Hello all,

I'm relatively new to forum questions and what not so please forgive me if I didn't post in the right area.

Anyways, I just bought a Husky, (Korra) and I don't bring her home until the 22nd this month when she hits 8 weeks. I live in Massachusetts so it's ideal weather right about now for her. I have a few questions regarding bathing. The breeder I got her through has been wiping them down and advises that we bathe her when she hits 12 weeks old. However, I've had other dogs and I was able to bathe them relatively early, around 8-9 weeks. She seems very knowledgable of the breed but I want feedback from other owners.

Is it okay to bathe her at 8 weeks (close to 9 weeks. Like two days before her 9 week mark) or should I wait until the 12 week mark?

I actually had to look it up cuz I've never heard of it before but apparently your breeder is correct. The reasons for not bathing a puppy before 3 months (12 weeks) mostly had to do with shampoos not being safe for a puppy under 12 weeks of age. The article mentioned just using a damp, clean wash cloth and wiping your puppy down with it. I feel kinda bad now because I'm pretty sure both mine got bathed before 3 months old.
Pretty sure you can find a shampoo for young puppies that'd be safe, maybe even baby shampoo (?) but the article basically said that unless your pup gets into something and becomes visibly dirty, then just wipe your pup down...and if you do end up bathing, to make sure the pup is warm during and after the bath.
Congrats on your new puppy!

Huskies are generally pretty clean dogs. They don't require a lot of bathing and cleaning.

Brush them regularly to keep the fur clear of dead hairs and debris.
Spot clean dirty areas with a cloth.
They don't have the same sort of oils as some other dogs which tends to lead to the typical doggie smells. Frequent baths can actually dry out their skin and fur which can lead to problems.

This weekend was the first decent weekend we'd had in a long time weather wise. So Rorschach got some extra exercise in. Yesterday, it was in the 40s and sunny, so the snow was starting to melt and there were muddy puddles everywhere. By the time we got back home, his legs were visibly dirty. He went into the far-from-clean kennel and an hour later, when it was time for supper, I couldn't find a spec of dirt on him.

Honestly, except for the occasional trip to the groomer, or a medically necessary bath, I probably won't do much more than hosing him off if he's really bad, or spot cleaning some really thick mud.

Thank you both,

My only concern is that the litter that Korra is coming from, there's 7 others. And they all use the bathroom relatively close to the kennel. And with puppies being clumsy in general I fear that she her self is going to look dirty. I see her periodically (visit ever couple days) and the last time I saw her, her white coat was a little off white/yellowish.

Maybe I'm being knit-picky because she doesn't smell. it just her coat looks off a bit.

Shiva's hind legs look the same way they are stained yellowish! How can I keep her hind legs clean? her legs are white!