce more oil. You also don't need to use shampoo, just conditioner. The conditioner gets off the dirt without stripping the oils, and it's gentler on the skin.


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## Heagler870

My 2 dogs are inside dogs and we only take them out to use the bathroom and a daily exercising and walk/jog. By the end of the 3rd week after baths they get to stinking. Well, it's a smell I don't particularly like and they both have a different oder. When they are walking down the stairs of our apartment you can usually see the dust on them and that's when I know it's time for a bath. After the bath they look and SMELL so much better!


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## Lucy Dog

Unless they get unusually dirty, i'd say no more than once every 3-4 months. There's really no need to bathe any more than that if healthy and eating a quality diet.


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## Lucy Dog

Heagler870 said:


> My 2 dogs are inside dogs and we only take them out to use the bathroom and a daily exercising and walk/jog. By the end of the 3rd week after baths they get to stinking. Well, it's a smell I don't particularly like and they both have a different oder. When they are walking down the stairs of our apartment you can usually see the dust on them and that's when I know it's time for a bath. After the bath they look and SMELL so much better!


What are you feeding?


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## onyx'girl

My dogs have an odor because I gave them baths...that wet dog smell lingers after 2 days. Though it is humid, warm and raining(finally) today. 
After I bathed them they carried a smell. 
I used an oatmeal infused shampoo, no conditioner. 
Before that they just looked dusty but no odor.


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## Ruthie

I take him to the groomer 2 times per year. Other than that, he just gets a hose down if he gets really muddy.


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## selzer

I bathe them when they are dirty, if they rolled on something yucky, if they are smelly, if they are going to go to a show. Usually they get bathed twice a year professionally. In the summer I will hose them down, and occasionally soap them up and hose them down outside. 

Mostly though, they keep themselves pretty clean. Clean enough to share my bed.


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## Larien

Remi hasn't had one yet, it hasn't been needed. I don't really let him roll in the dirt or mud, and his coat is just gorgeous, it's so shiny and silky, so he's looking amazing without a bath.

My little dogs always need them, I have my Pom and Shi-Poo groomed and both clipped to keep 'em clean, and the corgi is a low rider and picks up everything like a mop, he gets 'em once a month!


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## KLCecil

All the dogs get bathed 1-2 times per week otherwise the house starts smelling like dog. We like it when people enjoy coming over without the worry of them going home smelling like dog or covered in fur.

They get washed in #1 All Systems Deep cleaning and conditioning
Blown Dry with a "force Air"
Trimmed (hair and nails if needed)


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## Lucy Dog

KLCecil said:


> All the dogs get bathed 1-2 times per week otherwise the house starts smelling like dog. We like it when people enjoy coming over without the worry of them going home smelling like dog or covered in fur.
> 
> They get washed in #1 All Systems Deep cleaning and conditioning
> Blown Dry with a "force Air"
> Trimmed (hair and nails if needed)



Your dogs really shouldn't have to bathe nearly that much and they definitely shouldn't smell that bad where they have to bath that often. Something else has to be going on there. I'll go months without bathing Lucy and she doesn't smell at all.

The first question i'll ask to someone who has a smelly dog is what they're feeding. It could be a poor quality diet or it could be allergies that are causing issues.


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## Samba

We bathe the house dogs every 4 to 6 weeks. This keeps the loose hair situation better. 

I use a high quality shampoo that does not damage or strip the coat. If a person goes at the coat with a cheap shampoo, I would imagine they could get the coat damaged. 

When the dogs are showing, they get bathed once a week. Their coats are marvelous and they have been winning, so I don't think frequent bathing is something that you should not do in order to keep the coat in beautiful shape. The show handlers who have a huge concern with the coat bath them about once a week or so when showing. You do have to take care in the quality of the products that you use though.


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## LaRen616

I thought I heard your only supposed to bathe them twice a year? 

