# Smelly dog suggestions? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 13, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119 "2012-07-13T16:33:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/1 "2012-07-13T16:33:02Z")
[We have three dogs.](http://i681.photobucket.com/albums/vv174/kayaker01/dawgs.jpg) (The shepherd has grown up since this pic) Currently two of the dogs stink. The German Shepherd has found something dead and sneaks off every so often to roll in it. I have had to bathe her three times in the last eight days. We are trying to keep her from going off to roll, but all it takes is one moment of inattention. We live in the country and the dogs return when called. The large brown mix-breed has a dense undercoat that we have been gradually removing via brushing. All three dogs swim in the Allegheny River on weekends. the other two dogs dry quickly, but the brown dog stays wet for a day, then reeks a sour nasty smell. I have to bathe her daily for 2 or 3 days to make her stop stinking, and then she is back in the river and on her way to stinking again. This was a problem last year also. Sooooo, any advice on specific shampoos or rinses? I have a skunk shampoo that works well by chelating thiols, but it doesn’t work as a general de-stink shampoo. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/2 "2012-07-13T17:47:54Z")
You could shave them for the summer. It won’t change their behavior, but it will be easier to keep them clean. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/3 "2012-07-13T17:55:32Z")
Yeah, I mentioned a shave-down to the vet last year around this time and she suggested against it. They are with us outdoors all the time and their coats protect their skin from the sun, insulate, etc. Although I’d love to dip them in a vat of Nair! ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/4 "2012-07-13T17:59:50Z")
You could try a trim, rather than a whole shave. Or leave it a bit longer on the top where the sun hits. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/5 "2012-07-13T19:03:09Z")
When my dog got skunked last year the de-skunk shampoo didn’t do a thorough enough job. I washed her a lot, and finally the thing that worked was the mixture [here](http://briansplace.ynt1.com/skunk.php). Peroxide, baking soda and liquid soap. Not too expensive, really - you can find huge bottles of peroxide at Walgreens or wherever. I think I used plastic pitchers to get the job done. If you don’t want to wash them that much, perhaps you need a “rinse” after they’re in the river or after they’ve been rolling in the yard. Get some plastic baby pools and fill them with water (can get 3 [small ones](http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=11165184) - don’t need a “regular sized” one - they can fit!) and have them dip in before coming inside. My dog gets to hang out in a plastic pool and sometimes she goes in the mulch afterwards, so I have to make sure she rinses off before we go inside or she gets the smell you’re talking about. Yuck! ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/6 "2012-07-13T19:40:52Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > When my dog got skunked last year the de-skunk shampoo didn’t do a thorough enough job. I washed her a lot, and finally the thing that worked was the mixture [here](http://briansplace.ynt1.com/skunk.php). Peroxide, baking soda and liquid soap. Not too expensive, really - you can find huge bottles of peroxide at Walgreens or wherever. I think I used plastic pitchers to get the job done. OK, I’m going to bathe her tomorrow in this mix! ---
**Author:** ![redtail23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3e96dc/32.png) [@redtail23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/redtail23)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/7 "2012-07-13T20:10:36Z")
That mix worked wonders on our skunked mutt. I’d bet it will help, at least on the musty-smelling one. We didn’t bother to mix it up (and didn’t have a recipe anyway). It was an emergency. We just wet her down thoroughly, rubbed in some soap to make her sticky, rubbed in handfuls of baking soda, then doused with peroxide and rubbed that in for a while. Rinse well, repeat as needed. You could smell the skunkness coming off every time it got cooking. I’d call a groomer and see if they can strip the undercoat out completely on your swimmer. The heat may affect her a bit more since she won’t be as insulated, but the outer coat should still provide protection. That or teach her to stand still and be blow-dried. Can’t help much on the rolling dog. Ya just have to keep washing 'em. It’s usually the neck & shoulders, so sometimes you can just spot wash instead of doing the whole dog. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/8 "2012-07-13T21:58:53Z")
