YOU OR THE GROOMER & HOW OFTEN??

[Knife Lady]

Do you bathe your pet or do you take him/her to the groomer?
I bathe my 2 dogs at home in the tub. I have to bathe the GSD right now every week with a special shampoo for her dry itchy skin. The other dog I only bathe him about every 2 months unless he really gets too stinky from rolling around on the ground. Neither dog likes to get a bath. Once they are in the tub they are ok. The GSD will jump in by herself but the other dog well he has to be carried in there and all four paws are all stretched out fighting as you are going through the bathroom entrance.

 

[HDSilvrStreak]

Ours is a Great Dane. We're fortunate in that they only have to be bathed 2 or 3 times a year and have short hair. There is no "grooming" to be done.

What we usually do is have her bathed when we have to leave her overnight. She stays at Dog Dayz in Noblesville. If you have them bathed on pickup day, no late fee. We've taken advantage of that policy numerous times.

 

[tv1217]

My groomer is long and green and has a nozzle on one end.

 

[patience0830]

huh?

You wash your DOG?


That's just weird.

 

[tom1025]

We make the kids bathe our three dogs.

 

[tocaman]

The wife has two Yorkies that I get to bathe and shave. Baths are a breeze in the kitchen sink. Usually only in March and August for the cutting - they get to keep their winter coat. Have to remind her I'm not a groomer and her female isn't too keen on holding still... "puppy cuts" for both, no guard on the clippers. Same with my standard (read: large) poodle, but he gets cut about every other month in the spring/summer (black dog) and less in the winter. Baths are done outside, with the hose.

Was going to attach a humorous pic of the poodle with a mohawk, but Picasa's not playing nice

 

[24Carat]

GSD shouldn't be bathed but once a year if that, unless they have gotten into something. They are an oily coat canine and you have dry skin problems by not letting the coat attain its proper state.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Had a schnauzer that needed shampoos and grooming and such, took to doing it myself. She's underground now, much to my relief. The meth lab/shepherd mix doesn't need all that, though she'll probably get a bath once in a while, if only because she's not too bright and liable to get smelly. At least she's stopped pooping in the dining room. Some days I'll take what I can get.

 

[TRL]

We bath ours in the shower about every other month. Min grooming and it is a fight to drag her into the bathroom, but once she's in the shower she is fine and lets it happen. Once a year we take her to a groomer down the road at x-mas time to have them do the bath and all.

 

[Knife Lady]

GSD shouldn't be bathed but once a year if that, unless they have gotten into something. They are an oily coat canine and you have dry skin problems by not letting the coat attain its proper state.

Our GSD already has dry skin. I am doing what my Vet says.

 

[findingZzero]

We have a std poodle who needs to be cut (hair vs fur). No shedding vs fuzzy life. My wife did it in the beginning. I've taken over, but she usually bails me out. We have the tools, but it still takes forever. I wash him when he decides the smell of **** or dead fish beats oatmeal cucumber or whatever. He's a dog. That's what dogs do. Even poodles.

 

[mcolford]

Groomer for the lap dog. He has very fine, VERY THICK hair... ANd its worth the $25 to have them do it.

 

[paddling_man]

My 11 year old daughter decided in the last few months that being in the shower was somehow disturbing... frightening even. She now showers in our master bathroom with the big tiled shower. She finds that if poor Monty (the GRD*) is in the bathroom, she feels less anxious.

We have to stop her from bathing him... er, showering him more than once a week. We have the sweetest smelling Golden this side of heaven.





* Golden Retriever Dog. German Shepherd Dog. Although GSD has become a commonplace abbreviation, am I the only one that finds it somewhat redundant? Doberman Pinscher Dog. Collie Dog. Poodle Dog.

 

[24Carat]

Our GSD already has dry skin. I am doing what my Vet says.

Big assumption on my part but does your "special shampoo or conditioner" come from your Vet? Just saying.

Try adding sardines twice a week or a mix of omega 3 and 6 oils. I would be adding some meat to the diet as well - red meat isnt great for GSDs - chicken would probably be very good. Raw with bones. The old myth about not feeding dogs chicken bones pertains to cooked bones. Raw chicken breasts, legs and thighs with sliced raw sweet potato is one of the best diets you can give a GSD.

This will increase the quality of the food, and will add some oils and nutrients to help the coat

Introduce any change slowly.

 

[trailrider]

my aussie gets groomed twice a year and bathed at home maybe 3 to 4 times a year.(my wife thinks he needs bathed more!)

 

[Tripp11]

Our Airedale Terrier goes to the groomer every 6 weeks for cut, wash, nails dremeled and some wonderful anal gland squeezing. That's one job I really don't want.

 

[serf]

Mine get bathed when they stink.... bad. Hounds tend to go alright... gotta wipe the bassetts ears with baby wipes every so often. Other than that when it rains...

My cousin does grooming near mooresville/waverly and occasionally my mom takes the girl dogs with her.

 

[Mosinguy]

I cut my dog's hair and bathe him but I don't do his nails. I'll let the vet or some grooming place cut his nails.

 

[Benny]

I guess I'm a tight ass, but I rarely pay someone to do something I can do myself.

GSD shouldn't be bathed but once a year if that, unless they have gotten into something. They are an oily coat canine and you have dry skin problems by not letting the coat attain its proper state.

Mine gets 2-3 a year. His coat stays nice and pretty and his skin doesn't dry out. He gets combed all of the time and I also put that baby-powder spray on him if he's been outside all day.

I cut my dog's hair and bathe him but I don't do his nails. I'll let the vet or some grooming place cut his nails.

I rarely have to cut my GSD's nails because he wears them down himself, but when he was a puppy I constantly played with his gums and moved his nails around, so he's so used to it that I can just grab the clippers and he'll come sit in front of me and give me paw after paw. If he needs a pill, I just say, "open up" and he tilts his head back and I drop the pill(s) down his throat.

 

[Knife Lady]

Big assumption on my part but does your "special shampoo or conditioner" come from your Vet? Just saying.

Try adding sardines twice a week or a mix of omega 3 and 6 oils. I would be adding some meat to the diet as well - red meat isnt great for GSDs - chicken would probably be very good. Raw with bones. The old myth about not feeding dogs chicken bones pertains to cooked bones. Raw chicken breasts, legs and thighs with sliced raw sweet potato is one of the best diets you can give a GSD.

This will increase the quality of the food, and will add some oils and nutrients to help the coat

Introduce any change slowly.

Oh yes this is shampoo from the Vet. It has helped but she still ahs very flaky skin. It looks dadruff. I do put cooked chicken in her food and I give her omega 3 fish oil pills too. She hates those. I am doing everything I know possible to help her. I really appreciate your advice.
I jsut wish I could do more for her. I hate to see her scratch so much. I might end up taking to her a Vet dermatologist specailist that our Vet has already referred us to. I thougth I would try the diet and shampoo first.