If you have a dog but your house doesn't smell of dog...

[wheresmymojo]

We've had a dog for a year now and I bloody love her.

She's not the worst smelling dog at all...definitely not that 'wet dog' or musty smell but nonetheless there is an odour.

She only has a bath (shower) 2 or 3 times a year because she's not the kind of dog that needs to be groomed and I keep reading how bad it is for their skin to be bathed as it strips all the natural oils out.

I do spray her now and then with some 'natural' spray but it only lasts a day and makes her skin dry too.

We have LVT floors so that's fine. But we have large area rugs in the living room and kitchen that I don't want to get rid of.

We have fabric sofas but keep them covered with throws (ours) and a mattress protector (hers) unless we have guests over. Obvs I wash these regularly.

She sleeps on the bed which is changed weekly. Her own beds get washed but probably need to be done more regularly - fortnightly?

The carpet up the stairs and in the bedroom is the worst I think even though I'm forever Vax-ing the damn thing. Hoping to have this taken up and replaced with LVT upstairs and wood/a runner on the stairs.

I've started using 2 x Febreeze plug ins which obvs help but are basically masking a smell rather than getting rid.

What else can I do?

(I also have 3 cats but they're not smelly)

My house doesn’t smell of dog.

• dog is small and house is big

• dog gets washed 2-3 times a month

•dog gets groomed every month

•dog is exceptionally lazy and doesn’t get too stinky from running around

• wood floors and tiles down stairs, steam mopped regularly

• dog not allowed on sofas

•I have a penchant for neom oils diffusers and diptyque candles

My Springer spaniel has to be washed after every single walk at this time of year - in the summer she comes home fairly clean but for 9 months of the year I have to get a washing up bowl of luke warm water with pet friendly shampoo in it and I wash her front and back paws and her underbelly, then give her a good dry then I put on her towel body warmer thing on. You might think that's a bit of a PITA and maybe it would be but I've taken the view that I should make it one of the nicest parts of the walk for my dog - I make it into a time for a bit of pampering and she enjoys it. We have to vacuum up virtually every day in the kitchen where she is most of the time especially when she moults. I don't think there is much smell from her. 2-3 times a year I stick my swimming trunks on and take her for a shower and a deep clean! She doesn't mind. It's the only time she ever goes upstairs.

I'd agree, with one exception - the owners shampoo their DDog once a week with a specially formulated mild shampoo designed for frequent use. The dog smells lovely, so does their home.

I'd rather have a house that smells of dog than Febreeze. Can't bear artificial air freshener odour. Open a window and ensure good ventilation

Mine gets washed weekly (more this time of year) as he's itchy and we are under vet looking at the reasons for it.

Upside is he smells lovely!

Ours is clipped a spaniel. But he's in the sea or river regularly. Chuck him in the shower on the odd occasion he gets covered in mud which he loves. He doesn't have a dog bed won't use it but sleeps on his own sofa. We have throws on all the furniture. Our car doesn't smell unless OH goes walking with a friend who takes his dog. Then phew it whiffs. He's not allowed in the bedroom at night because he paces, jumps up then down, fidgeting generally.

We do have a Vax carpet cleaner so the carpets are cleaned every six months.

Our Labrador did pong a bit whenever he got hot though

My mother had dogs and her house didn't smell but she used to put a lot of work into it. She mopped hard surfaces daily and her dogs were washed frequently (and blowdried).

All these smelly candles and Febreze things aren’t great for dogs who have very sensitive noses. Must be overpowering for them.

i have a dog. I vacuum daily and wash his bed regularly. Tbh I don’t care if the house smells!