How Often Should You Bathe a Goldendoodle? A Complete Guide

How often to bathe Goldendoodle is confusing for many dog parents. While Doodles are generally non-shedding and hypoallergenic, they inherit varying coats from their Golden Retriever and Poodle parents.

Some puppies resemble the Golden Retriever’s straight coat. Others get the wavy coat, a mixture of Poodle and Golden Retriever’s coats. Still, some puppies receive the curly coat gene from the Poodle.

Another reason for bathing Goldendoodle puppies is they can have a thick undercoat (double coat). Matting from irregular grooming affects the double coat and triggers pain and itch. This article explains crucial things about bathing your Doodle.

How Often to Bathe Goldendoodle

How often to bathe Goldendoodle can be confusing since these puppies inherit different coats from their parent dogs. Regardless, the general rule is to wash your pet at least twice a month if it gets severely soiled.

On average a bath once a month is fine for a Goldendoodle that does not roll its body on muddy or stinky grounds. Excessive bathing can dry the naturally oily coat and trigger severe itch. If you have a Goldendoodle puppy, do not clean it until after four to six weeks. Moreover, do not wash your pet if it has a skin issue.

General Bathing Guidelines for Goldendoodles

Now you know how often to bathe Goldendoodle pets. Next, follow these general guidelines when bathing your Goldendoodle:

• Frequency of Bathing – Try to bathe your Goldendoodle one time a month. However, the exception to this rule applies to dogs that severely soil their coats. Bathe them as soon as they get stinky and dirty.
• Choosing the Right Shampoo – Opt for natural and pet-safe grooming shampoos with the correct PH for your Goldendoodle’s coat. These will facilitate thorough cleaning of the coat and skin. They will not irritate or trigger itchiness, as a human hair shampoo would.
• Preparing for Bath Time – How often to bathe Goldendoodle dogs entails the preparation part. Gather your products, including a dog-specific bathing shampoo, slick brush, cornstarch, towel, non-slip mat, and coat clippers. Next, brush the fur and use the clippers and cornstarch (or detangling spray) to remove the knots.
• Bathe Your Goldendoodle – Run your fingers in the coat to check if you have left any tangled fur balls. These are breeding grounds for fleas and mites that cause itch. Place a non-slip mat at the bottom of your bathing tub.  Wet the pet’s fur with warm water and apply shampoo. Lather two times, softly scrub the coat and rinse with clean water.
• Drying Your Goldendoodle After a Bath – Dry the coat with a clean towel and comb its fur with a slick brush. This will help spread its natural oils and promote sheen and good health. Use a hair blow dryer on a low setting to dry the coat faster. Brush the coat after this.
• Maintaining Healthy Skin and Coat – Knowing how often to bathe Goldendoodle canines is okay but, you should also learn how to ensure a healthier coat and skin. First, create a grooming schedule involving brushing and bathing to prevent tangling, matting, and flea infestation. Brushing distributes the natural sebum, which makes the coat shinier and healthier.
• Bathing for Different Coat Types – These have unpredictable coat types and how often to bathe Goldendoodles depend on these. Those with the Poodle’s hair-like fur are high-maintenance dogs. First, apply a dog-safe shampoo with a conditioner to the coat. Rinse and dry the coat and massage a dog conditioning spray for detangling.
• Dealing with Bath Time Anxiety – Not every Goldendoodle loves to bathe. Some dogs have anxiety and might become stubborn. You can reduce this stubbornness by distracting the pet with dog treats, toys, and positive remarks.

Factors That Influence Bathing Frequency

• Activity Level – Regarding how often to bathe Goldendoodle, you must reflect on the activity level. Goldendoodles can be petite, mini, medium, or standard in size. Variance in size can affect the dogs’ energy and activity levels. Thus, bathe your dog more often if it loves to roll and wriggle its body on dirty and smelly things. If your Doodle is a less active house pet, wash it once a month.
  
