To consider giving away my dog because he STINKS.

[Honestbonniest]

This upsets me to be writing this but this is where I'm at.

I have a gorgeous, in tact, nearly two years old small breed dog (a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel) who absolutely stinks of wee. I honestly think it's gotten worse over time.

He doesn't have particularly long fur, but does have feathers. When he wees, he shoots pretty horizontally all over his front legs and belly. I have to fully wash with shampoo (I use a mild puppy one) his front legs and belly after every walk, including if he has just done a wee in the garden. He marks constantly so he is constantly weeing.

If I don't do this religiously, he stinks and makes all the furniture and carpets he lies on stink as well. This really, really bothers me, but the constant washing multiple times a day is also really draining for me.

I could trim his legs and belly right down to the skin, but then I see so many other dogs with long hair or feathers - do they stink of wee too? Plus he sometimes wees straight onto the leg, not just the feathers, so trimming the feathers in those cases won't help.

I have tried baby wipes and deodorising sprays etc but nothing gets rid of the stench apart from a proper shampoo wash and rinse.

I'm so tired of constantly washing him that I'm considering giving him away. I didn't think having a dog would be like this. Doggy smell is fine, but wee smelly is just awful.

Am I terrible?

Non of my dogs, male or female have ever had this issue?
Take him to the groomers and get him trimmed?

What has the vet said and did you get a second opinion?

Perhaps the problem is that he’s intact. Hence the spraying and marking. And the hormones will make his wee more potent.

Why wouldn’t you neuter him?

No, not all long coated/feathered dogs do this - I have a Tibetan Terrier, who has either been in a full show coat or clipped like a schnauzer (body off, legs feathered) all his life (16 years).

Even now as a wobbly old fart, he does not wee up the back of his front legs or his belly.

Some dogs just do this - are you clipping the fur off the end of his sheath? It may be that doing this is actually altering his aim, sometimes that fur helps direct it downward rather than forward.

Is he any better when trying to pee on something vs just peeing to relieve himself?

I would speak to a vet about it - if he is at risk of losing his home, at risk of getting sore on his belly/legs, they CAN do surgery to alter the direction of his urine stream.

This may not be something your normal vet can do though, one of my vets was very familiar with the op, being involved in several small breeds that commonly have this issue, the other hadn't really heard of it until joining the local practice.

If I had a dog who was pissing all over their own stomach and legs and just clipping hair away did not resolve the issue, I would absolutely investigate this!

Could be have a urine infection?

It can also be a problem with the urinary tract which is why I'm wondering what the vet has said.

Get his feathers groomed also around his Penis can.become smelly if he is excessive pee/marking get him castrated .baby wipe him so he doesn't smell.

Shave them off then. I’m a groomer, some dogs just do this.

as previous posters have said, if he is intact it will smell stronger.

My cocker spaniel sometimes pees on himself he does a weird crouch when he is marking it is worse before a groom. He is being Neutered soon.

Does he cock his leg properly? Our boy dog took a while to learn - hanging out with another male dog helped him stop dribbling down his leg. A bit like getting dad or big brother with helping to teach little boys to pee standing up. He needs to get the idea that he can aim high, as it were.

Yes you are terrible

Your dog is your responsibility and commitment, not something you "give away" because there becomes a problem

Go to a vet to rule out health conditions
Go to a groomer to get him cut properly

Take responsibility.

My Dc dog doesn't cock his leg unless he is with my dog, I honestly assumed all males just did it as they matured.

He is at peak hormone levels if he is two and intact so having him castrated could help. Please consider all options before rehoming the poor fella! Please have a chat with your vet, he could have a urine infection too.

He is weeing a lot as he is intact. Surely get him done, and get him a much shorter cut before considering giving your dog away.

I would be really wary about having him castrated until and unless you have ruled out any genito-urinary health issues - you don't want to compound the problem. And if there's an underlying behavioural issue - anxiety can come out in over-frequent marking, for instance - castration can make things worse. Lots of discussion of pros/cons to be found these days - arguments on both sides, but I think it's pretty much agreed that it's by no means a guaranteed fix and can cause significant problems.

is there a reason he’s not been castrated? I think that makes the urine smell stronger so it marks his scent he’s probably spraying

Yes, in short, you are terrible and do not deserve a dog.

Get him neutered and trim his feathers . I’ve severed had a dog smell of wee even the longer haired ones .

Yes, you can’t give him away because if this. You wouldn’t give away a family member if they had a urine issue would you?
I assume he has been to the vet and been checked over?
If so, I would have him castrated, clip his fur.

YANBU to be frustrated by this op. Ignore those being mean. Having to wash my dog ever time he toileted would also drive me nuts!

I do agree though that you need to get him checked by the vet and consider what they advise.

Rehoming should be the very very very last resort.

This sounds like a training/owner issue. The dog is used to you washing it every time it wees, so it’s not going to be interested in self-grooming or correcting its own behaviour because you close the loop by washing it. Therefore it thinks your routine is normal.

Generally speaking dogs don’t purposefully piss on themselves and they don’t like festering in their own urine either. If they did, they would go out of their way to wee on their beds, food, soft furnishings etc - however generally speaking domestic dogs don’t do that and have places that are off limits. If they smell something funky on themselves they try and lick it off etc.

Have you cut the hair in front of his bits? Because that directs the wee so if you cut it it can spray everywhere.

Intact dogs have an aroma about them.
Get him done and see if it improves.

Either way, it is no reason to ditch him 😔

Why haven't you had him neutered? Why haven't you consulted a vet? Anyway, please don't just "give him away". Do the decent thing and take him to a shelter/animal charity that will rehome him responsibly. They will do proper checks and ensure he doesn't fall into the hands of someone that means him serious harm. There are very evil people about so don't just advertise him on FB or offer him to someone in the pub like a bloody sofa or fridge. That's the very, very least you can do for the poor dog.

Not to be mean but if you’re seriously thinking of giving away your dog for this reason then perhaps you really shouldn’t own a dog. Like others have said you need to exhaust all avenues with the first point of call being your vet and preferably a specialist vet. I hope you get the problem sorted and your dog gets to stay in his home.