Another one of those “not really training, but actually about training” topics: frequent bathing.
I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been asked: “How often do you wash your dog?”
Cue the puzzled look when I say: “I don’t. Not with soap.”
My dog is four years old and has had exactly three full-body baths in her life—each one after a skunk attack. I don’t even own dog shampoo.
Now, before you think I’m neglecting her, let me explain. I take great care of her coat and hygiene:
-I hand-strip every few months.
-Brush out her undercoat regularly.
-Keep her beard from matting.
-Shave pads and sanitary areas.
-Hand-scissor her face so she actually looks like a schnauzer.
-And yes, I wipe her feet with a wet cloth every single time she comes inside.
That’s usually when I hear: “But our dog smells after three days! We have to bathe with soap twice a week just to keep him fresh.”
Here’s the thing: expecting a dog not to smell like a dog is… well, un-dogly and illogical. Why get a dog if you don’t want to deal with one?
Of course, there are some breeds out there (poodles, schnauzers, Maltese) that barely smell, but they’re still dogs, and their body will produce an aroma which is not too similar to maple syrup, green apple, or vanilla.
More importantly, frequent soapy baths strip away the natural oils that protect your dog from weather, viruses, and chills. Their body will overcompensate, producing too much oil at first—hence the greasy coat many dogs get soon after a bath. Think of it like scar tissue: the body overproduces before balancing out. But here’s the trap: when owners see that greasy coat, they bathe the dog again to “fix” it—starting the cycle all over. The result is chronic stripping of protective oils, leading to skin problems and greater vulnerability to illness.
And here’s the kicker: if you take proper care of the coat (different levels of work depending on the breed), the dirt takes care of itself. That’s how nature designed dogs. They’re not little humans, and they don’t need to be treated like them.
So yes, bathing might not seem like a training issue. But the mentality behind it—wanting to erase the “dogness” of a dog—is the same mentality that often causes training problems.
Stop trying to change dogs’ bodies and, instead, channel that time and energy into building a bond with them.