How Often Do You Bath Your Greys?

[LadyGrey]

I bathe my girls about once every three months. They love to run around in the big fenced in back yard several times a day. So the dust and so forth (eventhough it is thick nice grass), accumulates. About every three months in summer, and every four months in winter.

[greyhoundlov]

I used to do the same thing for mine. They may not smell or look dirty, but when you see their bathwater, . If they are sleeping in my bed, they are getting baths!!!

Edited October 3, 2010 by greyhoundlov

[rycezmom]

Maybe once or twice a year or if they get into something and NEED a bath. Usually a good brushing serves the purpose or in Gustopher P's case, a good vacuuming.

 

L.

[HoundHeavenAZ]

During the warm months the dogs get hosed down prior to our evening walks - it keeps the dander down, keeps the feet cooler, dust to a minimum, sloughs off the old hair and keeps them wiggling and shaking for the first block of our walk! About twice a year I might bring out the shampoo because I like the fresh smell even tho they probably don't. We keep a doggie pool in the yard so they can take a dip or drive-thru to cool themselves off too. Most of them love laying in it - some even sleep in it

[OwnedBySummer]

I've always bathed my dogs once a month. But Summer, my first grey, had some allergic reactions to cedar beds and wheat... so I haven't been bathing her every month. But now that everything is better, it's time to teach her to jump into the tub on command, the same as all my other dogs did. Hmmm... wonder if the greyhound will be as obedient? Something tells me that this may be a challenge!

 

Ed.: I forgot to add, that in the summer she has her own little pool, so she's rinsing almost every day.

Edited October 3, 2010 by OwnedBySummer

[Houndtime]

In the spring and summer-a good rain and nice big towel. I brush them frequently.

We used to bath them after camping, but we camped the whole summer.

[Guest TeddysMom]

I try not to bathe them more than once a month unless they roll in something. I give them sponge baths with baking soda water about once a week just to keep the dirt under control.

[PrairieProf]

I've had Beth two years and aside from right after I brought her home I've taken her for baths/grooming (don't do it myself) twice a year, more or less spring and fall. She doesn't generally seem dirty but it seems like a nice idea to freshen up after the winter and summer seasons, and getting a "blowout" from a professional groomer helps with the spring shedding. She gets hosed off if she gets muddy in warm weather, and gets rubbed down sometimes with doggie bath wipes if she seems a little fragrant.

 

She has become one of the softest, silkiest greyhounds around, and non-grey dog people sometimes ask me what I bathe her in. It's fun to shock them with the news that whatever makes her soft, it's not special shampoo.

Edited October 4, 2010 by PrairieProf

[Trihounds]

We've had our dogs almost 2 years and they had 1 bath about 5 months after we got them. I guess we're overdue but they look perfectly clean and never smell. If they get dirty for some odd reason, they tend to manage cleaning on their own.

[Guest Energy11]

WE have NEVER bathed ours. They groomed everyother day if needed, with The Furminator, and again, if needed, some nice cologne, but nope .. no baths :-))

[galgomum]

No baths here unless someone manages to roll in something really bad.

Just brushing and petting a lot. The occasional stain gets done with baby wipes, but haven't had to do that in a very long time now.

They all smell fine to me so I don't want to upset them.

[MerlinsMum]

I am a surprised at how many people mentioned bathing their greyhounds every month or every couple of months. In my opinion, that's too often for a greyhound. They don't have much in the way of fur and bathing them that often will remove much-needed oil from their skin.

 

Merlin has been with us over three and a half years, and I think he's had two baths. Hasn't had one in over 2 years. Sagan has been with us for nearly 2 years and has never had a bath. They don't need one. They always smell AMAZING and indeed I often joke that if I could bottle the smell of their ears, fur, etc I would do so in a second!

[Guest Vers]

They don't need one. They always smell AMAZING and indeed I often joke that if I could bottle the smell of their ears, fur, etc I would do so in a second!

