Scurf?? After Bathing my Dobermann -How to avoid it?

This is so totally a Doberman thing! Take 'em anywhere, and they get flakes! I know they do it just before ring time... I am pretty sure it is deliberate! LOL!

I would be careful to use slightly cooler than room temperature water for bathing and rinsing. I would try skipping the conditioner. I would try adding one 1000 mg. fish oil (NOT cod liver oil!) capsule per 10 pounds of body weight... if they don't want to eat them, you can poke them with a pin and squeeze them on their dinners.

Good luck at the dog show!

As a trainer and Doberman owner for 20 years and working with several rescues I see and get to work with many Dobermans. As an owner and when I am looking for a dog for my own home yes I would prefer something along the temperament lines of the "Eastern European Dobermans" I want a working dog. If I wanted a conformation dog to show that is what I would seek out. I prefer a dog who can and does do what the breed was bred to do and one who also fits the breed standards. Beauty is second to ability in my opinion. I do think that the average doberman owner would not do well with that type of temperament. I do in home behavior consultations and most all the time the "problems" I am going in to fix are created by the owners. They have no consistency they do not set and rules and do not follow the rules they set. They do not spend any time training. Training is more than basic obedience. It is a life long process or it should be. Also there is a HUGE difference between a family pet and a working guard dog. The working guard dog is in no way a family pet nor should it be expected to be one. They are trained to take orders from their handler not kids or wives or anyone else. They learn to depend on the handler as they handler depends on the dog. It is a working partnership built on trust and mutual respect. My wish for the breed would be to see anyone who intends on breeding their dog make sure that all of the health clearances have been done so that many of the health issues that plague this breed are not passed on to future generations.

My black brindle stafford can tend towards this too. I have found that using an organic body wash with no sodium laurel sulphate (detergent) or petro chemicals does the trick. It is an Australian brand available in health food stores for a very reasonable price - $11.95 for 500mls and $19.95 for a litre. http://sukinorganics.com.au./

I originally bought these products for myself but started using the body wash on the dogs when my white pup developed the 'scratchies' after she was fed some commercial dog biscuits**. It leaves them feeling soft and smelling great. Great for if they find a nice ripe bone too!! Mine have a stash of lamb necks somewhere at the moment and keep trying to smuggle them inside the house - definitely EEEWWWWW!

** any sort of commercial food or even too many left overs with grains - rice, pasta etc, seems to make my girls itchy or flakey too.

Good luck at the show!! Is it all breeds or a speciality??

If you have a rubber brush (we have zoom grooms here in US) use them before the bath by brushing in circles. This will help pull up any dander or dirt to the surface so they come out cleaner after bath. I wouldn't use a conditioner that will cause white flakes & not necessary. Using Show Sheen is a better choice.

this is for german shepherds,hope it helps for dobermans too=))

Tips For Grooming German Shepherd Dogs - Bathing German Shepherd Dogs by Aringsburg's German Shepherd Dogs

One most frequent question that I usually come across is: “How often should I bath my German Shepherd?” Most of the dog sites state that dog doesn't need so frequent bath. True indeed! They do not need frequent bath. But I am sure you don't find this answer quite satisfactory. Well, a lot of things are to be considered to decide how often if you should bath your German Shepherd. Frequent bathing washes off the natural oil of their skin, making it dry and produces dandruffs, which can be one of the major reasons of seborrheic scurf and other dermal infection. Over-bathing your German Shepherd Dog should be avoided to avoid drying out of his skin.

The first thing to be considered is how well you maintain him.

Secondly, the country you live and it's climatic condition are of the next prime imporant points to be considered.

Thirdly, season

Fourthly, regular brushing keeps your dog clean.

Fifthly, the place you keep your dog is the last point... but not the least!

A well maintained dog usually doesn't require frequent bath. Maintenance includes everything, starting from feeding right kind of foods to regular cleaning. In fact, to avoid over-bathing proper maintenance is of prime importance. It keeps the most beloved member(s) of your family live a happy and healthy life.

Next most important point is the country you live in. Most people, I have seen, overlook the point. If you are living in tropical country, most likely you may need to bathe your dog more frequently than if you live in colder region. Summers in topical region are really the most dangerous time of the year for breeds like Alsatian dogs. Frequently bathing – sometimes as often as once a week may be required during summer in tropical countries. Summer is the killer season for breeds like German Shepherds in tropical countries. During the flea season, you may need to bathe your German Shepherd Dog more often as a part of a the flea control program.

