If you have a dog that lives in your house, how do you stop your house smelling of dog? Is that even possible?

[Woodspritely]

I’ve only had working dogs before, who don’t come into the house (farm dogs) but the kids want a house dog, and one of the things I’ve been considering is how to not have a ‘doggy’ house (we no longer live on a farm).

How often do you wash and brush the dog, wash dog beds, hoover, and what else can be done? Do you wash/brush dry off when you come back from a walk?

We rarely used to do any of those things - a wash was only when they rolled in fox poo!

Ok, I get it 🤣, I nevitable dog smells!

I guess I’ve never really know what a ‘normal home’ level of dog cleaning is, I’ve never wiped a dog’s paws for example, so it’s really interesting to read about your routines.

Oops, pressed enter too soon. I dry him when he's wet, rub down after a walk etc and all the towels etc stay in the porch. His bed blankets get washed once a week (more if something happens to them- he's 17... ) and I hoover maybe twice a week- peppermint oil in the hoover filter or the hoover does stink of dog.

He gets bathed
Usually just his paws
I’ve never thought any of my families houses smelled of dogs.

I remember a thread where dog owners discused the snell of their dogs. It was amazing for us non dog owners - they said their dogs smelled of cookies/loved the smell of their paws etc.

I think it changes when you have a dog...

I have a very strong sense of smell and hate dog smells. My house genuinely didn’t smell of dog for the first 4 years or so of having our greyhound. She’s a very clean dog with little to no moulting, doesn’t sleep on furniture etc. bedding washed regularly. Unfortunately the longer we have had her the more the house does smell of dog. She’s gotten stinky in her old age and it’s permeated the house and created a general build up of dog smell over time on carpets etc which were all new when we got her.

I hate it and will be replacing ALL rugs, carpets and the sofa when she’s gone. There really is no way of permanently avoiding the smell of dog if you own one. Even if the dog smelt like roses, there are still their farts to contend with

I don't care. I keep her on hard surfaces and keep her and her bedding washed so it's not overpowering. Obviously, I can't smell it. Other than that, why should I care?

I'm with @BringPizza in thinking that if I'm out and come back in I'd smell a dog smell on entering the house in the same way I can smell if a cake has been baked or the washing machine has been on.

No carpets or curtains here, mats at doors, towels over mats. Dogs towelled off on entry and put in crates to dry with towels over their beds. Throws on sofas, towels and dog beds washed regularly. Dogs only in the kitchen/diner. Hoover and mop twice a week. I'm not even that house proud I don't think.
Windows open a lot.

The only smelly thing about my dogs, are their stinky farts.

Surely the ability to fart with impunity and always blame the dog is in the top 5 reasons for owning a dog ?

@Lostinspace23 now ours are on raw farts are a thing of the past. Their poo barely smells either, I'm amazed.

I don't let my dog into the house ... her bed is in our very large kitchen... and we have have a washable water proof bed, It gets chucked in some bio every month. And our dog is an absolute terror for rolling in poo! Apparently if you rub ketchup on it first then wash off it gets rid of the whiff

But she doesn't like it in the house as she's never been allowed in there 🤷🏼‍♀️

I know someone with a cockapoo, previously had a Bichon frise, and their house doesn’t smell at all. They do wash the dog (I think with dog shampoo) after every walk though...

[quote stayathomegardener]@Lostinspace23 now ours are on raw farts are a thing of the past. Their poo barely smells either, I'm amazed. [/quote]
To be fair to my old girl, she’s on a sensitive diet and doesn’t usually fart. However last week she ate something in the garden (possibly cat poo, or badger or fox related) and after 24 hours of vomiting, has been lying on her bed farting almost nonstop for days. It’s not been the most rewarding week of dog ownership, that’s for sure!

Get poodles!!

