Almost every dog owner has smelled the dirty dog smell and either taken on the task of grooming the dog from home or finding a professional groomer. Dogs start smelling funky when they have a build up of dander, dirt and oils, so regular grooming can prevent them from getting to the point of having a noticeable smell. Dogs can be overbathed though, so it is important not to bathe a dog more than once a month. The frequent bathing will wash away too many oils from the skin and either dry it out causing flaking or cause an overproduction of oils making the coat greasy. There are shampoos specially formulated for frequent bathing which helps to reduce the amount of oils stripped away from the dogs coat. There are many different kinds of shampoos formulated for different coat types and ailments such as whitening, low shed and medicated. When bathing a dog the key to a good bath is saturating the coat completely, scrubbing the shampoo all the way to the skin and rinsing the coat very well. Rinsing is very important because any shampoo residue left on a dog's skin can cause irritation. Usually an at home groom/bath would end with a good towel dry whereas a professional groomer will use a high velocity dryer to quickly dry a dog completely. Many dogs require regular haircuts along with their bath which should be left to a professional groomer as grooming can be very dangerous. Professional groomers will also clean a dog's
ears and clip their nails with each grooming service. Whether you bathe your dog at home or take it to a groomer, try to maintain a 6-8 week schedule to keep you four legged family member nice and clean.