 

I'm pretty much in this camp. Stella has had one bath here, when she first came home to take some of the kennel smell from her fur. Simba would have only had one except when he had the staph infection; the vet suggested an oatmeal shampoo every week or two. Unless they get into something smelly or there's a medical reason, I can't see regularly bathing these two any more often than I do my cats. Which is to say, almost never. They groom theselves perfectly, and they always smell good -- cats and dogs.

[KF_in_Georgia]

My guys had baths under the hose in the front yard in early July. Sam is fine--clean and smells fine. Jacey licks herself a lot, and she has breath that would drop an elephant. Consequently, she smells like a dog with bad breath--all over. I generally can cope if I dampen a washcloth, add a little Listerine mouthwash, and just wipe her down. That takes care of the smell pretty well, and I do that if it's not possible to bathe her because of the weather. (I can't get the dogs rinsed well if I bathe them inside.)

 

But the guys have some greyhound events coming up this month, so I'm probably going to take them to work (I'm a groomer) on my day off Friday and get them baths there. We've got warm water, dryers, towels, and all that stuff. (Technically, we're allowed to bathe one dog per month at work on our day off. I'm going to go in with both dogs on the grounds that I haven't bathed either of them there since last year. We'll just call Sam's bath my September bath, and Jacey's can be my October bath.) They just get a lot cleaner if I bathe them at work, partly because the forced-air dryer blows with enough force to get a lot of loose hair and flaking skin off--debris that doesn't always wash and rinse off well when I bathe them at home.

 

After this, they probably won't have another bath until the weather warms up next spring/summer.

[Guest greytlady93]

My guys usually get a bath at the beginning of the summer and then at the end. They are groomed with a mitt weekly and with a wipe if needed.

 

I was told long ago not to bathe them too often and only if it was warm.

 

It works for us.

[Guest Javasmom]

I had Java for 7 years and in that time, I think he was bathed 2 times. I am from the camp that too much bathing is not good for them as it dries their coat and skin out. He stayed pretty clean in his own accord too, not much for rolling in stinky stuff. (Good boy!) He did get hosed down with plain water a few times after running in mud as we wanted to make sure to get all of the dirt out of the places we did not know he had. He LOVED being toweled off, we always did that after a walk in the rain.

[LadyGrey]

That is all fantastic information. I think my bathing them every four or three months is too often. I will adopt the method of brushing them every week or so to keep fur shiny and any shedding down. I will move to the twice a year crowd and then try the once every two years. Now if they roll in something stinky, I will have to bath them. For instance, last December, there was a muddy spot in the back corner of the yard, The girls just had this urgency to roll in it (all the way). I had two shiny brown Greyhounds!! So they had nice warm baths in the tub with big fluffy towel rubs that I just took out of the dryer for their comfort. I had them sleep on the bed in the room with the heater on until they dried.

 

I do wash their linens once a month though. Their bed covers and blankets, and stuffies get washed and dried once a month. I guess it is just me. But they seem to love it when their linens are freshly washed as well. "MMMMMMM, smells goooood, Mom"!

[Guest Bamn]

Usually 2 times a year, just in shedding seasons to help get the loose fur off.

[RileysLegacy]

I always get grossed out reading about this topic Yes, greyhounds are clean and generally don't smell, but they get dirty just like everything else. They are laying on the floor, walking in who knows what, licking themselves, etc. I certainly don't want to be touching a dog or letting it on my bed that hasn't been washed in years. But, that's just me

 

I wash my dogs about 1-2 times a month. Obviously i am lucky to live in a tropical climate so it's way easier for me to wash them outside. When I lived in cold weather they got washed less, but still every few month indoors. Riley was about the fluffiest, softest greyhound ever, and everyone that pets Legs comments on how soft he is (we are still trying to grow him some hair though). If you use proper shampoo, it won't dry out their skin. I LOVE having a freshly clean doggie

[Guest TeddysMom]