I like to kid myself that the house doesn't smell doggy but I think I'm wrong. We have throws on tho sofa which we wash regularly as well as his bed/blanket. He likes teddies which we wash regularly. He gets showered roughly every month, we also use wipes when he rolls in something yuk when we're out walking. We have dark carpet which is constantly covered in fur despite hoovering often. We brush him, sometimes spray him with doggy perfume so we do try but I'm sure the doggy pong gets through.

Get a whippet - the least smelly dog I have owned and minimal moulting too so very little hair!

Sadly we keep him with a spaniel and a terrier who make up for the dirt and smell - I hoover at least once daily, make sure their bellies and paws are towelled off when they come in.

I have a hard floor karcher washer which I use weekly in the winter, sometimes more if it has been very wet. I also have a basic mop for an every day wipe over. Also have a vax for the rugs and use as and when.

Their beds are washed weekly and so are the sofa throws. And certain windows need cleaning more regularily because of their 'nose art'!

In the warmer mnths the windows and back door are always open, and far less cleaning/smell in the summer.

The winter mnths are the hardest and must admit I have hit a wall recently with all the extra housework due to the dogs. I love them dearly but if it doesn't dry up soon think I will lose the will to live......

@Ducksurprise

Its easy. You go nose blind.

This for us

You can always tell when someone has a dog. It's not always a horrible smell, but it is definitely there.

No idea. Pretty sure the entire street smells of our dog, she's a very pungent lady.

My recipe for a less smelly house =

Throws on everything that get shoved in the wash regularly; reed diffusers up high in every room (I have an allergic reaction to plug ins); Fabreze pet spray on the sofa when we go up to bed; back door left open as much as possible and for at least 20 minutes every morning; a short haired sight hound type dog. Said dog never has a bath and guffs for England so not sure how successful I am.

Poodles don’t tend to smell, my MIL has two and her house genuinely doesn’t smell at all. We have a poodle cross and I think if I’m being honest there is a slight smell, but it’s no where near as bad as other houses I’ve been into. We have hardwood floors downstairs which help a lot, our dog and her bedding are washed once a month and her coat is kept short. We have a couple of pet deodoriser plug ins too and I have the windows open frequently.

You can't really avoid it. Dh and I had a dog for a year and we never got used to the smell. Other than cleaning their bed/blankets and keeping them off soft furnishings there's not much you can do. We ended up ripping up a carpet because it still stank of dog a year after we had one. Thankfully ours didn't shed and we could bathe him regularly but the smell was always there.

Everyone's house smells though, I spend most of my working life going into lots of different homes and all of them smell of something, a whiff of dog is amongst the least offensive smells I encounter.

Soft furnishings are the worst for smell. So washing dog beds and rugs regularly helps, as does having hard floors. No dogs on sofas.

Then reduce slobber and water. So dry them off when you come in, keep chews to their crate, wash their toys, keep the feeding area clean. Plus wash their leashes and coats. Keep treats in a sealed container. Take bowls up after feeding and wash. Your things will stink too so wash your boots free of mud after walks and don't keep treats in your pockets.

Windows open, sweep/mop/hoover.

It will still smell doggy, though

@Rasclut

All dog owners houses smell of dog! Some to a greater or lesser extent but they all do!

Not true.

Some breeds because of their hair/fur do not smell at all. I have always had dogs and when my MIL was alive if my house had smelt in the slightest of my dogs she would have taken great delight in telling me.

In fact she used to comment that she could not understand why my house did not smell of dog.

There was nothing wrong with her sense of smell and, in fact, when we had a cat she would complain that she could smell the cat or the litter tray or the cat food or all of those things.

I do wish people would not just insist that all dogs with houses smell

I’m sure our house smells of dog now we have one, but we don’t notice. We sweep and wash floors etc. and change her bedding. She’s only been to the groomers once and is due another trip soon, but to me she smells lovely.
When we’re in the car and we pull up in the park, she puts her head on my shoulder and I love sniffing her neck. Sounds mad, but she’s so gorgeous.