> [@redtail23](#): > > That mix worked wonders on our skunked mutt. I’d bet it will help, at least on the musty-smelling one. > > We didn’t bother to mix it up (and didn’t have a recipe anyway). It was an emergency. We just wet her down thoroughly, rubbed in some soap to make her sticky, rubbed in handfuls of baking soda, then doused with peroxide and rubbed that in for a while. Rinse well, repeat as needed. You could smell the skunkness coming off every time it got cooking. > > I’d call a groomer and see if they can strip the undercoat out completely on your swimmer. The heat may affect her a bit more since she won’t be as insulated, but the outer coat should still provide protection. > > That or teach her to stand still and be blow-dried. > > Can’t help much on the rolling dog. Ya just have to keep washing 'em. It’s usually the neck & shoulders, so sometimes you can just spot wash instead of doing the whole dog. Her undercoat is pretty much out now. She is pretty good but will only tolerate 10 minutes of brushing at a time. Hopefully the mixture will be a help. Whatever Kali is rolling in (guessing dead deer) should rot away soon, I hope. Maybe the dry weather is affecting the situation. Her first roll made me wonder if there was a human body in the woods. My Jeep Patriot still stinks from her! What we go through for them!😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2012, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/9 "2012-07-13T22:38:05Z")
Have you tried following the dog before she rolls in stinky junk? Maybe she’ll lead you to the spot and you could clean it up. ---
**Author:** ![6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/6/e19adc/32.png) [@6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/6ImpossibleThingsB4Breakfast)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/10 "2012-07-14T00:39:52Z")
When mine rolled in a dead seagull with a gut full of rotting fish, after washing her 4 times in various dog shampoos, eucalyptus wool wash, and diluted Nilodor, the only thing that seemed to work was drenching her in tomato juice. Rinsed it off after about 10 minutes, and could finally breath without gagging. Had to have the car detailed, but it still took about two weeks of spraying the interior with diluted white vinegar before the the stench of death finally died. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/11 "2012-07-14T03:03:52Z")
Febreze? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/12 "2012-07-14T05:36:11Z")
> [@PandaBear77](#): > > Febreze? > > 😉 I’ve actually Febreezed my stinky dog with good results. It was just regular almost-annual-bathtime dog funk though, not garbage or dead animal. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/13 "2012-07-14T06:18:51Z")
> [@Rachellelogram](#): > > Have you tried following the dog before she rolls in stinky junk? Maybe she’ll lead you to the spot and you could clean it up. Yes, but she knows she’s not supposed to roll in dead stuff (she has previously been caught and reprimanded) and so sneaks off when our attention lapses. Last time we were working with the horses and noticed her missing. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/14 "2012-07-14T15:46:21Z")
I bathed Ella this morning in **ZipperJJ** ’s suggested blend and it worked nicely. Great lather, easy to work with, and a no longer smelly dog. Of course the cycle will start again if the rain clears out long enough for some boating this weekend.😃 No complaints about the rain, tho. We need it! ---
**Author:** ![misterW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@misterW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misterW)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/16 "2012-07-14T21:31:02Z")
Wouldn’t help with smells from rolling in dead animals, but my shepherd smelled significantly better once I started giving her probiotics with her food. ---
**Author:** ![impatien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c89c15/32.png) [@impatien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/impatien)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2012, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/17 "2012-07-14T23:45:03Z")
We have a dachshund who is 14 1/2 years old. She reeks. Interestingly enough, if we pick her up we find that her chest is damp. Oh dogs supposedly sweat only through their tongue. Tell that to miss sweaty chest. We bathe her weekly with Dawn dishwashing detergent and give her sprays with apple cider vinegar about once a week as well. We also powder her with Gold Bond medicated powder weekly too. She’s just gross but we love her anyway. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/smelly-dog-suggestions/628119/19 "2012-07-31T01:30:34Z")
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