I always get grossed out reading about this topic Yes, greyhounds are clean and generally don't smell, but they get dirty just like everything else. They are laying on the floor, walking in who knows what, licking themselves, etc. I certainly don't want to be touching a dog or letting it on my bed that hasn't been washed in years. But, that's just me

 

I wash my dogs about 1-2 times a month. Obviously i am lucky to live in a tropical climate so it's way easier for me to wash them outside. When I lived in cold weather they got washed less, but still every few month indoors. Riley was about the fluffiest, softest greyhound ever, and everyone that pets Legs comments on how soft he is (we are still trying to grow him some hair though). If you use proper shampoo, it won't dry out their skin. I LOVE having a freshly clean doggie

 

I agree. When they sleep on my bed and begin to leave a dirty spot where they lay, they get a bath. I use an everyday dog shampoo so I'm not too concerned about drying them out. Maybe because I live in the country and God only knows what they go out and lay in on two acres but everyday brushing just doesn't keep them clean enough for me. They don't smell bad unless they find something nasty to roll in but their skin still gets dirty. I still have to change my bedding every other day even when they are all bathed and clean. Don't any of you have a problem keeping you sheets and couch covers clean when you don't bathe them? I'm amazed.

[PrairieProf]

Some issues from dirty paws, but nothing from Beth's body that I've never noticed. BUT she is only off-leash for defined periods in the dog park or another fenced area I take her to and doesn't get to lie down much outside -- only on grass, and with me watching -- so there's not much contact between her body and actual dirt. Well, except when she runs through the mud, but then she gets hosed off.

Edited October 5, 2010 by PrairieProf

[OwnedBySummer]

I always get grossed out reading about this topic Yes, greyhounds are clean and generally don't smell, but they get dirty just like everything else. They are laying on the floor, walking in who knows what, licking themselves, etc. I certainly don't want to be touching a dog or letting it on my bed that hasn't been washed in years. But, that's just me

 

I wash my dogs about 1-2 times a month. Obviously i am lucky to live in a tropical climate so it's way easier for me to wash them outside. When I lived in cold weather they got washed less, but still every few month indoors. Riley was about the fluffiest, softest greyhound ever, and everyone that pets Legs comments on how soft he is (we are still trying to grow him some hair though). If you use proper shampoo, it won't dry out their skin. I LOVE having a freshly clean doggie

 

I agree. When they sleep on my bed and begin to leave a dirty spot where they lay, they get a bath. I use an everyday dog shampoo so I'm not too concerned about drying them out. Maybe because I live in the country and God only knows what they go out and lay in on two acres but everyday brushing just doesn't keep them clean enough for me. They don't smell bad unless they find something nasty to roll in but their skin still gets dirty. I still have to change my bedding every other day even when they are all bathed and clean. Don't any of you have a problem keeping you sheets and couch covers clean when you don't bathe them? I'm amazed.

 

I like my dogs clean, too. If I didn't bathe my previous dogs every month, I'd notice the dirt building up on things, usually around their beds. So Summer will get the same regimen -- she is living exactly the same way as the other dogs PLUS she goes to greyhound playdates every weekend. I use a nice 2-in-1 shampoo on her that is available only to groomers and she stays soft and plush and velvety. My bedsheets don't get dirty as she doesn't go under but the comforter gets washed regularly. I don't use couch covers but I deliberately bought family room furniture which doesn't show dirt. She is not, though, allowed on the living room furniture which is a more delicate fabric in a light caramel color.

[Guest kydie]

I take the whole pack to the groomer 4 times a year,,, she puts them in a whirlpool to lift all the dead hair and dry skin out,,,, but I bath them in between if they need it, I also take my own shampoo to her,, as I use an orgainc brand

Edited October 5, 2010 by kydie

[AstasMinion]

I do exactly the same thing as Kydie!

[RobinM]

ROT ROH! Are we suppossed to clean them too??? Yeesh!

 

I used to bath them every 3 months. That was when I had 3. Now, I can't remember and they don't smell!

 

I'll probably do it after Dewey.