What is your grooming routine?

[NicoleLJ]

I am just wondering what everyones grooming routine is like. Mine consists of 3 hours ever Saturday to get my two all done. First we start off with Sheena. We bath her using:
Earthbath Light Color Coat Brightener Shampoo
Lavender-scented brilliance enhancer adds extra sparkle to light-colored coats. natural minerals, known as optical brighteners, combine with lavender oil to leave your pet's coat shiny, bright, soft, and smelling naturally fresh.

My husband usually washers the dogs and I do the drying. Once Sheena is washed and while I am drying her my husband washes Luca with:
Earthbath Puppy Shampoo
Tearless & Extra Gentle, this exceptional shampoo is pH-balanced to give puppies the tender loving care their sensitive skin and coat deserve. Blended with a dash of baby-fresh cherry essence, this luxurious shampoo will leave your precious puppy looking and smelling better than ever before.

By the time I am done drying Sheena witht he towels it is Lucas turn. Once most of the excess water is off the dogs we then proceed to clipping their claws. For the front ones I just have them sit in front of me and for the back ones I lay them down. After the claws are clipped then I proceed to trimming the hair between their toes and on thier pads. I like to keep their feet nice and trim and neat so that when we are in a business their is less chance of slipping.

Once all the clipping is done then I spray Sheena with:
Earthbath Lavender Deodorizing Spritz with Skin & Coat Conditioner
Our Deodorizing Spritzes are the simple, scent-ual solution. Sumptuous essences deodorize, while meadowfoam seed oil, colloidal oatmeal, aloe vera and vitamin E help to condition, rehydrate & soothe skin while creating show quality shines - between baths. Heavenly scented with natural essences that match our most popular shampoos. Safe for dogs over 6 weeks old. Not for use on cats. They will immediately lick off the spritz, making it ineffective.

For Luca I use:
Earthbath Puppy Spritz
Want odor relief; coat and skin conditioning for your puppy in a giffy? No time for a bath? This heavenly scented, 3-in-1 Deodorizing Spritz eliminates puppy odor between baths, re-moisturizes skin and coat and imparts a healthy shine and supple softness.

I try to spray this on when they are just about dry so that it soaks into the coat and skin the best. After spraying them I then give them a good brushing to work it in. After that I then move to brushing their teeth and cleaning their ears. By the time I am done this I then give them one final brushing because tehir coats are usually dry by then.

As you can see it is a long routine. I do it ever single week simply because Sheena is a service dog and must be kept immaculate and Luca is learnign the routine for when he starts doing access work.

So what are everyone elses routine? How often? What types of shampoos and such do you use?
Nicole & Sheena PSD, Luca PSDIT

[bernicesmama]

you wash your dogs every weekend? doesn't that bother your dogs' skin? I have always read/heard to only bathe once a month at most.

I brush my dogs daily, bathe monthly (depending on how dirty they have gotten) and I clip their nails weekly.

[Shelteez]

i only bathe casey once every 2-3 months unless he gets really dirty when he's rolling around in the dirt. In between bath time he only gets a rinse maybe once every 3 weeks just to make him feel like he's clean, he hates being dirty. But no serious bath until after 2-3 months. Every saturday he gets a good full brush and nails done, teeth cleaned, ear wipes, all of that basic stuff takes about an hour and a half...oh and casey uses oatmeal shampoo..

[NicoleLJ]

That is why I use the products that I use. Service dogs have to be exceptionally clean to be going into grocery stores and restraunts and the like. So bathing them often is a must. Sheena has only once suffered from dry skin and it was when I had to switch to a different type of shampoo for a month. I will never switch agian. On these produsts she has never had a problem. Her coat and skin are very healthy conditioned. I do not suggest bathing a dog every week like some service dog users do unless you have exceptional products that will help to keep the skin and coat conditioned and healthy.
Nicole & Sheena PSD, Luca PSDIT

[Sheltiemama]

I don't wash my dog every week. She gets a bath once a month in the summer time and in the winter it depends on the weather, mostly it's every other month I use Tea Tree oil and mint based shampoo on her so her fur stays nice and silky. She is brushed three times a week and I do her nails every 10 days. That's about all except for May and November when she blows her undercoat, then I use an undercoat rake on her.

[Suz]

my lhasa apso cross gets a bath every couple of weeks and brushed every day. she also gets a haircut every four weeks. long as you use a good shampoo no reason why you cant bath your dogs every week. honey comes too work with me everyday and as im a dog groomer i like her too look smart - shes a walking advertisment!!!!
takes half hour or so to bath and dry 45 minutes on top of that if its haircut time and twenty minutes brushing everyday. and shes not in a long coat either . takes a lot of commitment to keep her clean and tidy specially when her fave thing is to go running in the muddy park!!!

[carrie79]

Because of our climate here it is recommended for pets to bathe 2 times a year unless very dirty. Because our air is so dry and cold it causes skin problems. Most pet owners take them for a snow bath. (this is what I have heard, but am double checking with vet and groomers) If it is a show dog then it depends on dog and how often showing is.

[merrow]

well norman my flat coated retriver has a bath say evey 6 weeks or when he starts to smell i brush him out every week and hoover him evry day as i do the floors lol i do try to keep him trimed up all the time but with his age i just leehim be now.

and teddy my lhasa i bath him evry 1 - 2 weks depending where he has been lol his coat is an inch of the floor so he has got a lot of coat on him i have spoken to ppl that show the lhasa and they bath them evry week.
i bath him in an everning primrose and a nice condioner.
dry and brush out, i also trim around his eyes, face and his feet as and when needed and the rest is left natural but i do shave his belly out and nr all his bits as he is a boy

i brush his teeth evry other day and i pluck his ears out evry week or so

i brush him out and then comb him evry night

[Deb's Tiny Dogs]

Bogey & Miko - Brushed every week, Miko's eyes cleaned with Eye Envy every other day, bathed and trimmed every 5 weeks by a groomer and one at home bath and head trim inbetween. Have to clean out Bogey's ears every week and put Hexarinse in both ears.

Cali - Goes to the groomer every 2-3 weeks for bath, nail trim, foot pad and sanitary cut. Shampoo = Biogroom's Super White. Then I brush her out every night with a slicker brush and clean her eyes every other night with Eye Envy.

[nikkicolen104]

Well I usually groom my dogs at least 4 or more times a week my routine starts with foxy I first brush her teeth, then wash her face cut her nails and trim her fur if needed and then brush her down form head to toe using a slicker brush and then a comb. The next one is blaze with her I usually just brush her down form head to toe and check her dew claws to make sure that they haven't grown to much becasue if hers grow to long they curl and then puncture her foot pads and I don't want to make any more visits to the vet for that problem becasue I can keep it from not haopening. with the whole bathing thing my dogs only get bathed at least 1 a month because its not good to bath your dog to much.