• Skin Health – While how often to bathe Goldendoodle is the first thing to consider, you should also consider the pet’s skin health. If the skin has signs of irritation and bruising, take the pet to a veterinarian for a thorough examination and recommendation on the safest grooming products.
• Coat Maintenance – Goldendoodles have a hypoallergenic coat, making them one of the safest family pets for allergic people. However, the coat will still shed some fur and form mats and tangles. Thus, you should maintain the coat by regular brushing, bathing, and trimming around the eyes and ears after each bath using clippers.
• Scent – If you do not know how often to bathe Goldendoodle, smell its coat. If the coat is dirty and smelly, bathe the pet at once. A foul odor is a sign that your dog needs a quick bath. If the scent lingers after the bath, take the pet to a veterinarian for examination. It might have dental or digestion issues.
• Seasonal Changes – During the spring season when it gets rainy and muddy, bathe the dog twice a month. Repeat it in summer because the pet will get out often and mess up its coat. During winter, limit the cleaning to once a month or two months apart because of the cold and less outdoor activity.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

How often to bathe a Goldendoodle matters but you also should avoid certain mistakes. First, avoid washing the pet many times. Naturally, the Goldendoodle’s coat produces abundant sebum. This sebum keeps the skin and fur oily and healthy.
If you bathe the dog severely, the heat will remove these natural oils. In return, the skin and coat will dry and trigger constant itching and scratching. A second mistake to avoid is to put water in the Doodle’s sensitive ears.

Water will trigger wetness in the ears and lead to infections and bad odor. Goldendoodles are prone to ear infections, meaning you should be careful not to trigger them when bathing a dog. A sick Goldendoodle should not take a bath before undergoing a medical examination.

An additional mistake is to use your hair shampoo on the Doodle. Human hair shampoo might have parabens, artificial dyes, sulfates, and mineral oils that could irritate the dog’s skin and fur.
Instead, get a shampoo and conditioner that suits your dog’s fluffy or straight coat.

Remember that dogs love licking their paws and fur even after a bath. If you use a shampoo with harmful chemicals, you might poison your Goldendoodle.

Signs It’s Time to Bathe Your Goldendoodle

Some factors influence how often to bathe a Goldendoodle. One of these is the dog’s scent. Although dogs have their innate scent, you can tell when it changes. More active Goldendoodles will smell bad after spending a day outside. They may lie on carcasses or roll and waggle their little bodies on feces, mud, or another form of stinking dirt.

If you notice your dog is dirty and stinky, take it as a sign that it needs an immediate bath. If you ignore brushing the coat, it might develop knotted mats that could hide parasites. Naturally, you should not wait until the fur mats and tangles.

Remove these via brushing, clipping, and detangling with corn starch or a special spraying product. Then, give your dog a thorough bath with a shampoo and conditioner. Balance activity levels and bath time to avoid over-cleaning the coat and stripping off the natural oils that increase sheen and health.

Conclusion

Do you still wonder how often to bathe a Goldendoodle? The average bathing time is one time a month. However, consider the pet’s activity levels and how frequently you take it outside. 

If it regularly soils itself, you might bathe it twice or more in one month. On the other hand, a Goldendoodle that does not soil its body much while outside requires fewer baths.

Additionally, the coat type matters when considering how often to clean your dog. If your dog has a double coat, it will require regular brushing, bathing, and clipping to remove dirt, pests, and tightly knotted fur.

FAQ

1. Should I bathe my Goldendoodle every month?

How often to bathe Goldendoodle dogs vary. If your puppy or adult dog has normal activity levels, even outdoors, bathe it once a month. On the other hand, a more active pet will get its fur soiled and stinky more often and require at least two baths a month.

A less active Goldendoodle may do with one bath even after two to three months. Do not bathe a sick pet even once a month without getting a diagnosis from the vet.

2. Is it okay to bathe my Goldendoodle in the winter?

How often to bathe Goldendoodle canines during winter can vary from the summer frequencies. How regularly you wash it during winter will depend on its activity levels. Some families love outdoor activities even during winter and go out with their dogs. Although the weather is generally harsh in winter, you should still bathe your Doodle once a month.

3. Can I bathe my Goldendoodle if it has a skin condition?

Do not bathe your Goldendoodle if you notice a skin problem. Even gentle rubbing during the bath can irritate the skin further, turning it into wounds. Instead, visit the vet for a thorough investigation. The veterinarian will advise you on how to treat the issue and what bath products to buy.