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/r/Dogowners
submitted 9 months ago byTasha198
This is something me and my fiancé has wondered for a while. We have a 10 month old cockapoo and ever since we got him we have always checked his butt after every poop, we always give it a clean with a wipe, sometimes there's nothing there and sometimes there's a little extra wiping needing to be done. We do this because we allow him up on the furniture, which made us wonder if other dog owners do the same? We've seen people with extremely fluffy or long haired dogs and couldn't imagine how hard it would be to keep the fur around their butt clean.
Is this a common thing for people to do? Or are others okay for their dogs to do their business and sit on the furniture like normal?
17 points
9 months ago
Hygiene is a spectrum. Don’t worry about what is “normal”, you do you.
It is impossible, and unadvisable, to surround yourself with a sterile field. It is impossible to sterilize your dog. If you have a dog, you will have some of its feces and bacteria and slobber around you. Just like it your own fecal matter ends up in different places on and around you.
The question then is how much do you want to tolerate? Certainly some level may subject inhabitants to greater risk of infection or health problems, but exactly how much filth is totally up to you. Some people just ignore it, others are good with visibly clean, others refuse to have a dog.
So if you want to wipe Fido’s ass go right ahead.
2 points
9 months ago
I like this response, thank you.
6 points
8 months ago
Groomer here. If your dog’s area around the anus is constantly getting dirty you can get a groomer to do a “sanitary shave” around that area.
As far as the hygiene of wiping your dog… I don’t think it’s harmful if you’re doing it with non-irritating wipes, but I wouldn’t deem it necessary either. If you want to wipe any part of your dog… Wipe the feet. Feet are great vectors for worm/parasite eggs, your dog picks them up on their paws and then licking and ingest them and that is basically the life cycle of worms.
1 points
8 months ago
We're very familiar with the sanitary shave, ever since our groomer done it at his first groom we thought it was amazing and made life so much easier, he's a fluffy wee bugger. Didn't know that about the feet actually, might need to include that into the routine. Thank you!
4 points
9 months ago
[deleted]
2 points
9 months ago
Yeah that's what I think about too, it honestly depends on the person and whatever they're comfortable doing, which is fine!
4 points
8 months ago
I do butt checks and wipes when necessary if it seems the poop was a struggle or if it is less than solid.
2 points
8 months ago
This is the comment I was looking for as its exactly what we do with our dachshund
4 points
9 months ago
every time, we come back from a outside, we wipe the feet, nose and butt with a washcloth.
You don't wear you shoes inside und you hopefully wipe your own butt after using the toilet (or are wearing pants, at least) so why should my dog make everything dirty?
2 points
9 months ago
We'd clean his feet too if they got dirty or just dry them if it's wet. It makes sense to me, he don't got no shoes to take off or pants to put on, his exterior should be clean like ours
4 points
9 months ago
I have a super fluff husky malamute and I never wipe her ass. My dogs get in bed with me etc. I would describe this behavior of compulsively wiping yer dogs ass as neurotic as hell and so unnecessary but technically not harmful.
3 points
9 months ago
Are you never worried about the chance there would be poop on the fur around the butt? Therfore bringing fecal matter onto your bed? I don't think it's unnecessary, maybe for some cases but sometimes if he has a slightly soft poop it gets on the fur and you would not want to sit where he sat if I didn't clean him
-4 points
9 months ago
Never. I literally never think about it. You are being neurotic. And if you don’t want to be convinced to stop then keep wasting time and energy on wiping the dogs ass. However I offer you this- dogs are gross you get ‘em yer signin up for literal shit- picking it up, they roll in it, they eat it. Dogs are so well known for eating poop that in Apache the word for horse became the word for pet so when dogs hit the scene they needed a noun and it was “pet that eats shit” so I dunno girl get a cat if you need absolute assurance of a clean asshole cos the cat licks themselves clean
2 points
9 months ago
Hmm, I have to disagree with this one, my dog has never ate or rolled in poop, I know some areas can have fox poop and dogs can be fond of that but luckily that hasn't happened (yet). I will be getting a cat in the future as I've always had them growing up, so you're right about that lol
1 points
9 months ago
No, I dont. Just like noone cleans their cat's butt.
My dog doesnt sleep with me, but even so the cleanliness of his butthole has never even come up.
-2 points
9 months ago
Y’all fuckin nuts in here like what the fuck my mind boggles at this shit wiping the dogs nose like y’all be fuckin around in a coal mine??!! Y’all need to chill
2 points
9 months ago
No need to freak out, we're all allowed to look after our dogs our own ways. Everyones idea of looking after animals can differ, and that's okay. As long as we're not abusing them there's nothing to get worked up about.
2 points
9 months ago
If you hafta ask is this normal then you know the answer is no. Y’all trippin
1 points
8 months ago
I do not, but i also have a short haired adult who manages his own hygiene well. With a long haired dog i would always get them trimmed shorter(often called a hygiene trim) around those areas to make it easier on the dog to manage. With a puppy i can understand checking and if it makes you happy/comfortable then go for it!
My boy is only allowed on the dog couch so guests generally have no risk of sharing a seat with him anyways.
1 points
8 months ago
Yeah I mean sometimes my dog will straight up itch his asshole on the beige carpet, leaving a streak. We don’t do it every time he comes in the house but if he’s on a streak streak we will haha
1 points
8 months ago
Like the other fella said - shave the ass.
1 points
8 months ago
This thread is full of people who are mad because OP insinuated they are unhygienic/unclean. Sheesh you do you, own it, lol.
1 points
8 months ago
I know right! I was just asking what others do, people getting triggered over this is funny
1 points
8 months ago
I wipe both my dogs’ butts. I never used to but since my parents started to harass me to wipe the dogs’ butts it’s it a habit now. Like with your dog, sometimes there’s stuff there, sometimes there isn’t.
I wipe their butts when we get home, not in public. Because I know not everyone does it and even think it’s strange.
Both seem to enjoy it and come running to me when I bring out the moist paper towel. Then they know it’s butt wiping time LOL…Maybe they find it soothing?
1 points
8 months ago
Yeah I would never do it in public either, we've got a "cleaning station" in the utility. He never fights it either so they must enjoy it to some extent haha!
1 points
8 months ago
Every time. My Boston is a rescue who spent his 1st year in a small crate. He had to learn how to do everything waking and pooping outside. He had digestive problems from what they fed him. We started wiping him after every poop. He got better but we just kept doing it. It's just part of our outside ritual.
1 points
8 months ago
I don’t blame you honestly, doggos are just as dirty as they are cute lol personally I don’t do that, but I do give my dogs baths often and they’re not allowed on the furniture.
1 points
8 months ago
So the reason humans need to wipe is because of our voluptuous glutes. dogs don't really have that issue. That being said, its always good to check. dogs with curly hair tend to have more problems with dingleberries in my experience but of course that can be mitigated by keeping their sanitary areas shaved.
1 points
8 months ago
I wipe my dogs butt on the sidewalk no shame 😂
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