Bathing and dental care for your dog
Why bathing and teeth do not follow the same rule
Washing too often strips the film of natural oils and the microbiome that protect the skin; in a healthy dog this film rebuilds in around 72 hours, so frequent baths leave it depleted (Cuana et al. 2023). Dental plaque, on the other hand, that sticky bacterial biofilm, settles back within hours of a meal: only regular mechanical removal stops it before it hardens into tartar (WSAVA, Niemiec et al. 2020).
Bathing: wash as little as necessary
An occasional, suitable bath does no harm: it is baths that are too frequent, and scented products, that lastingly strip the skin barrier and make infections more likely (Virginia Tech Veterinary Teaching Hospital, 2024). In practice, a healthy dog is washed rarely, roughly once every three to four months, or simply when it is genuinely dirty. The honest nuance: some atopic or seborrhoeic dogs, on the contrary, need regular therapeutic baths, sometimes weekly, but it is the vet who oversees them (Merck Veterinary Manual, seborrhoea).
When a bath is warranted, these steps help avoid irritating the skin.
Brush before you wet
You remove the dead hair and work out any knots: a wet knot tightens and becomes impossible to undo.
Warm water, never scalding
Wet gradually, avoiding the eyes and the inside of the ears.
A dog shampoo, unscented
Choose a product with a pH suited to dogs; human shampoo is too harsh for their skin.
Rinse thoroughly
Leftover shampoo is the number one cause of itching after a bath. Rinse twice as long as you think you need to.
Dry and let the skin breathe
Pat with a towel; a stream of warm air helps. 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 condition: it spreads the natural oils, removes 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 gold standard
Periodontal disease is the most common condition in the adult dog: most dogs show some degree of it by the age of three, and almost all after five (American Veterinary Dental College; WSAVA, Niemiec et al. 2020). Everything happens below the gumline, where the eye sees nothing, and the dog hides its pain. The sequence is well known: plaque, then tartar, then gingivitis (still reversible), then periodontitis, whose bone loss is irreversible. Brushing is the only action that works right at the start, because it removes the soft plaque before it calcifies.
Three things are enough: what you put on the brush matters as much as the technique.
0 / 3A failed brushing routine is almost always a failure of habituation, not of the product. You build acceptance step by step, over several days, rewarding each stage with a treat and a marker word (a crisp "yes!") at the right moment.
Let them taste the toothpaste
On your finger, like a treat. You create a good association before touching anything.
Touch the lips, lift them for a second
Reward during the contact, not once you have taken your hand away.
Rub one tooth with your finger
Along the gumline, for one or two seconds, then let go.
Move to the brush, on two or three teeth
The whole mouth will come over several weeks. You never force it: a dog put under pressure will refuse for a long time.
Aim for a ritual, at a set time
A calm moment, always the same one, anchors the habit far more than performance does.
Dogs often carry on eating normally despite a painful mouth. Do not wait for an obvious sign: go and look, lips lifted, once a week.
To keep an eye on, book an appointment
- New or persistent bad breath (this is not normal doggy breath)
- Brown tartar at the base of the teeth
- Red gums, or gums that bleed on contact
To show without delay
- Chewing on one side only, or suddenly dropping hard toys
- Drooling a lot, sometimes with a trace of blood
- A tooth that is loose, broken or has changed colour
Straight away
- Swelling below the eye or on the jaw
- Discharge or sneezing from one side of the nose only
- An outright refusal to eat, pain as you approach the mouth
- Any lump, growth or ulcer in the mouth
- Niemiec et al. — WSAVA Global Dental Guidelines (2020)
- Nomenclature de la maladie parodontale (PD0-PD4) et position sur le détartrage sans anesthésie, American Veterinary Dental College
- Dental Care Guidelines for Dogs and Cats, AAHA (2019)
- Sceau d'acceptation des produits dentaires (VOHC), Veterinary Oral Health Council
- Cuana et al. — Microbiote dermique canin et bains répétés (2023)
- Bonnes pratiques de bain, Virginia Tech Veterinary Teaching Hospital (2024)
- Séborrhée chez l'animal, Merck Veterinary Manual
- Position Statement on Humane Dog Training, AVSAB (2021)
To go further
Frequently asked questions
How do you wash a dog?
Brush them first to remove dead hair, wet with warm 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.
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 is genuinely dirty. Washing too often strips the skin. The one exception: dogs with fragile skin, for whom the vet sometimes prescribes more regular baths.
How do you brush a dog's teeth?
With a soft toothbrush or a finger brush and an enzymatic toothpaste for dogs (never human toothpaste), brushing along the gumline. Get them used to it in small steps, rewarding them with a marker word, and aim for daily brushing.
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 is consistency that protects the mouth.
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 disrupts the skin barrier. For a simple rinse (sea salt, mud), clean water is enough.
My dog smells bad, what should I do?
Before washing them, look for where the smell is coming from: brush them 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 your vet, not a lack of bathing.
Can you use human toothpaste on a dog?
No. It contains fluoride, and sometimes xylitol, which are toxic to a dog who swallows the product instead of spitting it out. Use an enzymatic dog toothpaste, designed to be swallowed safely.
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