How often should you bathe a Rottweiler puppy? When I got my Rottweiler, Maximus, this was one of the many questions I had, too! So, I did a little research to find out.
This is what I found out from research and from experience…
How often should you bathe a Rottweiler? You should bathe your rottweiler when he or she needs it. Read on to find out if your Rottweiler may be one that needs bathing more often, or if he or she may only need to be bathed once or twice a year.
To determine how often your Rottweiler needs a bath, you should ask yourself a couple of questions…
- Will my dog be outside rarely, often or a lot of the time?
- Is my dog going to be outside enough daily to roll around in dirt and mud and play in the water?
If Your Rottweiler will be outside rarely…
If your companion will be mostly inside and pretty much go outside when you do, then you wouldn’t need or want to bath him or her very often. My Rottie is an inside dog and I bathe him once every four or five months.
I’ll give you some tips on how I keep him fresh and his coat looking nice in between baths later in this post.
If this is the case for your companion, he or she will rarely have an opportunity to get dirty. Unless they rub their head or body in another dog’s poop 🙂 It does happen!
You wouldn’t need to bathe your Rottweiler but once every 3-6 months. But daily maintenance is needed to keep their coat healthy, clean and shiny.
If Your Rottweiler is outside often…
If your Rottweiler will be outside often or a lot of the time, you would want to bathe him or her more often. Monthly baths would be a good idea to help keep him or her clean. Also, you’d want to have daily maintenance. This will help keep your Rottie’s coat healthy.
The more your Rottweiler will be outside and able to get dirty, the more often you will need to bath him or her.
TIP: If your Rottie will be outside more often, be sure you keep their monthly worm medication schedule. And, an oral flea and tick medication would be recommended.
My Rottie doesn’t go out much, but I found two ticks on in about a week!
You should bathe a Rottweiler Puppy when you bring them home if they need it. And, follow the same guidelines.
Why Shouldn’t a Rottweiler be Bathed too Often?
You’d want to use a very gentle shampoo, maybe something for sensitive skin. Rottweilers have a tendency to have dry skin. Over bathing your Rottie may cause him or her to have dry, maybe even itchy skin.
Your Rottweiler’s skin secretes natural oils that keep his or her skin protected.
Also, if you live in a cold climate, you’d have to bathe your Rottie indoors, or at least in an area that isn’t too cold.
Now you know why you shouldn’t bathe a Rottweiler too often, and have an idea of how often you should bathe your Rottweiler, where will you bathe him or her?
POLL TAKEN: Roughly How Often do you Bathe Your Rottweiler?
What 369 Real Rottweiler Owners had to say…
- 1% Bathe more than one time a week
- 5% Bathe one time a week
- 13% Bathe monthly
- 53% Bathe only when needed
Where Should You Bathe Your Rottweiler?
If you’re bathing a puppy, you could give him or her a bath in a sink, baby bath. Especially if it’s the first bath with you. This way you can bond with your puppy by having him or her close.
Make sure the water is just a tad warm (if possible). You don’t want the water too hot or too cold.
As your Rotties grows, you can transition into a small plastic kiddie pool, and fill it with a hose. If the weather is cold, you may want to heat up some water on the stove to make bath time comfortable.
When your buddy is bigger, you can use a bigger plastic pool, filling it with a hose. This is how my Rottweiler gets a bath. Or, you can give him or her a bath using the hose.
My dog doesn’t like getting a bath with the hose. Keep in mind, the water from a hose will be cold. And, a nozzle on the hose may scare your dog.
TIP: If giving your Rottweiler a bath during the summertime, please remember that the water that has been left in the hose can get very hot if in the sun! It can burn your dog! Turn the hose on and let that water spray out before beginning to put the water on your dog.
You could also give your Rottie a bath in a bathtub. I don’t have this option. We have a jet tub. Just be sure to have plenty of towels on the floor and use caution when he or she gets in or out…they will be wet.
What’s the Best Shampoo for Rottweilers?
The best shampoo for Rottweilers is a kind of shampoo that is gentle, that soothes and moisturizes their skin. Definitely look for a no-tear shampoo.
Look for a moisturizing shampoo that has:
- The most natural ingredients
- Oatmeal
- Aloe
- Gentle oils
- Hypoallergenic
- Moisturizers
You want a dog shampoo that is gentle because you don’t want to wash away or dry up the natural oils that are in your Rotties coat. This leads to dry skin.
What to do BEFORE Bathing Your Rottweiler
Before bathing your Rottweiler, it’s a good idea to do a few things…
- Do a full-body check: run your hand from the tail end to the head. Feeling the chest, stomach, under legs (feeling for ticks or any kind of mass or injury)
- Check his or her paws: look at the paw pads and between the toes (ticks like to hide in there)
- Check his or her ears: feel all around the outside and under the flap, in the folds. Look inside the ear for dirt. Gently wipe with a cotton swab after a bath or before, whichever you prefer.
- Check his or her mouth: look at the gums, teeth, jowls, and top of the mouth.
- Have your bath supplies ready in the bath area. Have a towel or towels on the floor and for drying afterward.
- Brush his or her coat.
- Some dogs don’t like a bath, some are scared. Take your time and be gentle and loving. Do not holler or sound mean if they are reluctant at first. Slowly introduce a bath so it’s not a traumatic, dreadful, hated task…for you both.
What Other Grooming Does a Rottweiler Need?
Your Rottweiler needs frequent grooming to help keep their coat healthy, clean and shiny. They also need the care mentioned in the previous paragraph. After a bath, you should give your clean Rottweiler a good brushing.
You will also need to trim your Rotties nails periodically or have it done somewhere professionally. Keeping nails trimmed and filed keeps your dog from scratching your skin.
Oral care will be needed as well. Using a doggie toothbrush and dog toothpaste will help keep tartar build-up from building up too much on his or her teeth. There’s also little finger brushes you can use to help rub tartar off the teeth.
You’ll find complete information about teething, as well as a Teething Timeline HERE in the Big Dog Den.
Keeping Your Rotties Coat Fresh, Clean and Shiny
Something that I do to keep my Rottie’s coat fresh is using pet wipes, dry shampoo, and brushing. Try to brush daily, wipe his or her coat thoroughly with wipes every few days.
You can use dry dog shampoo (the brand I have is like hair mousse) once a week. Maintenance will help your Rottweiler’s coat fresh, clean and shiny.
I hope you found this information helpful! I’d love to hear how often you bathe your Rottie 🙂
More Information
For an extensive look at grooming your Rottweiler, including a bonus Mini Massage Manual, I’ve got you covered! Please follow THIS LINK.
Now that you know how often to bathe your Rottie, you may be wondering what supplies would be good to have on hand. I’ve saved you the time and headache and found supplies for you…
BATHING SUPPLIES FOR YOUR ROTTWEILER
*This article has been reviewed in accordance with our editorial policy.
