AIBU to ask how I can stop my living room smelling like dog?

[dogsdogsdogs1]

Shamelessly abusing AIBU traffic for this one, sorry!

I have 2 small dogs who predominantly spend their time in my living room. I have them groomed every 8 weeks and wash their bedding every fortnight or so, but honestly, my living room just smells of dog all of the time and it's getting me down!

They have a large cushion bed and a selection of blankets that they sleep in, but honestly, it all seems to smell within hours of washing it, and the dogs smell within a few days of being groomed.

I'm so tired of having to clean my carpet all the time to try and get the smell out, particularly when it's the same again a few days later.

I'm currently waiting for some lemon shake 'n' vac to sink it before I vacuum it back up, but I know it will only make a minimal difference.

Short of bathing the dogs and their bedding every few days (which isn't feasible as I have 2 toddlers, a job and doing a degree) does anyone have any suggestions of how I can reduce the smell, please?

Are there any magical dog shampoos that keep fresher for longer, or any magical washing detergent for their bedding?

I'm so tired of smelling dogs!

(I've attached a photo of the stinky rascals, just because)!

Thank you for any advice you might be able to give.

Nutradol? I think it’s called. They door the carpet powers and air fresheners. Also it could be that your dogs are reacting to something making them stinkier. A change in food? Poor dental? Change in what the groomers is cleaning them with? Hormonal or age.

For your carpet & sofa, use dry ground Coffee and sprinkle over the area. Leave for 10-15 minutes and hoover!
It sounds strange, but does work!

You can get doggy cologne specifically formulated to be safe for them. My husband bought some as a joke but I've kept buying it, my dogs smell like blueberries and my house smells slightly less like hound 😂 they don't seem to mind at all.

Well, we use doggy shampoo to create a big bubble bath, after a particularly muddy walk! Otherwise, sometimes I spray my smelly hound with doggy conditioner - it goes on dry and is meant to be good for their coat as well as smelling nice. I hate the dog smell and constantly smell it (have a v v sensitive nose) so today I have scented candles everywhere :)

Not sure what the answer is OP! But would love to know :) we use febreeze dog in the car if he's been in it, but it's so powerful we don't use it in the house 🏡

Hope u find a solution

Get rid of the carpet!! Leather / PVC dog beds so they can be spritzed and wiped daily. Also, dogs off the sofa.

If you don't do all this, the dog smell will stay I'm afraid.

Also - everyone who has a dog, your house will always smell of dog. Even if you can't smell it, everyone else can.

My parents have 3 dogs. Their house always smells of dog, despite having wooden flooring, dogs not on sofas, no rugs etc, and windows constantly open!!

I wash my dog ( 1 large breed) every 10 days, but I do the throes she sits in everyday ( I have a few in rotation) windows always open, and brushed outside daily. I’m not sure how much helps but everyone says my house doesn’t smell.

This works better than Shake n Vac ime Sniff& purr

And something like this sprayed on the bedsPet bed spray orPet Bed Cleaner Deodoriser & Sanitiser

Lots of hoovering and I use the pet friendly fabreeze and the pet friendly 1001 carpet spray in carpeted areas. I'm obsessed with smells. Obsessed. So having a dog is challenging! I also use the plug-in's and wax melts. Our dog isn't sensitive to any of these but I know others can be....
Also, regularly bathing/spraying the doggy too.

I was thinking that too. Our three year old bitch doesn’t smell at all. Our last dog was ten and he smelled at lot more.

Get some throws for the sofa and wash that once a week. I always find washing ours gets rid of the doggy smell!

If you don't like the smell of dogs then don't get a dog .....

I understand breeds like poodles need regular grooming, but unnecessary damage is being done to the skin and coat by over bathing and use of products. Regular brushing is all that's really needed.

We regularly wash sofa covers and bedding and never the dog.

Is Shake n Vac pet safe? I do remember rumours of it not being and I stopped using it. I'm going back donkeys years though and times have changed.

I have a small air purifier, and a plug-in Febreeze 3 in 1, with a Pet Odour refill.

I stopped using a dog bed at all we just have thin fleece blankets for the sofa which I change every 2 days. Hard flooring helps.

I would get the sofa and carpets professionally cleaned loose the dogs beds and get an air purifier. Also change the filters on your hoover and if it has a hose attachment take that off and wash it thoroughly. I switch to a Meile hoover with bags which I sprinkle lenor unstoppables into. I also renew the bag before it’s completely full as it gets to a point that it’s just throwing bad smells out if you leave it too long.

This isn't true at all .

I am a part time dog Walker & rescue foster with a very sensitive nose 🤣🤣🤣

I hate going into peoples houses that smell of dog and I can tell when the smell decends on my own property

• everything washed with white vinegar rinse
• I use kennel cleaner disinfectant on my floors
• get rid of fabric sofa OR it needs a waterproof cover on it washed at least weekly with the above
• get rid of carpet and ideally have tiles / stone - cleaned with kennel cleaner diluted in
• groomi the dogs regularly ( de shedding tool)
• windows and doors open a lot to circulate air

I will say I do clean everyday with cordless hoover , between mopping fully every few days and also go round with flash mop .

I only allow dogs downstairs too .. no dogs on carpet 🤣

Also this :

Simple Solution Extreme Pet Stain... https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0002I9OA2?ref=ppxpoppmobappshare

They have a range of decking / outdoor / indoor cleaners . All pet safe and enzymatic

Have three or four sets of bedding and change it twice a week. Also, if you are leaving the dogs in your sitting room overnight do you REALLY think they aren't sleeping on the sofa?

Couple of things;

1. dogs can get smellier the more you bath them as they over produce oil. I think I bath mine once a year if that and he has a regular dog smell but the house doesn't smell ifyswim. However he is a Collie and I notice friends with certain breeds are stinkier.
2. food - ours has a fairly expensive high end dry food brand. When he came to us he was on a supermarket own brand and his fur was dull and smelled.
3. I think that using things like shake n vac and similar makes houses smell worse but thats just my opinion. Better to wash bedding and air house daily (although I agree I've done this less this year with bills going up.)

Also try adding some soda crystal to the washing machine when doing the bedding

I only know one doggy house that doesn't smell of dog. They have wooden floors and leather sofas. Carpet/ fabric just soak up the smell.

Might be bad dog breath. If their breath reeks and they wash themselves they will cover their fur with stinky breath smell.
maybe try bathing them less, not more? Maybe they wash themselves more often to make themselves smell more doggy? Or one could have a bad tooth somewhere? Try dog toothpaste? Wash their muzzles after eating if they eat wet food?

This.

Houses with dogs smell of dog. You can’t change that.

I really wouldn't use shake'n'vac and all other chemicals because they will not be fully removed with vacuuming.
The dogs are constantly exposed to all these remnants from washing and cleaning unless you rinse everything a hundred times more than normal.
The carpet has to go and replace with a hard floor.
All fabrics hold smells, including sofas and curtains. A slightly damp dog on a blanket on a fabric sofa, will still leave a smell on the sofa underneath.
It's just the way it is.
But they are absolutely adorable!

You probably could do with a carpet cleaner to do your carpets and sofa too.

I quite paranoid that my house smells of cat but we do have wooden floors and leather sofa's which help.

^this. Before DDog we had cats - they smell too, but a different smell. It's one of the things about living with animals.