To think the house might smell?

[NewtoCornland]

Ds and I were just talking to dsd about when we get a puppy. It's been in the pipeline for a while but we've had to puppy proof our garden (we're rural and have lambs out front and calfs to the side so needed to plug the fence). She looked very unimpressed and asked if we were getting just one puppy because, at her mum's house, she has 3 dogs (including a 6 month old puppy) 5 cats, 2 ferrets, 2 hedgehogs (I believe her dm used to breed them at some point), a rabbit, a snake and fish

We knew they had animals but, bloody hell, my nose hurts just thinking about it. The sad thing is she just said she can't play in their garden because it is covered in poo of various types.

Is it possible to keep that many animals and the house not smell?

I have hypersmellability OP, I would be able to smell your tropical fish at the end of your street with your door closed...

I can always smell pets even if its just one dog, fine if you like your home like that, i just wouldnt willingly go back again, i do have friends with pets and i avoid their homes.

No, it wouldn't necessarily smell, but you'd have to be a super conscientious house keeper.
My dad has a friend who has 5 dogs and I've often visited her. I have a horribly acute sense of smell, so I'd definitely notice any doggy smell, and her house always smells fresh and clean.
However, I know she hoovers, airs the house and cleans thoroughly every day, baths the dogs very regularly, has throws on the sofas that are washed every week etc.
It's an awful lot of work, but her home always looks immaculate.

Cats don't smell (unless there's something wrong with them) but their litter trays do unless you clean them out as soon as possible after they've been used. Much like an unflushed loo would smell bad of course.

Op asked because she is concerned for the health and wellbeing of her stepdaughter and was possibly finding out if her own house would smell if they got a puppy. I didn't read it as a dig at the ex. It's really sad she can't use her own garden to play in !

Ive got one small dog, a terrier. She spends many happy hours jumping about in mud and doing things dogs do but she doesn't smell horrible, she smells like a mixture of fabric softener (shes allowed everywhere so picks the scent up from cushions, throws etc), shampoo ( bathed regularly) and generally just the smell of snuggles! I never let her in after a walk without cleaning her paws, we have carpets so i guess they would smell if i didnt keep her clean. She smells a whole lot better than my nearly teenager sometimes does! She doesnt wee or poo in the garden so this is not an issue, neighbours dogs do and it bloody stinks but thats because they dont pick it up or wash the yard.
My best friend has 5 dogs and 3 cats, all live inside, I've never been in a cleaner house. Ive honestly never smelt dog/ pet/ litter trays once, she'd be mortified!

I'm sure there are some people who work incredibly hard to remove the doggy smell of dogs, but in general, my experience is that all houses with dogs in them smell of dogs. Most are fine though, and once in there, you don't notice it after a while. The exception were two houses I've been in where there were multiple pets and hygiene issues, so the dog smell mingled in with general animal crap smell and dirt on the floor and everywhere.

I know if we had a dog the house would smell of dog as I wouldn't be prepared to do the daily washing of floors, cleaning beds and hoovering required to make it not smell.

I didn't think our house smelled when we had most of the animals on the list but we do have rules.
No pets upstairs
All Litter trays cleaned twice a day
Dry food only
Clean beds twice a week (blanket over the basket washed, basket wiped with a anty bac/ heap of blankets washed in the case of ferrets)

We also have no carpet downstairs and regularly wash the throws on the sofa, Hoover etc.

Anyway... We now have no pets and lots of people have told me the house smells better. Would appear I was unsuccessful in my ear against smells!

*war