Masking a dog smell

[hippospot]

We have a cockapoo puppy and I'm really noticing the doggy smell (which I dislike).

We have hard floors, vacuumed 3 times a week and mopped once, and her bedding goes in the wash every 2-3 days too. She doesn't go on the sofa.

I don't know how much more cleaning we can do and if that would even make a difference. Needless to say we also open doors and windows as much as possible but in winter this will be for short spells only!

I think what is needed is something to mask the smell. Is there a particular fragrance that is good at this? I prefer citrus to floral in general. Are reed diffusers good? I'm not a fan of plug-ins. DH doesn't like candles.

I'm happy to spend :)

Thanks

Do you have throws, even if the dog doesn't go on them they might still have a dog smell so I'd be washing them once a week?

Ashleigh and Burwood fragrance lamp?

Different to candles and diffusers and they don't just mask the smell - have a little look at the product info online love mine!

Oh, well done @WalkingThroughTheWoods - something else I didn't know I wanted!!

If the dogs sheds then brushing it outside daily really helps

Be careful with Reed diffusers and essential oils as some are extremely toxic to animals. Make sure is well out of reach.

Good quality scented candles are safer for the dog

I have a vapour diffuser and use lavender and rose as they are safe for dogs.

Puppy's smell worse for a while as they have a very strong scent Mine faded off after a few bathes. How new is puppy?

@Cynderella my deepest apologies

I've just finished a bottle of Pink Grapefruit oil which has been my favourite so far.

Ooooh, @WalkingThroughTheWoods Pink Grapefruit sounds nice. Any other recommendations? I was looking at White Tea and Lime and Basil ...

And how long would a bottle last if used every day, please.

@Cynderella I've also liked Midnight Snow (a Christmas fragrance), Ice Spa, and one called Black Raspberry IIRC.

I'd say I maybe get a month-ish out of a large bottle 🤔 not 100% on that though! I only leave it burning for 30-45 mins as directed, but it does burn through the oil at some rate if you forgot to snuff it out 🙂

How often do dogs get shampooed?

Thank you @WalkingThroughTheWoods - I think I'm going to try one.

@SpringtimeSummertime - that's a good call. We bath ours every couple of weeks - generally it's not advised. For years, I was told that I shouldn't. But cockapoos, as OP has do have thick coats ... Daily brushing will help, but shampooing makes a difference, especially in the winter. My granddaughter complains about our dog when she feels she needs to be bathed (dog, not granddaughter) - she notices the smell before we do.

Make sure you air the house regularly. Be careful using essential oils and diffusers are some are toxic to dogs.
Dry your puppy off when it comes in from any wet walks and wash the towels regularly.
Other than that I think most houses with dogs do have a dog smell.

Does he have lots of cuddly toys? They stink after a while so need washing.

I use a spray on dog cologne, brush daily and clean paws after every walk. All soft toys, bed get washed regularly, mop floors and I use a leave on foam spray on the rug. Open windows often to air out

I have a dog and clean my hardwood floors at least every two days. Once per week is not enough imo if you want to keep smells are bay.

Take your dog to the groomers. Cockerpoos need to regularly anyway and whatever they wash them in makes them not smell dog like for weeks - personally I prefer the dog smell myself big put up with it as they groom ours brilliantly.

Sorry a few typos! Hopefully makes sense!

Cuddly dog toys (and slobbery tugs) can stink, so I pop them in the washing machine once a week. I have 2 sad doods watching their favourites go round & round, but they can really ponk after a week of play, mud & saliva.

Wash dog blankets every week too (non bio on a hot wash with Oxy powder is good) & then tumbled back to snuggly goodness.

I only use bedding & beds that are washable!

Cocker, labs & springer crosses have fur that can be oily (as water loving gun dogs) so regular grooming is a must. Do not over wash them though or you’ll ruin their coats & it could cause skin sensitivity.

Also, make sure their ears are regularly cleaned & trimmed (and the hair pulled if needed; ask your groomer to show you how!), likewise keep an eye on anal gland problems.Both can up the ante on the aroma front.

I use lots of wax melts in safe electric burners from a lovely Etsy shop called Pricklewicks. But then I’d use them if I didn’t have my boys lol! It’s more to help cover guffing (my double dood has food sensitivities that lead to being gassed out, even on a vet approved diet)!

We also vacuum & mop daily.

I’ve had setters, labs & lab crosses, oodles of doodles too. They each have a scent, but for me, that’s part of their charm. Just like humans have a scent, dogs do too!

And open your windows when you can - we should all do it dogs or no dogs! Working from home, we always have our windows open. I don’t know how people can keep their homes in a fug of stale air, mixed with old spag bol & human odours. To me, it’s far worse than the odd dog blow off.

Thanks everyone.

Dog gets bathed about twice a week.

We have no throws in the house.

I will make a note to wash toys too.

I guess I need to mop more. Just what I need: more bloody cleaning.

Dog gets brushed most days. Hasn't been to the groomer yet as we've only had her for three weeks.

@WalkingThroughTheWoods thanks I will look into the lamps.

Windows are open as much as outside temperature allows. Currently not much!

There is only one thing that will truly fix the doggy smell, and that’s stopping the dog from smelling

And in my experience, the only way to do that is to switch the dog onto raw food

Kibble fed dogs always smell doggy regardless of how many baths and clean beds they get

Try raw food for 2 weeks and the smell will be gone

@GappyValley she's on a raw diet already! But she does have a few biscuit treats in addition - is this enough to undo the raw food smell advantages?

I think dog or no dog, it’s fresh air which simply helps the most. And mopping.

We have no dog, house fairly ‘clean’. But the carpets all went a few years ago and it just smells so much cleaner for longer now as they are hoovered and mopped.

Fresh air. It’s still freezing here, and in deep winter we get -10/-20, still open windows regularly throughout the day. Try and open for 5 mins 4-5 times per day.

Oh wow, I’ve never heard of a smelly raw dog before..!
Try changing the brand and variety and see if that helps?

And cutting the biscuits can’t hurt to see if it’s the cause

I think it depends on the breed of the dog, I’ve noticed certain dogs smell a lot more than others, like Staffies tend to really stink where as poodles don’t have much of a smell imo. We have a poodle cross and only bath her about once every three weeks because she doesn’t smell that much at all. I find lavender does well at covering animal smells, soothing for the animals too apparently, also we keep some the windows permanently slightly open to make sure there’s fresh air coming into the house.