I dont know but Rogue and Sin are definitly due for a bath! I need to find a doggy dentist too because Rogue has some serious bad breath


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## Kelly's Buddy

KLCecil said:


> All the dogs get bathed 1-2 times per week otherwise the house starts smelling like dog. We like it when people enjoy coming over without the worry of them going home smelling like dog or covered in fur.
> 
> They get washed in #1 All Systems Deep cleaning and conditioning
> Blown Dry with a "force Air"
> Trimmed (hair and nails if needed)


That seems a bit extreme to me. Two things that were essential for maintaining a well groomed dog were a set of coat tools. Soft brush, slicker, comb and shedding blade. The other was a premium vacuum. I ponied up for a Kirby, and it did great keeping the fur from her shedding off my furniture and carpet.

Try going to monthly bathing, and do coat grooming once per week with a general wipe down. You may find that easier on you and the dog.

Lastly, people argue on the frequency of washing cars or motorcycles too. The main reason I argue for at least monthly washings is it gives me the chance to check the bike for loose bolts or anything else that may need attention. The great thing about that is, people are always in shock when I tell them what year it is. Their response is always how new it looks.

IMHO, It's no different for dogs.


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## Samba

It is a great way to check out the dogs for lumps and bumps and skin issues. You can give them a good going over.

The dogs I bath every 4-6 weeks don't get smelly in that amount of time. I only do it to help with coat condition and undercoat control. I have not had any trouble with dog smell with the house dogs over many years.


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## counter

I remember when we first got Nara, I resorted to books on GSDs for info. Most of the books mentioned that they should get a bath every 2 weeks, so that's what I was doing her first weeks we had her. When we started going to dog parks and mingling with other more experienced dog owners, I found out that you really only need to bathe them if/when they get smelly. Nara gets brushed weekly, but unless she's smelly, she doesn't need a bath. I've definitely been around other dogs that, when you pet them, your hands get stinky smelling like the dog. I feel bad for the dog, and also wonder how the owners could let them get that bad.

Here in Oregon, Nara gets a "shower" just about every day that she's outside, since it's overcast and/or rains 300 days out of the year. Haha. Whenever she gets wet and comes back in, I dry her off, otherwise she'll get somewhat smelly if she's allowed to self-dry.

But yeah, unless she gets stinky, which is super rare, we stick with her weekly brushings and avoid unnecessary bathes that could damage her coat and skin. When she does need a bathe, we use an organic/holistic oatmeal shampoo that leaves her smelling like oatmeal raisin cookies for months. Haha!


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## Samba

If a person uses a shampoo that strips oils and is drying there could be damage at bathing.
On the other hand, I have seen frequent bathing keep skin and coat in tip top condition with lustrous beauty.


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## BluePaws

Not to hijack the thread, but what about brushing? Should you brush a puppy often? (daily? weekly?) 

With my aussie, most of his dirt just brushes right off so he only gets a bath quarterly. My shepherd required a lot of 'spot cleaning' because she was always having accidents, or getting injured (she was white, but I quite often thought she should be a new breed of Pink Shepherd because she was always bloody from bee stings, or scrapes), but very rarely required full baths.


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## ruchika

*Thanks all. That's what I had thought..*

no more than 3-4 baths a year. Pepper is now almost 6 months old and she's had one bath. But with company coming I think I will bathe her again this weekend. She goes to a dog run almost everyday and does get dusty...but she's not really smelly. That was why I was wondering if she does need a bath at all or not. I guess I'll give her a bath once every season.


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## Lucy Dog

BluePaws said:


> Not to hijack the thread, but what about brushing? Should you brush a puppy often? (daily? weekly?)
> 
> With my aussie, most of his dirt just brushes right off so he only gets a bath quarterly. My shepherd required a lot of 'spot cleaning' because she was always having accidents, or getting injured (she was white, but I quite often thought she should be a new breed of Pink Shepherd because she was always bloody from bee stings, or scrapes), but very rarely required full baths.


I usually brush Lucy once a week. Sometimes every other week, but no less than that. I'll get her with the furminator for about 20-30 minutes everytime and it's a wrap. Beautiful coat and shedding is really cut down by a lot.

If you really want to get into detail about grooming, I'll clip her nails once every 3-4 weeks. I like to keep them nice and short so she's always comfortable.


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## Montana Scout

i read in my GSD book no more than twice a year... but if he stinks he's goin to the tub!!


