My Pup( yellow Lab) have a bad small after Taking daily walks, I head that a Lab has 2 coats, and that they should not be bath but once a month, that is not enough for my lab, she needs a bath once a week. She is 5 months old and I have bath her once a weeks, sence she was 8 weeks. so far her coat looks good and no dry skin. [SIZE="4"]Are we bathing her too much?[/SIZE]

Thanks,
Gisela

tre_cani

A weekly bath for a Lab is not too much in my opinion. Especially since some Labs tend to get a little doggy B.O. problem.

It wouldn't hurt to check with your vet to make sure she doesn't have a seborrhea problem that could be causing an odor.

Some people believe that bathing a 'water dog' interferes with the natural oils that make the coat weather-resistant and help it shed water easily (Labrador Retrievers were originally bred for retrieving fowl and small game. They're still used for duck hunting by those that like that sort of thing.).

Using a quality shampoo made for dogs (a different Ph than people shampoos) will help prevent drying of the skin and coat.

Just make sure you rinse the shampoo out thoroughly.

labman

In general, the fewer baths, the better. Are you rinsing well and using a conditioner? If weekly baths don't seem to be causing a problem, ''if it ain't broke, don't fix it''.

A healthy Lab should be able to go indefinitely without a bath. My Aster hasn't had a bath since she came back to live with us 3 years ago. She is brushed regularly, and gets occasional swims in the river.

Are the walks off lead giving her a chance to roll in smelly stuff? If so, that could be the problem. If you don't keep their relief area cleaned up, some dogs will roll in their own feces.

She should be back at the vet at 6 months for shots and spaying. If the smell problem seems to be her and not what she rolls in, talk to the vet about it. Even if she is doing OK now, as she ages, the weekly baths eventually could be too much for her skin.

In the winter, a Lab will grow a second woolly under coat if exposed to the cold very much, typically sleeping outside or left in a fenced yard all day. Labs that are house dogs don't develop the second coat although they still have plenty of hair to shed in the spring.