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xxgawjuzuxx · Dec 3, 2009, 06:16 AM

My auntys female staffy smells really bad, its like a body odour.. no matter how many times you wash her she still smells.. ill wash my border collie once n I have to wash her like 3 times at once... does anyone have any ideas to fix this ? :S

Aurora_Bell · Dec 3, 2009, 06:40 AM

Dogs with that type of fur should only really be "washed" once a year. It's probably his/her body over working to produce the oils because the skin is over dryed. She can try the doggy calone, or the no rinse shampoo. But STOP washing him! Am Staffs are generally smelly dogs, and they get worse as they get older. It could also be a skin irritation, most likely caused from over washing.

Aurora_Bell · Dec 3, 2009, 06:44 AM

Border collies, have longer hair, and can be washed maybe 2-3 times depending on how dirty they get. What kind of shampoo are you guys using? If you MUST wash them, try something specifically designed for dogs with their type of fur. And stuff with Colloidal oatmeal in it.
One of the best ways to get rid of body odor is to switch your pet to a natural diet.Giving your pets barley grass, wheat grass, or chlorophyll can remove toxins from the body that can lead to bad smells.

xxgawjuzuxx · Dec 5, 2009, 07:15 PM

Thank you guys (:, ill let my aunty know

simba_labrador · Dec 6, 2009, 01:09 PM

If you bathe a dog too much, it may result in it having dry skin. Bathe only if it is very dirty because too much bathing causing dry skin

Aurora_Bell · Dec 11, 2009, 06:29 AM

I had to add this, I was doing some research about the no rinse shampoo's and there are a lot of people out there who believe that these products can be really harsh and irritable on the dogs skin including my vet, because they stay on the dog and are not getting washed off. I just wanted to add this because I had suggested trying this as an option, but it may make the situation worse!
Sorry!

shazamataz · Dec 11, 2009, 06:31 AM

Originally Posted by Aurora_Bell

I had to add this, I was doing some research about the no rinse shampoo's and there are a lot of people out there who believe that these products can be really harsh and irritable on the dogs skin including my vet, becasue they stay on the dog and are not getting washed off. I just wanted to add this becasue I had suggested trying this as an option, but it may make the situation worse!!
Sorry!

I used to use the waterless bath on my Shih Tzu and had no problems... however she was a show dog and did get bathed every week or so before a show so that may have been why I didn't have a problem.
I also used the waterless bath and then rubbed cornflour into her coat as it absorbed all the moisture and then combed it out the remove the dirt and oil it soaked up.

Aurora_Bell · Dec 11, 2009, 06:37 AM

Hmm good idea. Did you find the shih Tzu had any coat problems from being washed so often? I know they have more of a hair type then fur really. We used to have them (Shih Tzu's) and two of them would drive themselves crazy with scratching, my mom reduced their baths and they seemed much happier! These were never show dogs though. And in the summer we would keep their coats rather short because we were campers, and oh man when they would come home from their walks there was no telling what you would find on them! Including very painful and hard to remove burrs! :(

shazamataz · Dec 11, 2009, 07:00 AM

She never had a problem with her coat or skin but in between shows her topknot (hair on her head) and her moustache were banded and wrapped
I mostly used the waterless bath on her legs and under her eyes where she would go out on the grass and get dirty and wet and her eyes would water.
Shih Tzus do tend to have a lot of skin problems usually (and housebreaking problems, but that's another story!) but we were lucky with her, no skin problems at all. Her mother used to get hotspots all the time but she never inherited it (thank gawd!)

Aurora_Bell · Dec 11, 2009, 07:06 AM

Wow I couldn't imagine the time and patience in required to have Shih Tzu's as show dogs! My parents had German Shepards long hair and short as show dogs, and I can remember the relentless hours of brushing and grooming that required! BUt it was so worth it in the end when your dog(s) woud come home with those blue ribbons! I never got into it, I stick with rescues. I just don't have the patience it requires. But I love watching the dog shows.

shazamataz · Dec 11, 2009, 08:05 AM

Yeah it's definitely an acquired taste showing dogs!
I would spend about half an hour to an hour a day grooming, then every third day it was 2 hours brushing and re-banding.
Here's the site for the breeder/friend I got her off, she's near the bottom of the page, her name is Bliss, it's just a puppy photo though ;)
And I did the charcoal drawing she has on the page too (very proud of that one)
KILLILAN SHIH TZUS, SKYE TERRIERS & DANDIE DINMONT TERRIERS

I don't know any Shepherd people but I can imagine the amount of grooming involved, they have such thick coats!

