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Normally, dogs should
not be bathed more than twice a month. The meticulous
owner who keeps his animal thoroughly combed out at
all times may find that the dog's appearance can be
maintained rather creditably by bathing it only once
a month. On the average, however, it will be found
more advantageous to abide by the bi-monthly routine.
It has often been erroneously
suggested that it is not advisable to bathe puppies
before they are four to six months old. If human infants
can be bathed soon after birth, then does it not seem
foolish to believe that to bathe a puppy—relatively
so much stronger than a human infant—is dangerous?
This belief seems based
on the mistaken notion that puppies that are bathed
when they are too young will get distemper. The fact
is that if a puppy is improperly dried after a bath,
and is permitted to go out into the cold air, it might
catch a cold and thus be more readily susceptible
to distemper. However, if the animal is completely
dry before being permitted outside, no harm will ever
come of a bath regardless of the age of the animal.
It is often even advisable,
and sometimes necessary, to bathe a very young puppy,
especially if it is very filthy or laden with fleas.
It is thus perfectly safe to bathe a dog, regardless
of age, provided that the simplest common-sense precautions
are taken. And the essential one is that the animal
must be thoroughly dry before being exposed to the
open air.
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