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## Heagler870

Lucy Dog said:


> What are you feeding?


 
Diamond Naturals. It's not a really horrid smell, it's just that smell of when they come in from outside and it tends to linger. I don't know, they play rough everyday when we take em outside and Riley rolls in the grass all the time


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## Emoore

Rocky got a tick bath back in October because I found a tick on him. . .before that he hadn't had one in about a year. He just doesn't get dirty or stinky at all. I occasionally have a non-dog-owning friend smell him just to make sure I'm not out of my mind, but everyone says he has no odor. He gets brushed daily though.


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## Montana Scout

Emoore said:


> Rocky got a tick bath back in October because I found a tick on him. . .before that he hadn't had one in about a year. He just doesn't get dirty or stinky at all. *I occasionally have a non-dog-owning friend smell him just to make sure I'm not out of my mind*, but everyone says he has no odor. He gets brushed daily though.


:rofl::spittingcoffee::wild:


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## VegasResident

only when mine fails the sniff test or I go...ewwwww what is that on your fur?

Personally I like the smell of a GSD....go figure


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## Lesley1905

I only give my dogs baths on an as needed basis. If they are really stinky or really dirty/muddy..it's tub time! Brody could have used one today after playing ball in the wet grass and laying in the damp dirt!! Ahhhh!! I walked him around for a little bit afterwards and then just brushed him off and wiped his belly and feet off!


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## doggiedad

my dog is 3.5 yrs old and he's had,
maybe 4 baths.


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## Zoeys mom

Ours rarely get a real bath because they don't smell,lol Zoe has had 2 baths in a year both times because she rolled in deer poop. Our lab is bathed about the same both are brushed several times a week and dried off when they swim or it is raining, but the shampoo is reserved for poop rolling for the most part


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## kidkhmer

I read something about GSD being a smelly breed which woRried me a bit before I got my dog but now karma smells beautiful to me !! I feed her all sorts of stuff and she gets a tea tree oil shampoo about once a month now . She swims a bit and we hose her too cool her down . She has a lovely shorter coat which is perfect for our tropical climate here.we are lucky our house is completely tiled inside and paved outside so zero chance of any potential dog smell build up and her nails are naturally kept in check . God I remember I used to go out with this chick when I was younger and they had a shep and their house was like COVERED in hair it was gross !!!


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## dsunnym1

Ok Whats the DEAL,What am I not getting?? I am really jealous of all the posts that say their shepherd has no stink issue!! My Boy is 6 1/2 Months old, He is on Wolf cub & His shedding & doggy odor is off the charts! Should I blame this on the food or South Florida heat?


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## Jax08

I give them a bath when they are dirty. Generally, if I brush them and their coats still feel dirty, then they get a bathe. I only use Emu Oil shampoo so the needed oils get put back in their skin that a normal shampoo would strip away.


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## EJQ

A once a month bath is acceptable BUT if your puppers are in the habit of running through the woods, in the stream and wallowing in the mud and dirt (like ours) a bath might be neccessary on an as needed basis. Seriously, summer time is our "dirty" season and since our girls are active therapy dogs they get bathed fairly often. Winter brings less opportunity to get too dirty so we're in the tub for a bath or off to the dog wash about once a month.


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## dsunnym1

dsunnym1 said:


> Ok Whats the DEAL,What am I not getting?? I am really jealous of all the posts that say their shepherd has no stink issue!! My Boy is 6 1/2 Months old, He is on Wolf cub & His shedding & doggy odor is off the charts! Should I blame this on the food or South Florida heat?


bump


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## onyx'girl

Is he an inside dog? Is the odor coming from his body, ears or his mouth? Have you had a skin scraping done to be sure he doesn't have a staph or yeast infection? 
Wolf Cub may not agree with him, Wellness super5mix large breed puppy has the proper calcium/phosphorus ratios for growing GSD's... maybe switch to that slowly?
Do you brush him out regularly to distribute his natural oils?


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## dsunnym1

yes he lives inside,, Had him on Orijen but got sick of the loose stool! that is when i switched him to Solid Gold Wolf Cub. Just trying to determine if this food is the cause of his shedding & smell or if it is simply the heat down here?


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