My stinky dog
I am wondering how do you keep your corgi smelling acceptable (notice it doesn't have to be good, just NOT rank) during the spring thaw? Our snow is just finally starting to melt and the yard is a spongy mud pit. Penny had a bath two days ago and already reeks to high heavens because of all the stagnant water she can't resist playing in everytime she goes into the yard. I don't want to bathe her too much since it can dry her skin. So is there some trick to keeping your dog decent? Baby wipes aren't cutting it either. Is there a good shampoo you can recommend that lingers longer without making her smell like a fruit salad or breakfast cereal? or are their doggie wipes that can be used at the end of the day to freshen her up? any help is appreciated. A few days ago I picked my daughters up from school and the 5 year old said, "I miss Penny. She is such a stinky dog, stinky dog, stinky dog. I wanna play with our stinky dog." I must find some solution soon as this thaw will be going on for several months before it is dry outside. :-\
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Sarah C. on
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Considered throwing her in the shower and just rinsing, not scrubbing?
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Permalink Reply by Lauren and Penny Underfoot on
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Yes we have done this but she takes so long to dry and she is dirty again before she is completely dry. It's just so muddy and gross out it is a constant cycle.
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Permalink Reply by Joanna Kimball on
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She can be bathed twice a week if you want. Bathing does NOT dry the skin if you use a decent shampoo; if you use something from Hartz off the grocery store shelf meant for dogs who get bathed once a year, yeah, that's not too good. You can use most human products (show people have used them for years; I use a human shampoo once a week on mine and have for over three years - most of the better dog shampoos are extremely close in formulation to the human shampoos) or you can order a good dog shampoo meant for frequent baths (Chris Christensen Day to Day is a great one).
Go forth and bathe your dog! You will feel MUCH better about her and your house.
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Permalink Reply by Renee Kovacs on
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For quickie-cleaning, I use a bucket with vinegar & water, and one of those thick micro-fiber rags (which I can't live without!). Wring the rag out, and 'scrub' - the rag itself will get the dirt, the vinegar will counter the odor and won't hurt the dog.
For bathing, I use either pure Castile liquid soap or Ark's Naturals Neem Shampoo (for pets). It's just an 'old wive's tale' that dogs shouldn't be bathed often - they can and should be bathed whenever they need it. Leaving dirt, pond scum or even dandruff on a dog only serves to feed bacteria that live on dogs, and can lead to greater secondary issues worse than just a stinky dog. =) If you wouldn't leave it on your hair - don't leave it on your dog.
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I do have a bucket by the door, I will try the vinegar and microfiber. Thanks so much!
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I agree and am not using the standard "doggie wash" products available at the store. I figure if I wouldn't use it on my skin or hair I can't use it on hers. Plus all they have at my local store is strawberry scented which I just can't bring myself to do. I hate that synthetic strawberry scent, reminds me of Strawberry Shortcake Dolls from the '80's and Bubble Yum. Not how a dog should smell :)
Edited to add: This post is in response to Joanna, but is showing up out of place.
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Permalink Reply by Beth on
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I do two things instead of frequent bathing:
When it's very mucky out, I rinse their feet in a bowl of plain tepid water and towel-dry them. Dogs have scent-glands in their feet (well, Penny is probably too young to have them yet, but adult dogs do) and besides getting dirty, if they are out walking and their feet get damp a lot, they get that wet corn-chip smell.
I also keep unscented baby wipes around and will first dry-towel the worst of the grit off, then use the baby wipes to give their tummies a very good scrub.
Dogs coats have natural oils in them which is part of how they keep water-resistant and weather-resistant in general. Frequent bathing with any shampoo, no matter how mild, strips the oils and makes your dog less water-resistant. If you need to you can give her a rinse in plain water (no soap) and dry her off good with a towel, letting her air-dry the rest if she's not shivering. That will help if you get her right away. When we swim the dogs in the summer in the creek, that is what we do--- pop them in a kiddie pool of plain water when they come home. As long as we get them rinsed before they dry off, they lose the pond-muck smell.
I know people say you can bathe your dog as often as you like and not bother the skin, but my dad has a Chesapeake Bay Retriever and they are advised not to bathe the dog in soap AT ALL from the time the oils start to come in during the autumn, til the end of hunting season, because of the oil-stripping nature of even mild soap. It reduces the dog's natural water-resistance. Of course our dogs are not doing cold-water retrieves, but I prefer to keep them with their natural oils as much as I can and try to only bathe them every two months or so.
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One of the ways I know that my dogs are thoroughly rinsed is that the water starts beading up on the coat again - they literally aren't even dry before their coats are water-resistant.
Double-coated dogs stay dry and warm because of the loft and insulation provided by the undercoat (like a sleeping bag) and the harder, shiny cuticle of the topcoat. Washing and drying a double-coated dog with a proper coat should never damage its resistance to weather. What you don't want to do is use a conditioner with a lot of wax in it, which softens the cuticle and can allow the coat to absorb water. A good shampoo, rinse, and (if desired) a conditioner that uses silicone rather than waxes will leave the coat very able to resist weather.
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Good to know about the waxes and silicones. I will keep an eye out for these when I am reading labels.
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Penny totally has Frito Feet! I told my husband her feet smelled like Frito's and he didn't believe me. So when they were playing he rolled her onto her back and gave a sniff. His response "Wow! They totally smell like Fritos!"
Their tummies do get the worst of it don't they? I have been trying to towel her off as soon as she comes in the door but to Penny the towel is the best chew toy EVER! So now I have to have a Decoy towel for her to chew while I use the other one on her tummy.
The Kiddie Pool idea sounds perfect for this summer when we are at the river!
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Permalink Reply by Jane Christensen on
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I use my Aveda on mine and they smell great once they dry and the smell lasts for awhile! I do know what you mean about the wet as we have several feet of snow and now have at least 4 days of rain in our forecast! Yuck!
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Yes totally wet and mucky here. It rained all day yesterday and today so most of the snow in our yard is gone where it hadn't drifted too high. Now we have a very large mud pit where our back yard is supposed to be. ugh!
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