Those of us who fortunately can share our lives with one or more dogs, develop without being aware of a certain tolerance to dog smell, being almost negligible most of the time.
However, those who do not live with dogs or who have simply been walking in the park, breathing fresh air and then entering a home where dogs live, can immediately notice a very characteristic bad smell, the classic dog smell.
All dogs emit odor to a greater or lesser extent, so we are going to see how to eliminate bad dog odor and how to prevent our dog from smelling a lot. We will also explain how to get the dog smell out of furniture and carpets in a simple way.
Why does my dog smell bad or too strong?
The intensity of a dog’s odor is due to several factors such as genetics, the dog’s hygiene habits, diet, and even the level of exercise that the dog performs. Some diseases also cause the dog to smell stronger than usual, or that the smell of it is very unpleasant.
Dogs emit odor through their skin, their hair, but also through their paws, ears and mouth. A yeast infection in the ears or paws can lead to a very intense and unpleasant dog odor as the infection spreads.
Tartar can cause a very bad odor in your mouth, an odor that will obviously spread throughout the home as dogs often pant, yawn and lick. The best way to cleaning tartar from a dog’s mouth or to prevent it, is by means of deer bones and antlers.
Poor personal hygiene can also be the cause of an odor that is too intense or unpleasant. At general levels, bathing our dog once a month is enough, but if our dog is one of those that loves to get into puddles, mud, dirt, etc… perhaps we should bathe him more frequently.
We must know well how to bathe our dog for the results to be good, it is not enough to wet it and let it dry on its own…. It is recommended to dry it with a towel and then with the dryer until it is completely dry. Be very careful not to burn him, obviously.
The diet of a dog is a key factor in the smell, a dog fed with poor quality feed will emit a much more intense and unpleasant smell than a dog fed with natural food, with BARF for instance. Even the smell of their stools will be much less, it is really amazing what the diet can influence in this field.
How can I eliminate bad dog odor and/or prevent it?
There are no magic tricks to eliminate dog smell forever, but we can follow these tips and greatly reduce its intensity, even disappearing. Remember that these tricks are only for healthy dogs, if your dog has a bad smell due to an illness, it should be the veterinarian who diagnoses it.
- Give your dog bones to gnaw them, or to chew and eat. Dogs can eat bones, although not all of them work, we recommend you read: dog bones.
- bathe your dog frequently and dry it completely, or if it’s a hot summer’s day, go for a walk with it so it dries quickly in the sun. Remember to use a specific shampoo for dogs (the human one works for us) and, if possible, one that neutralizes the odour.
- Feed your dog correctlyif you cannot spend time preparing your own diet, as in the BARF diet… At least make sure you give it good quality feedwhich is tailored to your needs.
- Check their feet and ears, infections by bacteria, viruses or yeasts, produce an unpleasant and intense odor. If your dog suffers from an infection in its ears or legs, you should go to the vet to prescribe medication.
- wash your dog’s bedvacuum the house very frequently, air the house at least twice a day, etc… What comes to be a minimum of general hygiene in the home, in this way we will avoid that the dog smell is impregnated in sofas, carpets and furniture.
Home remedies to neutralize the bad smell
We all know the classic home air fresheners, which slowly release a pleasant fragrance. Well, we shouldn’t use them because they are usually very strong for our dogs and can irritate their olfactory system.
However, there are air fresheners that do not emit an odor, but rather capture the odor. These types of air fresheners usually come in the form of gel or foam and are constantly absorbing odors. This type of air freshener can be an excellent option.
Baking soda is a natural product that can help us absorb the bad smell of the sofa, spreading a little on it and vacuuming it after ten or fifteen minutes. We can also use a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar to wash the sofa cover, although the smell of vinegar never completely goes away… so it is not recommended.