The rule "bathe your dog every two weeks or less" is taken as seriously by most people as waiting 30 minutes after eating to go in the water.

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Could this rule be wrong? Let us see, how often dogs can be bathed.

Dogs can only be bathed safely with the right products

The skin works like a brick wall

The worry behind over-bathing is that we fear that the dog's skin will dry out, making the coat unhealthy. Ultimately, all dogs and cats wear a suit of armour that we cannot see. This helps their skin and fur to repel water, bacteria, allergens and even odours. It is their natural oil that, in addition to these benefits, makes their fur soft and shiny. These oils are made to do some serious work.

If you think of a dog's skin as a brick wall that provides protection from the outside world, the skin cells are the bricks and the natural oils are the mortar. They provide the seal that prevents moisture, bacteria and allergens from sneaking in between the cells and entering the body where they can cause irritation.

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How often can dogs be bathed

Commercial dog shampoos work exactly like human shampoos and dishwashing liquid: they dissolve the oil on the surface.

Old-fashioned products "think" that all oil is bad, so they also dissolve the essential fatty acid layer, from which dogs benefit greatly as just described.

And while dogs may initially appear squeaky clean, over time their coats become dry and coarse with overuse of these products. As the protective oils disappear, so does the shine and softness. And the surface of the skin cracks, giving way to bacteria and allergens.

The solution to this problem is very simple. Choose a dog shampoo that is rich in ingredients containing essential fatty acids. So as well as cleaning your dog's coat, it also grooms it.

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These ingredients include, but are not limited to shea butter, camellia oil, avocado oil, olive oil, rosehip oil, grapeseed oil or almond oil.

However, the principle that a dog should only really be bathed when it has become dirty or smelly is still upheld . Use products that are gentle and nourishing and specifically formulated for dogs. If you find yourself in a situation where you need to bathe your dog more often for some reason, these will still do him no harm.