Smelly Puppy--how often to bathe?

[Kristen and Chewbacca (Chewy)]

We've had Chewy for only one week, and already our house has a really strong doggy smell (like we have 5 big Rottweilers living here) even with daily cleaning. I bathed him once already and it has helped temporarily. How often do you bathe your doodles? I'm also wondering if his scent won't be so strong as he gets older--I think it's mostly coming from his breath. What has been your experience?

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

Maybe it's puppy breath.  Like the scent of patchouli, you either love it or hate it.  It goes away.  If you're well familiar with the scent of puppy breath, and that's not it, then I'd definitely take him to the vet.  There's no reason why a young dog should have smelly breath.  Some breeds of dogs have smelly coats due to the oils in them.  Our Sadhu has a bit of a funky 'wild' smell sometimes because of the wolf in him.  Actually, that just reminded me that when I first met Sadhu he stank to high heaven. It wasn't until he moved in with me and was put on a different food that he finally stopped smelling like a goat! 

[Debb, Lucy & Oscar]

It sounds like puppy breath to me. And, yes, they do outgrow it, some sooner, some later. I'm in the, 'can't stand the smell of puppy breath' camp. Our house reeked of the smell the first 2 weeks of Lucy's arrival as a puppy. There was no escaping the small and it wasn't something I ever got use to. Oscar didn't have it nearly as bad and it only lasted a week with him. If there's no dental problems, it's my guess that's what it is, and it will be gone before you know it.

[Kristen and Chewbacca (Chewy)]

This gives me hope :-) Thanks so much!

[Kristen and Chewbacca (Chewy)]

Awww. Thanks so much!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

CHECK HIS EARS.  When we got Ned, he stank and we bathed him several times and he still stank.  Finally we figured out that his ears smelled and were infected.  When we took him to the vet, we found out that he had fox tails embedded in both ears and his throat and were infected. A little outpatient surgery to get them out and some follow up antibiotics and no more smell!

[Kristen and Chewbacca (Chewy)]

Wow! Thanks for sharing. I'm calling the vet Monday.

[Debbie]

Hi Kristen,

Maggie smelled too - not her breath, but the house smelled like Dog - and never having dogs before I can say that I didn't like  it very much. She's seven months now and she smells better (her breath never smelled though, it was definitely her fur). I find that she smells really icky when she's wet from the rain or walking through puddles...so I have found that if I dry her off really well and then brush her a couple of times a day she smells much better. I did start taking her to the groomer and we go once every 7 weeks. Of course I wash her beard and feet as needed. =) I think they grow out of this.

Debbie and Maggie

[Leann]

My phoebe is from the same litter as chewy....she doesn't have an odor but her breath sure does! Smells like skunk! I'm told it's "puppy breaths....I agree with whomever said to check his ears though! Phoebe was really itching at her ears so I got hemostats to pull the hair in there before she gets an infection. I'm guessing since chewy is her brother he's probably got some hair in there too?

[Leslie, Yogi & Maci Bear]

I wonder if some dogs just have more of an odor than others. I never smell Yogi, but I know of some dogs that do have a scent. If it's puppy breath it doesn't last near long enough for me. ;-)

[Deb's Yarrow and Schatzi]

This mountain air is lovely.  Yarrow and I spend a lot of time outside and, to me, she always smells like clean laundry fresh off the clothesline, old school (pre-scented everything).  I love to stick my nose in her fluffiness and inhale deeply.  Then again, maybe I'm just weird.

[Kristen and Chewbacca (Chewy)]

:-)

[Kristen and Chewbacca (Chewy)]

Leann, Chewy's got a lot of hair in his ears also. I used the ear wash, but I don't think I know what I'm doing. I'll attempt to clip it--if he lays still for a moment. I hope you're enjoying Phoebe--luv the name!