Do Dogs Stink Up The House?

[K.J.]

So here's the deal. I've been wanting a puppy for a while; my mom says no. I can understand her, however, even if I can't get one I'd like to shoot her back with some evidence. First of all, she had an indoor dog a long time ago, a black lab named Willow. She was stinky. We live in a small, one story house on two acres, in an unfenced yard. I want to get it fenced, but it's not up to me. We already have a dog, but she knows her boundaries and our neighborhood is safe. