Odor-free breeds

Shannerson

New Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
157
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Minnesota, USA
#1
Okay, my dog Faris is a border collie, samoyed mix. He has no doggy odor and gets 1-2 baths a year, just because his coat gets dirty now and again. Or the old skunk comes for a visit.

I absolutely love this quality about him. I can't stand doggy smell. Someone at work brought their two labs (one of my favorite breeds) in all day and they were in their crate together mostly and that room smelled so badly and just petting them my hand stink. I pet some breeds and I feel like my hand is dirty coming back. My grandma has the sweetest am cocker who would go to the beauty shop and come back all groomed with a bow and in the shortest of time he was back to his stinky self. My sister's mastiff puppy also leaves that residue on my hands when I pet her.

Do dog coats smell like the hounds, most sporting breeds, because of a higher content of oil does anyone know? Faris has very dry skin/coat to the point of dandriff at times. I would guess all arctic type breeds like he is part are similar to him.

What are your thoughts? Dumb question?
 

Baxter'smybaby

swimming upstream
Joined
Jan 17, 2007
Messages
21,977
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
NY
#2
my lab does not have a doggy smell--never has! I think grooming, feeding (quality of food), etc. contribute to all dogs hygiene/smell. BTW--my hound doesn't smell either! They are bathed x2 a year.
 
Joined
Jul 17, 2005
Messages
5,634
Likes
0
Points
0
Age
35
Location
Ontario, Canada
#3
Sometimes it just has to do with the dog itself, what environment it lives in, how often it is bathed (too often is usually worse than not often), what type of kibble it eats, age, grooming, etc.

Siberian Huskies are known for bein "odourless" though and generally all Nordic breeds are this way. I love it!! When people come over who have never been here before, they often comment how they didnt realize that ny dog lived here, let alone two of them, since there isnt any "dog smell" in the house.
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
2,993
Likes
0
Points
0
#4
I've found that the oily-er breeds smell a bit more: Labs, Beagles, etc.

I've also found that breeds with a double coat (GSDs, Akitas, etc) tend to get more stinky than those with a shorter coat (not always, but quite often).

And my Alapaha puppy smells . . . but that's because she plays with other dogs 24/7 so she is always covered in random doggy spit. But if she hasn't been playing with anyone she's pretty smell-free. My Greyhound also stinks . . . well his breath does. Poor death-breath boy!! But his coat is always clean and stink-free.
 

~Jessie~

Chihuahua Power!
Joined
Oct 3, 2006
Messages
19,665
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Central Florida
#5
My chis have never had a "doggy" smell. They are fed a high quality grain free food (which I believe that nutrition plays a big role in how dogs smell). They get baths every 1-2 months, or if they get dirty outside playing.
 

Lizmo

Water Junkie
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Messages
17,300
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
AL
#6
I think it's mostly what your dog is eating.

I've known very many dogs that are being fed garbage and their coats are gross, seriously I won't even touch some of the labs I've seen that are "pets". Then the dogs that are fed a high quality kibble or raw are odorless and don't have oily coats.
 

~Jessie~

Chihuahua Power!
Joined
Oct 3, 2006
Messages
19,665
Likes
0
Points
36
Location
Central Florida
#7
My parents fed their toy poodle Purina Pro Plan for 10 years... she always smelled like dirty hair, and my mom would have to bathe her weekly.

They switched her to a holistic food, and she didn't have that smell anymore. She had less baths after that as well.
 

Saje

Island dweller
Joined
Dec 26, 2004
Messages
23,932
Likes
1
Points
38
#8
I think the major factor is food quality.

BUT Mav (newf cross) loves to lay around in water and quite often has a mild swampy smell depending on where he's been swimming lol. He can't help it!
 

MafiaPrincess

Obvious trollsare Obvious
Joined
Nov 30, 2006
Messages
6,135
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
41
Location
Ontario
#10
Going to have to agree on diet. My american cocker never smells doggie, even if she doesn't get washed for some months. Never had a greasy issue either..
 

noludoru

Bored Now.
Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
17,830
Likes
8
Points
38
Location
Denver, CO
#12
I definitely agree. ALL the dogs I know that stink have either gotten into something or are fed crap in shiny packages. Same with all the cats I know. My neighbors feed their Friskies, and their kitties sure do stink. Ours were fed Friskies, and when they went to EVO their breath improved drastically and their smell is prettymuch gone.
 
Joined
Mar 30, 2006
Messages
909
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Indiana
#13
I think it depends on your definition of "dog smell" and how much you can handle too. Wrigley is currently being fed all raw now and was on Eagle Pack Holistics in the past--I have noticed no change in smell or coat (except his breath is worse now). He generally starts to have his "good dog smell" around 3-4 days after a bath and after around 2 weeks I can't stand it anymore and bathe him. He is washed with a good oatmeal shampoo, has his ears cleaned, teeth brushed and he is conditioned--so I'm very thorough--and he still smells in around 2 weeks.

Honey (our brussles griffon) doesn't have much of an odor except for her cute but disgustingly stinky face--she likes to eat poo or rub her face in it if we aren't watching and her eyes leak constantly--even with every day tear remover and cleaning it gets bad quick!
 

Aussie Red

Rebel With Cause
Joined
Jun 8, 2006
Messages
1,194
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
HER OWN PLANET
#14
My ACDs are double coated breeds and I only smelled them stink when I got them. I think it is a combo of life style, food and grooming.
I have smelled dogs that reek of the " doggy oder' Or "Wet dog smell" but my gang does not because they get good care and I think that is essential.
Humans reek too and the neat thing about dogs is unlike their human counter parts at least when they stink they don't try to mask it by putting deoderent or perfume over the smell. Owners will but that is because they more likely then not do it to themselves too. Soap and water does wonders and then daily maintenance for dogs and humans will do wonders .
 

DanL

Active Member
Joined
Oct 15, 2005
Messages
3,933
Likes
0
Points
36
Age
61
#15
Another vote for diet. Regarding the German Shepherd comment, Gunnar has NO smell to him. You can bury your nose in his coat and he doesn't smell. Daisy doesn't smell either. Bruzer has some odor but he's a pug and most smell a lot worse than he does.

Of course, all of them get that gamey smell if they've been outside running around, you can notice it when they come in. But, my kids had that same smell when they were little and would come in after playing outside all day.
 

ACooper

Moderator
Joined
Jan 7, 2007
Messages
27,772
Likes
1
Points
38
Location
IN
#16
Going with the crowd...........DIET over most other factors.

Orson does get a dusty smell after being out rolling around, but never smells nasty, or foul. Same goes for Phoebz. Brushing helps this alot! I don't care if your dog has a long or short coat..........brush them, it gets rid of so much dust and dirt :D
 

ks02

New Member
Joined
Dec 21, 2006
Messages
48
Likes
0
Points
0
Age
39
Location
Iowa
#17
I agree with everyone who says diet. Riley, my 10 month lab, is double coated AND one of the breeds someone said was oily. He eats Canidae and raw and no "crap" treats, and he does not smell like a dog WHATSOEVER. Actually, he has kind of a sweet "fresh-grass" type smell. It is definitely not offensive, and many people I know have commented on how they don't mind him rubbing on them, licking them, and being sort of "in-your-face" like he tends to be because he doesn't even seem like a dog to them. Because of his age and good diet, he has virtually no odor to his breath unless he's had fish for his raw meal. Even then, it's gone in a few hours. I also brush his coat daily, and I think this helps to brush off any dirt or anything that might have gotten on him. I've had him for 6 months and have bathed him twice...once when I first got him because he did stink then and once at the beginning of his coat blow this spring to help him shed some of the hair. He swims in lakes, rivers, pools, etc. and the most I do after that is to give him a good hose down and brush him as he dries. He's definitely one of the cleanest dogs I've ever known.
 

fillyone

But please, call me Barb
Joined
Jun 12, 2005
Messages
820
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Portland Oregon
#18
My German Shepherd has no odor, unless of course he's laid in something he shouldn't. He gets a couple of baths a year.

Every dog I've met that "smelled" was fed a less than stellar diet or one that didn't really agree with them.
Co-worker mentioned one day that she gave her Lab a bath every week. Asked what she fed, Iams I believe it was.
I talked her into Canidae. Been a month, no bath no smell
:D
 

Shannerson

New Member
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
157
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
Minnesota, USA
#19
Looks like diet is unanimous!
Still while doing research on breeds, some are touted to be odor-free while others are said to have doggy odor needing frequent bathing. I have to think there is something to this. But I guess from what people are saying here, good diet helps.
So what is a list of what everyone would consider "good" vs "bad" vs "okay" dog food.

Faris gets purina. He seems to do fine on it.
 

Lizmo

Water Junkie
Joined
Aug 1, 2006
Messages
17,300
Likes
0
Points
0
Location
AL
#20
So what is a list of what everyone would consider "good" vs "bad" vs "okay" dog food.

Faris gets purina. He seems to do fine on it.

Purina is most certainly in the "bad" group.

I would consider the "Okay" foods to be kibbles that are high quality but not grain free. Then "Good" to be a grain free kibbles and raw.
 

Members online

No members online now.
Top