# Tips for smell



## tjpearse (Jan 31, 2014)

Does anyone have a trick or tip to keep their dog smelling good? Hugo never had a problem with smelling bad but recently he has been having a weird smell to him.


----------



## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

the smells can alert you to health issues .

what is the smell ? Is it yeasty , musty, fishy?

from what area does this smell emanate? Ears, mouth, breath, skin, rear end, belches , stool or urine?


----------



## Sagan (Apr 27, 2013)

What are you feeding? When was the last bath?


----------



## tjpearse (Jan 31, 2014)

Sorry, I should have been more specific. We sit out on the deck and he lays in the grass, so he gets an outside/grass smell to him. I just wanted to see if there were any tricks to combat that. Like baby powder, baking soda or something of that sort.


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

tjpearse said:


> Sorry, I should have been more specific. We sit out on the deck and he lays in the grass, so he gets an outside/grass smell to him. I just wanted to see if there were any tricks to combat that. Like baby powder, baking soda or something of that sort.


Why is that bad (if it is a healthy lawn)? Don't mess with his coat. Other take: what's wrong with your grass? Or did he roll in something hidden in the grass? (animal feces, decomposed small animals like snails, slugs, mice etc)


----------



## lauren43 (Jun 14, 2014)

I can say my new boy is stinky. He spent years in cheap kibble and the smell seems to be ingrained. He was bathed when he got here and been fed raw since, neither has seemed to make the smell go away!


----------



## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

If you are sensitive to 'out doorsy' smells and your dog doesn't have any type of allergy issues, you can wash/dry his dog blankets using specific fabric softeners and dryer sheets. When he lays on them he'll pick up that scent.


----------



## HappysMom (Nov 20, 2013)

Happy gets a weird fishy smell every once in a while.


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Lilie said:


> If you are sensitive to 'out doorsy' smells and your dog doesn't have any type of allergy issues, you can wash/dry his dog blankets using specific fabric softeners and dryer sheets. When he lays on them he'll pick up that scent.


....after which he may want to redo it to get rid of the scent you so prefer.


----------



## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

wolfy dog said:


> ....after which he may want to redo it to get rid of the scent you so prefer.


Or wear a pine tree car freshener on his collar.....


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

If they have rolled in deer poop, I rinse it off with lukewarm water and let it dry. If I still smell it, I rub my hands in the Rosemary bush and onto their necks. Then forget about it. If they roll in nastier stuff, I spot shampoo these areas.


----------



## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

Is there a reason you don't want to give him a bath?


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Freestep said:


> Is there a reason you don't want to give him a bath?


I only spot clean with shampoo if absolutely needed. I don't want mess with their natural oils. This goes for healthy dogs of course.
I give foster dogs a flea bath when they come out of the shelter. That's it. Once I came into a locally owned petstore and the owner asked me, "I guess you never bathe your dog?" I thought he saw something I didn't but when I asked him "why", he replied, "Because she has such a healthy coat".
I personally that all this bathing has more to do with anthropomorphism.


----------



## tjpearse (Jan 31, 2014)

Exactly, I only like to give him a bath maybe every 5 weeks unless he gets muddy which doesn't happen too much. I feed him the Purina Pro Plan Sport 28/18. I know it's not the greatest quality of food but it's the only food that he can digest without any problems. Would this have anything to do with it?


----------



## Wolfgeist (Dec 4, 2010)

I prevent coat stinkiness with good diet, good supplements like coconut oil and omega fatty acids... and whenever the dogs start to get some stinky breath I brush their teeth with coconut oil and it immediately eliminates it.


----------



## Saxon802 (Sep 27, 2014)

Our GSDs usually get bathed twice a year unless they get into something particularly smelly or are extremely dirty. I have found that weekly brushings (at a minimum)keeps their coats clean enough. 

When bathing them we have always used an oatmeal based shampoo. None have ever had any skin problems or allergies though.


----------



## DonnaKay (Jan 20, 2014)

I gave my pup a bath a couple days after bringing her home from the breeder. She's now almost 11 months old and I haven't given her a bath since. Her coat is very shiny and doesn't smell. My mom, who is very scent sensitive, commented how she doesn't have a doggie odor or doggie breath. That made me happy. 

FYI... I was feeding her Wellness large breed puppy but switched her to raw about 3 weeks ago. My mom made that comment last week.

I've had a lot of different breeds over the years, including mixes, and GSDs seem to not need bathing as much as most other breeds.


----------



## Cheyanna (Aug 18, 2012)

tjpearse said:


> Sorry, I should have been more specific. We sit out on the deck and he lays in the grass, so he gets an outside/grass smell to him. I just wanted to see if there were any tricks to combat that. Like baby powder, baking soda or something of that sort.



Grass = doggie cologne Fiona like to roll around in it, especially if fresh cut.


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Another thing that works well is blow drying their coat with a dryer specially for dogs.


----------



## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

wolfy dog said:


> I only spot clean with shampoo if absolutely needed. I don't want mess with their natural oils. This goes for healthy dogs of course.
> I give foster dogs a flea bath when they come out of the shelter. That's it. Once I came into a locally owned petstore and the owner asked me, "I guess you never bathe your dog?" I thought he saw something I didn't but when I asked him "why", he replied, "Because she has such a healthy coat".
> I personally that all this bathing has more to do with anthropomorphism.


The old-timers used to say that dogs only needed to be bathed twice a year at most. This was back when dog shampoos were very harsh and would strip out the natural oils. Nowadays, we have much better products. You can readily purchase Earthbath shampoo, which is a line of very mild, non-stripping products, at supermarkets and drugstores. They even have conditioner for dogs, if you are worried about dry skin and coat. But if your dog's coat is healthy, it will really shine and smell much better after a good bath. If you don't want to do it yourself, ask your vet if they know a good dog groomer. They can work wonders with stinky dogs!


----------



## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

Freestep said:


> The old-timers used to say that dogs only needed to be bathed twice a year at most.


I am an old timer so that is what I say 
So far it has worked for all my dogs.


----------