Routine and regular brushing keeps your shepherd's coat free from mats and tangles, which naturally keeps him clean. Not so frequent washing is required.

Lastly you must keep your kennel clean. It's part of your daily routine.

Make sure you use the soap and shampoo specially made for dogs. Why? Because, the body "pH" of a dog is much different from that of human beings. Also remember GSDs' skin "pH" are comparatively higher than most of the other breeds. Picking the right kind of soap and shampoo finds its importance here, when it comes to bathing your shepherd. Make sure water should enter the ears... if this happens, it may end up with serious ear infection in future.

Make sure you rinse him well. Left over shampoo and residual of soap leather will cause skin irritation and infection in future.

Wet coat gets easily tangled. Make sure to dry him well after the bath.

Here's another important tips, you might not have heard before! Between two consecutive baths you can easily manage the odor that can come during this long span of time! All you need to do is to massage some baking soda into the shepherd's coat properly and brush it off well. This will remove the odor. You can repeat this at an interval of 10 – 15 days. This is a temporary deodorizing technique for your dog.

How to use baking soda?

Interestingly, it's quite easy! And you don't need to call a professional groomer for that.

Just make him lie of the floor.Sprinkle small amount of baking soda powder on his body part that can be massaged.Massage him properly.Make him roll the other side and repeat the process.... it's as simple as this.

Many people love the idea of owning a dog but one thing that they have to keep in mind often times, is that the dog needs to be trained. Learn here http://onlinedogtraining.enle.info/?iJwS

While the pet may look heart-breakingly cute when it's in a shelter or at the pound, picking out the dog is only the first part of the relationship between dog owner and the animal. Many people don't understand that they have to put time and effort into socializing the dog.

An unsocialized dog will intimidate others, tear up the home, and will create an environment that can become so bad that the it will have to be returned. Many times when dogs have to be returned to shelters or to other resources, it will end up euthanized, which is very heartbreaking. All of this can be spared if a person learns the various techniques in order to socialize the dog.

One thing that they have to understand is that the he wants to be told what to do. It's in the canine nature to follow a leader. The dog will be more than willing to obey the leadership of its master. Here's a look at some common techniques that are used in dog training:

"Dog Whispering"

This is a technique that has been around for a while, but gained national notoriety over the last 10 years. Some people might hear this term and wonder how in the world whispering to a dog can train it! Whispering isn't meant to be taken literally in this case. As trainers have shown, whispering is a term that refers to connecting with a being or an entity on a very deep and almost spiritual level. When it comes to dog training techniques, dog whispering involves careful observation of the dog's behavior and actions.

It literally entails getting inside the mind and the behavior system of the canine. When a person uses dog whispering techniques, they interact with the dog on the canine level. Again, one the most common mistakes that people make is treating the dog like a small human being.

"Reward Training"

Reward training is very simple and it's one of the older tricks that works. This is a simple method of training the dog by positive reinforcement. Once he does what it is told to do, it receives a treat. How this works is that the dog owner must entice the dog towards the treat. Once the canine develops awareness for the treat, it develops a strong desire for it. When the desire for it is extremely strong, the dog owner pulls back. Then the dog receives a command and when the dog obeys the command, it receives the treat. The object is to make the dog associate a treat with the command.

"Clicker Training"

Other dog training techniques include one that is similar to reward training, which is called clicker training. How this works is that the clicker is incorporated to get the dog's attention. The clicker is clicked as a form of communication with the dog. It learns that there is a command or reward associated in conjunction with the clicker. Many people claim that this is fun, and they actually make a game with the dog by using the clicker for their dog training tasks.

"Ultrasonic Whistle"

Last, a relatively new form of dog training technique is called the ultrasonic whistle. This works because the ultrasonic sound is only heard by the dog. When the owner is trying to communicate a command, or stop the dog from barking, they will blow on their whistle when they want to communicate a command to the dog. The benefit of this is that the humans can't hear this noise, but the dog can hear it, and they will learn to associate the sound with a command.

Dog training techniques aren't hard to incorporate, but they are something that absolutely must be incorporated from the time a dog owner brings their new dog home. No matter how old or how young the dog is, they will need training. Once they are trained properly, they will be a wonderful addition to one's family.

if you can use a lint roller the day of the show,

if not use a powder shampoo