How Often Can You Bathe A Beagle?
My Beagle puppy always seems to stink, and it is a real annoyance to me. Occasionally I bathe him, but I am unsure exactly how often he can be bathed or if that even matters.
With a wish to end the stink and find out exactly how often my dog can be bathed; I took to the internet and found some interesting details.
How Often Can You Bathe A Beagle?
You should only bathe your Beagle once every couple of months unless they get extra stinky or dirty.
Their skin is prone to drying and irritation when bathed too frequently. If you bathe them more often, be sure to use a gentle shampoo or skip the shampoo entirely and just use water and a brush.
A dog’s skin has oils. These oils are not meant to be washed away as often as when we bathe.
Some dog breeds have more sensitive skin than others, and Beagles are one such breed.
Beagles are also prone to skin allergies which can be exacerbated by too many baths and shampoos that are not sensitive to their skin’s needs and have too many additives.
If you are bathing your Beagle too much, you will likely notice it; they might scratch, bite, or lick irritated areas of their bodies.
This may not only be caused by excess bathing, but it can be a clue so pet parents can recall if they have indeed been bathing their Beagle too much.
Bathing for humans is a vital part of a healthy lifestyle that keeps our bodies clean and smelling fresh.
Due to that fact, we sometimes believe that our beloved pups’ body needs that same love and attention, to smell fresh and be extra clean and healthy.
Dogs, however, are not the same as humans in this regard.
If we forget for a moment that they have fur everywhere, dogs don’t need as many baths as we humans do to keep clean and fresh.
In fact, in many instances, it can cause irritation, dryness of their skin, and other skin problems.
When we bathe our dogs, their skin is stripped of its natural oils, which help keep them healthy.
The oil of a dog’s skin works to protect the skin from anything it may meet.
Since many dogs spend a great deal of time outdoors, playing and exercising and their fur is helpful to keep their bodies healthy.
Beagles are a very active dog breed that loves to play and spend their time outdoors going on many adventures, investigating things, and exploring.
This is a part of who they are as a dog, as Beagles were bred for hunting, and they are very good at it too.
Many people consider the Beagle to be a top hunting companion with a sensitive nose for picking up scents and focus that allows them to hone in on that scent.
For this reason, they will likely end up getting dirtier than other dogs breeds that may be content to frolic in the grass.
A Beagle will probably pick up a scent, hone in on it, and likely forget everything else for a time.
This may take the Beagle through muddy puddles, weed-infested terrain, and other areas that bring with them dirt, grime, and filth.
Your Beagle may return from their backyard or other adventure looking like they haven’t been bathed in a year, and when you look back, you may think, I bathed them just two weeks ago and look at them now, well I should bathe them.
Depending on the severity of their filthiness, they may be best with a bath because the dirt and grime they met aren’t good for their skin and body.
Still, if they don’t appear to be dirty or stink, there are other alternatives that a pet parent can take to clean their Beagle.
Brushing, combing, using a towel to clean the dog’s fur, picking out large pieces of dirt and debris, and using dry shampoo can be better sometimes.
The reason being, Beagles are known for having sensitive skin and even skin allergies despite their love for outdoor adventures.
If they have been bathed recently or they don’t appear especially dirty, trying another alternative may be a good idea for their health.
Overbathing is not only an issue because it washes away the vital oils on the dogs’ skin, but many times shampoos that we use on our dog can also have an irritating effect on our dogs’ skin and bodies.
These shampoos can sometimes have additives that are chemicals or other dangerous items that will further exacerbate skin irritation and skin allergies for your Beagle.
If a pet parent decides that they should bathe their dog, it is best to use a gentle shampoo that contains a limited number of ingredients.
Not to mention those ingredients should be pronounceable and as natural as possible.
So, what can be done if you decide not to bathe your Beagle extra times when they decide they want to be a mud ball? Read on to find out.
How do I keep my Beagle clean if I decide not to bathe them?
The best way to keep your Beagle clean if you decide not to bathe them is by cleaning them in other ways. Depending on the severity of their stink and dirtiness, a few methods can be used.
For the Beagle that doesn’t appear too dirty, or for the proactive pet parent who wants to have a daily or weekly ritual that includes cleaning their dog, combing, brushing, and using their hands to inspect and clean the dog’s fur, it is best.
This method can be done as often as a pet parent has time and wants to do it, or when their Beagles seems to have investigated something that left its mark.
Like any other grooming session, the pet parent will put their Beagle through a grooming session where they examine the dog’s fur and skin, checking crevices like behind or under ears, the tail area, and folds of the leg.
During this inspection, the pet parents can use their hands or a towel to gently rub or remove anything foreign to the dog’s body.
After that, the pet parents can use a comb or brush and run it through the dog’s fur so remove harder-to-reach dirt and get anything away from the skin that doesn’t need to be there—after that, using dog-friendly products like a gentle dry dog shampoo can freshen the dog up and remove any stink.
These products should be used sparingly, so they don’t cause irritation to your Beagles skin and are not used all the time as a regular doggie air freshener.
They should also be as natural as possible with hardly any additives.
This process is beneficial for the pet parent that owns a Beagle that suffers from skin allergies and sensitivities.
By regularly inspecting their dog’s fur and skin, a pet parent will notice signs of more severe issues that may need to be addressed with a veterinarian.
This grooming process also allows for a deeper bond between Beagle and pet parent, promoting trust and showing affection and love.
If at any time a pet parent sees their Beagle scratching, biting, or licking excessively at any area of their body, it could be that their sensitive skin is irritated.
Since many Beagles have sensitive skin and skin allergies, this can be a common theme for Beagle owners.
None the less the issue should be investigated to keep side effects in check and their dog healthy.
Despite this, a pet parent may find that their Beagle still needs to be bathed more often than the recommended every couple of months, between two and four months or more.
If that is the case, and it is occasional, usually not much harm is done.
Final Thoughts
Bathing is a ritual performed to keep the body clean and healthy.
This ritual is not as crucial for dogs as their skin’s oils are also designed to keep their bodies clean and healthy.
Despite this knowledge, we humans may find it necessary at certain times to bathe them more often if for no other reason than to get rid of the stink.
Thankfully, if you find yourself in that situation, other options can be used first so your Beagle is healthy, and you don’t need a nose clip since your Beagle likely loves their aroma anyway!