No bathing :0(

[Surfing Spaniel]

I was just reading the post about 'Shampoo'. When I went to the vet last week, she told me not to bath Dylan. She said once or twice a year was more than enough. He's 13 weeks old & Ive bathed him twice, well he had got wee all over him so he had to be done I just wondered what everyones opinion was, & does it stop frontline working???                    

[Jane S]

Hmm, don't think your vet knows a whole lot about Cocker coats You should bath your pup as often as you think he needs it - inevitably there are times when he will get dirty & need a bath but if you leave it to only once or twice a year, you're going to have one smelly canine Bathing won't stop Frontline working so you don't have to worry about that                    

[gerry]

Bathing is a regular in our house - there's no way I could leave it to 2 times a year!

Almost every walk Rigsby goes on he manages to find a ditch or pond filled with black stinking goo  I find the hose on a jet nozzle is a daily occurence and he really enjoys his baths as he has had so many - he lays down on his back with legs in the air while I shampoo him and then goes under the shower to rinse off!  The more often your dog has a bath the easier it will be to do it, and believe me with a cocker you will need to!                    

[Anita]

Phoebe gets bathed every two to three weeks depending on the weather and whats she's been swimming in . She also goes to the groomers every couple of months.

She would be very whiffy if she was left to a couple of times a year.

It does help doing her often as she has settled into it quickly (no chasing a wet dog around the house - she even likes the hair dryer).                    

[KellyP]

Millie gets smelly quite often. She probably has a bath at least once a month - more often if she finds something sticky and smelly whilst on a walk.
She actually hates the bath, she stands there crying   , but as a consolation she loves the haidryer; she evens sits by me when I blow dry my own hair                      

[tracey]

There would be some very grubby show dogs if they were bathed twice a year
My Gold girl Bryony is bathed every week if we have a show She spends a lot of time running around the garden and digging holes She also paddles in the water bowl So you can imagine what she looks like between shows Must post a pic some time
Tracey                    

[Anonymous]

Posted by: Tracey Posted on: Today at 11:11:11pm She also paddles in the water bowl
 

Thank goodness its not only Beano !!! I thought he was daft !! He does this all the time and then proceeds to chase it round the kitchen, spilling it everywhere !!!

Beano is 15 weeks and had his second bath today !!! Cant imagine what hed smell like if he was only bathed twice a year !!!!                    

[Surfing Spaniel]

Hiya
Thanx for all the replies, I'm so glad everyone has said ignore the vet & carry on bathing I don't think you can beat a fluffy puppy all nice & clean, & I reckon if you didnt bath him the house would start to smell a bit, never mind the dog. After all I watch House Doctor & she always has something to say if owners havent bathed the dogs Saying that though I reckon you walk in our house at the minute, & it smells of biological washing powder where I've been cleaning all those little accidents up                      

[PennyB]

Vet obviously doesn't come across many cockers who roll in fox poo. Ruby was so disgusting tonight I was nearly sick trying to bath her. On average she gets bathed at least once a week depending on how much she's rolled in!                    

[Jenney]

Thank goodness its not only Beano !!! I thought he was daft !!  He does this all the time and then proceeds to chase it round the kitchen, spilling it everywhere !!!

She also paddles in the water bowl

oh no! , I thought it was just Snuffles being dim . Please tell me they grow out off it?                      

[Gilly]

I must admit Butty isn't a roller...but i still bath her every 2 weeks..as she comes in with allsorts stuck to her body parts...usually her private benjamins                    

[tracey]

She also paddles in the water bowl

oh no! , I thought it was just Snuffles being dim . Please tell me they grow out off it?  

More like growing into it Bryony is 2 1/2 and has just started paddling
Think it was a way of keeping her tooties cool in the hot weather
Tracey                    

[Mary]

Yes, Lottie gets bathed frequently too even though she never goes swimming (avoids water like the plague ).  Having said that, she did have a paddle in the sea last week and a idp in some rock pools.  She came home very smelly and I couldn't wait to get her in the shower.

She's not keen on the shower either...loves running around after and also loves the hairdryer too                    

[Michele]

Bathing won't stop Frontline working so you don't have to worry about that

My lot are bathed regularly too
The only thing I'd like to add to Jane's sound advice is not to bath 48 hours either side of applying Frontline or any other topical flea treatment                      

[Michelle_S]

Has anyone any tips to make bathtime a bit less traumatic for Harry?

He's now 13 weeks old and we gave him his first bath a couple of weeks ago, which he HATED - struggling to escape and crying - we all ended up soaking!

I have been told that if I want him to get used to regular bathing, (which from reading this thread I imagine I will, especially with Autumn around the corner and plenty of mud to come!) then I should expose him to it frequently now to get him used to it!

Two horrible baths later - he now recognises the signs and tries to escape as soon as he sees a towel! We try to be calm and reassure without giving him the message that he's right to be scared but ITS NOT WORKING and when he gets a bit bigger it'll be really hard to keep him in the bath.

Do I have to just persevere, is the water temperature OK ?(tepid/warm), should I use the shower attachment or a jug (tried both with equally disastrous results) or something else? We are bathing him in the bath on a shower mat.

I know it's early days, but would like to know if anyone else's puppy has reacted like this and how they dealt with it!