Bathing and dental care for your dog

Health & preventionPart of · Health & prevention

Bathing and dental care for your dog

Q: How do you wash a dog?

Brush first to lift out the dead hair, wet with lukewarm water, use an unscented dog shampoo, then rinse thoroughly (poorly rinsed shampoo is the number one cause of itching). Finish by drying the skin folds and the backs of the ears well.

Q: How often should you wash a dog?

As little as possible. A healthy dog is washed rarely, roughly once every three to four months, or when it's genuinely dirty. Washing too often strips the skin. The one exception: dogs with fragile skin, for whom the vet sometimes prescribes more regular baths.

Q: How do you brush a dog's teeth?

With a soft or finger brush and an enzymatic toothpaste made for dogs (never human toothpaste), rubbing along the gumline. Get your dog used to it in small steps, rewarding it with a marker word , and aim for daily brushing.

Q: How often should you brush a dog's teeth?

Ideally every day, because plaque settles back within hours of a meal. If daily is too hard to keep up, every other day is already infinitely better than nothing: it's regularity that protects the mouth.

Q: Which shampoo should you use to wash a dog?

A shampoo formulated for dogs , unscented and with a pH suited to their skin. Human shampoo is too harsh and upsets the skin barrier. For a simple rinse (sea salt, mud), clean water is enough.

Q: My dog smells bad, what should I do?

Before washing, work out where the smell is coming from: brush regularly, and if it persists, think of the ears, the mouth (bad breath isn't normal) or the skin. A stubborn smell is often a sign to show the vet, not a lack of bathing.

9 min read

Why baths and teeth do not follow the same rule

Washing too often strips away the natural oily film and the good bacteria that protect the skin: in a healthy dog, that natural barrier takes around 72 hours to repair itself (Virginia Tech Veterinary Teaching Hospital, 2024), so piling on the baths ends up weakening it. Teeth work the other way round. Dental plaque, that sticky deposit of bacteria, comes back within 24 hours without brushing, and only regular friction stops it before it hardens into tartar, according to the global dentistry guidelines from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA, 2020).

Bathing: wash as rarely as you can

The occasional bath, with the right product, does no harm: it is bathing too often, and using products that are too harsh, that weakens the skin over time and opens the door to infection (Virginia Tech Veterinary Teaching Hospital, 2024). In practice, a healthy dog is washed rarely: roughly once a month, sometimes once every three months, or when he is genuinely dirty. One nuance worth knowing: some dogs with fragile skin, atopic (a chronic skin allergy) or seborrhoeic (skin that produces too much oil), actually need regular therapeutic baths, sometimes several times a week at the start of treatment, but that is for the vet to oversee (Merck Veterinary Manual, seborrhoea).

When a bath is genuinely called for, these steps keep the skin from getting irritated.

Brush before you wet him

You remove the dead hair and work out the tangles: a wet knot tightens and becomes impossible to undo.

Lukewarm water, never hot

Wet him gradually, keeping clear of the eyes and the inside of the ears.

A dog shampoo, fragrance-free

Choose a shampoo made for dogs: their skin is less acidic than ours, and a human shampoo strips it.

Rinse for a long time

Leftover shampoo is the number one cause of itching after a bath. Rinse for twice as long as you think you need to.

Dry him and let the skin breathe

Pat him with a towel, a little warm air helps to finish the job, and check that the skin folds and the backs of the ears are not left damp.

Day to day, it is brushing the coat, not bathing, that keeps it in good shape: it spreads the skin's natural oils, lifts out dead hair and lets you spot a parasite or a grass seed early. A quick rinse with clean water is enough to wash off the salt after the sea or the snow.

Dental care: daily brushing is the foundation

An infection that attacks the gums and then the bone around the teeth, periodontal disease, is the most common health problem in adult dogs, according to the American Veterinary Dental College. The real danger is that it advances silently: everything happens below the gumline, where the eye sees nothing, and the dog hides his pain. The sequence is always the same: plaque, then tartar, then gingivitis, then periodontitis, whose bone loss is irreversible. Brushing is the only thing that acts right at the start, because it lifts off the plaque while it is still soft, before it hardens.

Three things are enough, and mind the toothpaste: yours is toxic to him.

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When brushing fails, it is almost always about getting him used to it, not about the product. Bring him along in small steps, over several days, rewarding every bit of progress with a treat and a marker word (a crisp "yes!") at the right moment.

Let him taste the toothpaste

Off your finger, like a treat. You build a good association before you touch anything.

Touch his lips, lift them for a second

Reward him during the contact, not once you have taken your hand away.

Rub one tooth with your finger

Along the gumline, one or two seconds, then you let go.

