Doggie smell

i have my first dog in the house that isn’t a poodle. I’m not used to the dog smell…how do you minimize it? She’s a puppy and I’ve done a bath ever few weeks but is there something I can do in between? I don’t think it’s good to bathe too often…is there a dry shampoo? Powder?

I think I’ve been spoiled with the poodle coats… But I love my puppy and I know her grooming needs will be much easier…

Suggestions??

What breed? A healthy dog shouldn’t smell. Does he have an ear or skin or teeth issue going on?

Border collie…all dogs have an odor…especially if wet…which it’s been rainy lately…and then the dogs play and there is saliva smell on her coat. The poodles have virtually no odor unless they have each other’s slobber on them. I can definitely tell a difference

[QUOTE=knightrider922;8883771]
Border collie…all dogs have an odor…especially if wet…which it’s been rainy lately…and then the dogs play and there is saliva smell on her coat. The poodles have virtually no odor unless they have each other’s slobber on them. I can definitely tell a difference[/QUOTE]

I’m a groomer, I know what dogs smell like. And a healthy dog should not have any kind of a bad odor that needs to be taken care of that often unless it’s peeing on itself or swimming in stagnant water. I just put my double coated dog up to my nose and took a big sniff and he did not smell bad in anyway and he has not been bathed in probably 2 months and we have had a very wet summer and we are currently slushie and gross outside.

Border collies are not doggie smelling dogs. They don’t have the excess oil production of Retrievers and hounds. If it’s the saliva smell from other dogs maybe just water? Or a bit of shampoo but not enough to penetrate all the way to the skin.

My BC loved to roll in horse manure at the barn when he was a puppy. Daily bathing didn’t do him any harm. I did use a mild dog shampoo.

Maybe it is just the other dogs saliva that I’m smelling but I don’t like it and can’t bathe every day. I’m super sensitive to smells though. Primarily looking for a dry shampoo or other alternative and not a debate on dogs smelling or not. Thanks

I love dogs but I too think they smell, like dog. I think people around dogs a lot get used to it/desensitized. that is fine but I am not a fan of dog smell and my DH has a very sensitive nose so I get it. I don’t want a dog with even normal dog smell sitting on my couch!

I bathe mine (Chihuahua/miniPin cross) once a week with a gentle dog shampoo (oatmeal or something). Mine is outside quite a bit since I live on a farm and needs regular bathing to smell neutral. I don’t think the dry shampoos work, they just build up on the coat and leave it feeling nasty, and the dog smell is still under there.

My dog seems to like baths. I wrap him up in a warm polarfleece towel on his dog bed in our living space after and he snuggles in. not a big deal.

I would make sure his teeth are clean, tooth gunk can give them horrid breath.

Hmm…my thoughts.

  1. some dogs smell more than others. My 6 year old Brittany has no smell, but his 14 month old son does. He smells…doggy. Not a lot, but I can tell, and particularly when they get wet or are in the tub for a bath.

  2. unless there is a skin/ear issue, that’s probably their normal scent and there really isn’t anything to do about it but bathe them

  3. it’s unrealistic (and unfair) to bathe them more than every 1-2 weeks. I would not use any sort of dry shampoo or wipe on them because of their natural scent. It is fine to bathe them with appropriate shampoo, but make sure you rinse very well and pay attention to their skin.

Bottom line…I’d give occasional baths and be prepared to live with it. Sorry. :slight_smile:

When your dog is wet with slobber, dry with a soft towel. It will help a little to not have slobber build up on her. We have Aussies that live on a farm. They don’t smell like “dogs” very often. They usually smell like what they have rolled in. Dead this or that’s. Rotten this or that’s. Poop from this or that’s. And occasional skunks. They get baths as often as needed with mild shampoo. Make sure you dry you dog off good so you don’t create other issues.

I know food can make a difference. When I tried 4 Health grain free, I could smell “dog” but when I use the better foods, there’s no doggy smell whatsoever on my long haired Shepherd and there’s ALOT of hair. Might be worth experimenting.
Does your puppy stay in a crate? That will make a difference if you don’t change out her rug and wipe the kennel down quite often.

I was going to ask age and gender but I see female so it may not be a “stinky boy” issue. Sounds like it’s just different than what you’re used to. As you probably know from Poodles, bathing with shampoo and followed with a quality conditioner will not harm or dry out the coat. For some breeds, keeping the coat in show shape requires weekly baths.

For your needs, maybe doggie cologne from PetEdge, Cherrybrook, Groomer’s Choice, etc.

We had two white Bull Terriers: one had perfect skin, the other had yeasty pink skin - and he had doggy odour a lot. I think all dogs have some odour that will stay in their beds unless you can wash them or put them out in sunlight.
Carpeted homes retain the doggy odour, too. We just have scatter rugs on tile or hardwood.

A shampoo with Ketakonozole helped the BT with yeast (not that I’m suggesting a collie has it).

Good quality food= no doggie smell IME. People always come over and remark how my house does NOT smell like I have three dogs (and two are Retrievers!)

Well…she’s on a good quality puppy food along with some very expensive grain free limited ingredient dog food. She eats better with some of the adult food for some reason. So she’s getting good stuff. I had to take out a pad because she was shredding it and eating it. She’s got clean towels that get changed every other day. Sometimes she spills her water so that could be some of the problem. I disinfect her crate bottom with Clorox every week.

I’ll just bathe her…I didn’t want to do that so often as I’m not set up for winter baths. When she was smaller I could stick her in my kitchen sink but she doesn’t fit anymore.

I’m very spoiled with the poodles as it’s rare I notice any odor

I too don’t notice a dog smell unless the dog has gotten wet or rolled in something but I have a therapy dog so I do use a deodorizer on him because I want him to smell good not just neutral. Furminator makes a dry shampoo or deodorizer, I can’t remember what they call it that smells amazing so I spritz a little of that on him and towel it off so he isn’t damp before I take him in the nursing home or wherever we are going.

[QUOTE=knightrider922;8883771]
Border collie…all dogs have an odor…especially if wet…which it’s been rainy lately…and then the dogs play and there is saliva smell on her coat. The poodles have virtually no odor unless they have each other’s slobber on them. I can definitely tell a difference[/QUOTE]

Except for my breed- the American Hairless Terrier. No Hair, Very light smell, if any.

When you bathe, do you let her air dry? That can make for a stinky dog.

Ever since I started using a dog blow dryer after baths, no more damp dog smell PLUS less shedding. :slight_smile: Unlike a human hair dryer, a dog blow dryer uses no heat and high velocity to blow water from the coat. Once the dog gets used to being blow dried, they (or at least mine) come to enjoy the drying process.