Aurora_Bell · Dec 11, 2009, 08:15 AM

OMG she is gorgeous! And what an awesome drawing! Do you still show her? Do you have other show dogs as well? Wow you must be one BUSY lady!
Yes there was an enormous amount of grooming. Aulsky and Duke were the worst! Such Divas lol. I was trying to find the pic's of them in shows, might take me a few days lol.
My parents don't show anymore and I have convinced them to adopt through rescue. We have the 2 best dogs ever! Lol except mine doesn't get a long with theirs. But Mine was in a bad situation before she came to me and she is lacking confidence, so hopefully through obiedience classes and the one on one we are giving her we can turn her around!

shazamataz · Dec 11, 2009, 08:32 AM

Obedience classes are great, it builds confidence and helps them socialise, not to mention makes them well behaved!

I would love to see some photos if you can get a hold of them ;)

No I don't have Bliss any more, she reluctantly went to a lovely old couple who had another Shih Tzu. Long story but I had to give her away, sad for me, but she is very happy where she is now.

My 2 poodles used to be shown but have been clipped off now, they didn't quite cut it in the show ring. My little girl was too timid and my male ended up being a bit too big (miniatures have a height restriction)

I'm getting another show dog in about 3 months (they are due to be whelped at the end of this month) and I am very excited! Been waiting for ages now, the lady has had 2 litters in the past few months but there was only 2 show quality pups out of all of them and she wanted to keep one and the other was sent overseas.
I am next in line but I am no good at waiting! Haha

Aurora_Bell · Dec 11, 2009, 08:40 AM

I hear you there! I hated waiting for Lady, but I knew I had to get the background check complete! It was worth it because I knew they only had Lady's best interest in mind!
Sorry about Bliss :( that must have been hard. I recently (well a year now) lost a dog, but to aggression issues. It still hurts when I think about him. I know I couldn't live with myself if he had bitten anyone especially a small child. And he was a BIG boy, and could have done some serious damage! But those are thing's you can't predict and it was his genetics, and he was unfortuanly the outcome of a backyard breeder.( I do not support that! He was a rescue!)

shazamataz · Dec 11, 2009, 08:52 AM

I understand that.
While many will disagree with me I would rather see a dangerous dog put to sleep than risk a person being bitten or even killed.
You never know when they will act out or who they will do it to, very sad.

When I was very little (about 6 years old I believe) my parents had a Rottweiler, she went to bite me when I tried to take a toy off her, luckily they found a man that did not have children and lived on a rural property. They told him about the dog and what she had done and he was more than happy to take her. They loved her but just couldn't keep her after that, they would have done what was necessary but it was just luck that this guy phoned them when he did.

Aurora_Bell · Dec 11, 2009, 08:59 AM

Aww that's sad. You know I agree with PETA when they say that it is "cruel that dogs and cats are domesticated to begin with", but now that they are it's our job to take care of them. And they are animals and unpredictable. You just never know.
I tried to call other rescue groups and explained the situation, but no one wanted to take on an aggressive dog (understandably). I have been bitten a few times myself. By our Shih Tzu's and once by a Cocer Spaniel, and by a toy poodle as well. And I have been attacked more then once by cats, in fact more then a dozen times lol. Funny how small dogs aren't reprimended like large dogs are for biting. I mean essentially they are doing the same thing. Just one is bigger, and ideally can do more damage. Although I almost lost a thumb from the spaniel lol.

Steph56 · Dec 18, 2009, 11:56 AM

Hi , I give my dog a bath every 3 weeks and for some reason she comes out smelling worse.. I use a dog shampoo but, It's not working... Every time I come home I can smell it and it's not a pleasant smell.. Does anyone have any suggestions , that I can try on my dog ?

Aurora_Bell · Dec 18, 2009, 12:09 PM

Stop bathing her so much. What kind of dog is she? Usually when you bathe too much it makes them more stinky. Try adding essential oils to diet, like omega fatty acids. Could be the diet as well. But I think from what I have read you should try not bathing her so much! Soory if this is reptitive, long work week and it's Friday!

Steph56 · Dec 18, 2009, 02:08 PM

My dog is a Golden Retriever! Lately I have given her bath that often... I giver her a bath every week!

Aurora_Bell · Dec 21, 2009, 06:16 AM

Wellpersonally, I wouldn't unless like Shazamataz's little guys they are show dogs. Your dog probably isn't getting dirty, are you bathing him just because he has been stinky? It's not really normal if your dog has a very strong odour. I would try to not bathe as much and maybe try adding the omega oils, your vet can recommend some good ones.