Move on to the brush, on two or three teeth

The whole mouth will come over several weeks. Never force it: a dog who is forced will end up refusing for good.

Turn it into a ritual, at a set time

Pick a calm moment, always the same one: that anchors the habit far better than trying to do it all at once.

Steer clear of these

Human toothpaste and home remedies in his mouth: the first contains substances that are toxic to dogs, the second are not meant to be swallowed.
Anaesthesia-free scaling carried out anywhere other than at the vet's: this tooth cleaning only removes the visible tartar and lets the disease carry on below the gumline, a practice judged unacceptable by the American Veterinary Dental College and by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).
A cotton bud pushed into the ear canal: it packs the wax deeper down. Wipe only the visible outer ear.
Shaving a double-coated dog to make him look neat: it damages the coat and strips him of his protection against sun and cold.
Washing him every day because of the smell: it strips the skin instead of protecting it.
Forcing his mouth open or holding his head down: you turn the care routine into a fight.

A dog will often carry on eating normally despite a painful mouth. Do not wait for an obvious sign: lift his lips and take a look once a week.

Keep an eye on it, book an appointment

New or persistent bad breath (it is not normal, even in a dog)
Brown tartar at the base of the teeth
Gums that are red or bleed when touched

Get him seen soon

He chews on one side only, or suddenly drops his hard toys
He drools a lot, sometimes with a streak of blood
A tooth is loose, broken or has changed colour

Straight away

Swelling under the eye or on the jaw
Nasal discharge or sneezing on one side only
Flat refusal to eat, pain when you go near his mouth
Any lump, growth or ulcer in the mouth

Niemiec et al. — WSAVA Global Dental Guidelines (2020)
Periodontal disease nomenclature (PD0-PD4) and position statement on anaesthesia-free dental scaling, American Veterinary Dental College
Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats, AAHA (2019)
Bathing best practices, Virginia Tech Veterinary Teaching Hospital (2024)
Seborrhoea in animals, Merck Veterinary Manual

Go further

guideCleaning your dog's earsAfter the bath, one last gentle step: cleaning the outer ear without ever going into the canal.Read the guide guideTrimming your dog's clawsAnother grooming ritual to ease him into gently, one claw at a time, without stress.Read the guide guideCaring for your dog's paw padsBath time is also the moment to check the pads: cracks, foreign bodies, irritation.Read the guide guideDog anal glands: spotting the signs and knowing when to see the vetA sign you may notice during grooming: how to recognise it, and why to leave it to the vet.Read the guide guideItchy skin in dogs: reading the signsCoat and skin tell you plenty: itching, flakes, redness, and when to worry.Read the guide guideTicks on dogs: prevention and removalBrushing and bathing are the right moment to check the skin and remove a tick in time.Read the guide

Frequently asked questions

How do you wash a dog?

Brush him first to lift out the dead hair, wet him with lukewarm water, use a fragrance-free dog shampoo, then rinse for a long time (badly rinsed shampoo is the number one cause of itching). Finish by drying the skin folds and the backs of the ears properly.

How often should you wash a dog?

As rarely as possible, and for plenty of healthy dogs, almost never. Regular brushing keeps the coat in good shape, and when your dog is muddy, a rinse with clean water is usually enough. Save the proper bath with shampoo for the times he is genuinely dirty or has rolled in something. Washing too often damages his skin. The one exception: dogs with fragile skin, for whom the vet sometimes prescribes regular baths with a specific product.

How do you brush a dog's teeth?

With a soft brush or a finger brush and an enzymatic toothpaste made for dogs (never human toothpaste), rubbing along the gumline. Bring him along in small steps, rewarding him with a marker word, and aim for daily brushing.

How often should you brush a dog's teeth?

Ideally every day, because plaque comes back within 24 hours without brushing. If daily is too much to keep up, every other day is already infinitely better than nothing: it is regularity that protects the mouth.

Which shampoo should you use to wash a dog?

A shampoo formulated for dogs, fragrance-free: their skin is less acidic than ours, and a human shampoo strips it and upsets its natural protection. For a simple rinse (sea salt, mud), clean water is enough.

My dog smells bad, what should I do?

Before washing him, look for where the smell is coming from: brush him regularly, and if it persists, think about the ears, the mouth (bad breath is not normal) or the skin. A stubborn smell is often a sign to show the vet, not a sign he needs a bath.

Can you use human toothpaste on a dog?

No. It contains fluoride, and sometimes xylitol, both toxic to a dog who swallows the product instead of spitting it out. Use an enzymatic dog toothpaste, designed to be swallowed safely.

Updated on July 11, 2026Sources

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