Bath weekly too much for Maltese puppy?

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MalteseMom
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Bath weekly too much for Maltese puppy?

Post by MalteseMom »

My puppy is almost 14 weeks old and obviously all-white, being a Maltese. Her little paws get dirty from toileting outside and the only way they get really clean is with a good shampooing.

Is bathing her once a week too much?

I don't want to dry out her skin or irritate it. We use a mild tear-free puppy shampoo that says it has moisturizers in it.
Shalista
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Re: Bath weekly too much for Maltese puppy?

Post by Shalista »

I used to bathe Bax every other week or so with no bad side effects but I've been told that's to much.
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elisa
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Re: Bath weekly too much for Maltese puppy?

Post by elisa »

I'm in the camp of actually fully shampooing my dog like once a year. :D Or when she rolls in something super smelly and the smell won't come out with just water... Or when I find my hands get dirty petting her black back. :D

My dogs paws are also white (and fluffy) and I do have to shower off the sand and dirt pretty much every time she comes in, at least this time of the year, but I only shower the paws and sometimes belly and without soap. I have to dry her paws well and now also put some lotion as her paws tend to get irritated.

I would say a full shampooing once a week is unnecessary, so try to just clean the dirty bits and just with water. Show people may be of a slightly different mindset about how to care for white fluffiness.

With such a furry breed though you do want to get her used to being bathed and groomed so not all bad if you bathe her positively. :) I think my pup might actually like getting her paws cleaned as she will wait by the bathroom door when we come in. (Or she knows it is just something that is done when coming in.)
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Nettle
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Re: Bath weekly too much for Maltese puppy?

Post by Nettle »

I agree with Elisa. Unless getting ready for a show, dogs should be bathed as little as possible. They don't sweat through their skin like we do, so they don't need it, and it is bad for their coat oils. But it is good for dogs to be brushed. It stimulates circulation and gets rid of dead hair.

Let muddy feet dry and then brush off the mud :)
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MalteseMom
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Re: Bath weekly too much for Maltese puppy?

Post by MalteseMom »

Thank you for the advice everyone. I will try just cleaning her paws with water and shampoo once a month or when really dirty.
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