When to wash your gundog

Should I bathe my dog? Many of my friends don’t bother, but I’m loath to simply put the dog back in his kennel after coming back dirty from a day’s picking-up.

Gundogs are generally quite content without a bath, particularly if they swim periodically. Do consider what they are swimming in, of course, especially this year when there is a particular risk of water contaminated with blue-green algae. Pond water isn’t necessarily clean or fresh and it’s particularly important to wash a dog’s coat in fresh water after swimming in the sea or a tidal estuary.

Certainly it does no harm to wash off excess dirt in fresh, clean water. However, avoid shampooing a dog too often. Shampooing will tend to remove essential oils from the skin and coat. If you have to bath your dog, don’t use human hair shampoo. Use a mild shampoo like baby bath, or if you have to remove grime or grease, use an appropriate veterinary shampoo or look online for products used by professional dog groomers.

Although we rarely think about it, skin is a vital structure covering the body and, rather like other vital organs, is essential in fulfilling a variety of important functions. So perhaps the question we really need to consider is how best to maintain a good, healthy skin and coat of a working dog, even though many require minimal intervention on behalf of their owner.

Examine the coat regularly, especially after your dog has been working in thick covert or dense undergrowth. Remove any excess mud and dirt from the coat, and brush out any matted hair. Attend to any tangles in longer-haired breeds.

Brushing (and combing as necessary) is probably the most important component of coat care as this will remove dead hair, stimulate blood flow in the skin and help to revitalise your dog’s coat. As a general rule, long-haired breeds should be brushed twice a week and dogs prone to moulting should be brushed approximately once a week. Even short-haired breeds will benefit from periodic brushing. TB

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