Regular bathing using a dog-formulated shampoo and conditioner will keep your dog’s coat and skin clean and healthy.  However, over bathing can lead to skin and coat problems, especially if you only use shampoo. When you shampoo your dog, you remove all their natural oils and thus it is essential to also condition your dog’s coat and skin to put back some of the oils.  When you shampoo-only or bathe too frequently, the skin and coat can become severely dry and itchy. You may even notice doggy dandruff. In efforts to ease their itchiness, your dog may rub, bite, lick, and scratch at the irritated areas, which can develop into hot spots (red sores).

It is recommended to bathe dogs once a month or when they become noticeably dirty, smelly, and very oily to the touch.  If you must bathe them more often due to outside activities or lifestyle, try to keep it to no more than twice a month and make sure to use a good dog conditioner appropriate for your dog’s coat.  If you have a puppy, please use a tearless rated shampoo (if it does not say on the bottle, do not buy). You can also use pet grooming wipes (similar to baby wipes) that clean, freshen and condition while giving the coat a healthy shine in between baths.  Another option is to use odor neutralizing sprays, just try to find ones that use natural ingredients and are not alcohol based so as not to dry out the skin.