Why do some dogs smell worse than others?

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Patchworkpony

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Now I love dogs but have never enjoyed the smell of them like I LOVE the smell of horses. What I don't quite get is that some dogs hardly smell at all while others are so bad that even washing your hands after stroking them doesn't eliminate the smell. Are some breeds more prone to being pongy or is it the way they are kept?
 
Stanley says you are welcome to bury your nose in his top knot...Pantene,,floral,delightful..ahhhh

On a Serious note a wool coat needs more frequent washing ..

The other wash and wear coats( eg hounds etc) are more waterproof but do have that doggy smell. if you wish to cut the smell,use water with vinegar and sponge the coat...the smell will be gone and a chamois will bring the coat to a great shine.
 
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A friend of mine brings her two border terriers when she visits and I find the smell of them almost over powering. It's not a nasty smell just a very strong doggy smell - they seriously need a bath.
 
peanut said:
A friend of mine brings her two border terriers when she visits and I find the smell of them almost over powering. It's not a nasty smell just a very strong doggy smell - they seriously need a bath.
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I know what you mean - I think some people are totally immune to the smell of their dogs!
 
Some breeds have an oily coat and consequently smell different. I'm particularly thinking of the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, the coat feels greasy too.
 
Patchworkpony said:
Which type of coat?
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Well, in my own experience I find that terriers often can whiff of wee - particular Borders which don't often get a bath. Males often wee on their front legs so that stinks.

Cockers drag their ears thru everything so the ears can be foul, even if they aren't greasy inside (and some cockers have nasty ears if they aren't looked after - plus they can get lip fold dermatitis, which stinks).

Schnauzers, it's the beard!

I find that giant double coats can smell bad, even aFTER a bath.

So it really does depend, I find that many breeds of dogs will have their own unique pong depending on lifestyle and breed, what coat they have.

Some breeds often aren't that smelly - bichons, cavvies, poodles.
 
I always think Border terriers smell a bit seasidey, they definately have a different smell to the other dogs. The labradors smell lovely if they haven't been rolling in anything gross.
 
I've never noticed a smell of my lakeland/fox terrier but she gets bathed more often than the jrts did. Love her non shedding coat though :)

Fiona
 
Raw fed dogs dont tend to smell. Dogs fed on cheap dry food always seen to stink! Mine are whippets, very clean dogs generally with short, flat coats, and raw fed. They dont really get bathed, just a hose off if they roll in something nasty! They have no smell, even when they are wet. Literally nothing.
 
Our airedale doesn't smell much (unless he gets wet, but even that's not overwhelming). He's very clean and doesn't roll in much at all. He also has a non shedding coat which I think helps. He only smells after he eats a fishstick and that's just bad fish breath!
 
EllenJay said:
I have 2 cross breeds terriers (rescue dogs), both fed the same raw diet, one smells like roses, the other stinks. Lovely smelling one has a spaniel type coat and the smelly one is rough coated.
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Well its something I've heard a lot and is very noticeable with mine, there is just no smell. Both smelt very doggy when I got them, and with both it slowly disappeared. I guess dogs are all different
 
FrankieCob said:
Raw fed dogs dont tend to smell. Dogs fed on cheap dry food always seen to stink! Mine are whippets, very clean dogs generally with short, flat coats, and raw fed. They dont really get bathed, just a hose off if they roll in something nasty! They have no smell, even when they are wet. Literally nothing.
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I have two whippets and I can second that. One of them has such a thin coat his belly is bare and he never smells even when wet.. The other one has got a better coat since living with me, he also never smells.
 
My greyhound doesn't smell unless she plays lots with smelly dogs, same with dad's Parsons. Dad's terrier has a weekly shower at least though as he sleeps under the duvet and you don't want a stinky dog in bed!!
 
I've also been told my house doesn't smell of dog!
When mine was on raw he retained that new puppy smell and it was remarked upon. He's a bit earthier now back on dry but certainly not that 'catches the back of your throat' aroma.
 
I met a girl in a pub once, fell in to conversation and we found that we had a mutual interest in lurchers. She asked if I'd like to see her dogs and I said that I would. She invited me round for 'tea' on a Sunday, and I duly turned up. I was genuinely staggered; she had 5 that all lived indoors, she had a vast kitchen and each dog had its own armchair.

The strange thing was, and at the time I'd been 6 years non-smoking, there wasn't even the slightest whiff of woofer. Nothing at all. Stranger still, out of the 5 dogs, 2 were elderly and 2 middle aged. They were all beautifully mannered and welcoming. It was the lack of doggie aroma that struck me though. Generally, once past the age of about 3 years, most of our house living dogs acquire a bit of a 'nose', so how the girl above managed as she did, remains one of life's mysteries! :)

Alec.
 
The breeder our pup came from has 5 adult labrador bitches in a very small house. They live in and her house doesn't smell at all. People I ask say ours doesn't but most of them have dogs so I remain unconvinced! Certainly on these wet days we have had the back of the house where they are shut during the day gets a bit whiffy, but the three dog towels drying don't help, added to the dogs drying too.
 
There must be something breed or gene specific. Both of ours have the same diet (raw), the same bathing routine, beds washed at the same time, etc, etc. Both have long ear hair and feathers. However the longhaired dachshund has no smell at all, while the saluki is usually a bit smelly.
 
I have two dogs, one a springer x collie and a springer, the cross breed really smells awful while the springer doesn't smell at all unless she has rolled in fox poo. I always thought it was because the springer moults terribly but the cross breed doesn't moult at all.
 
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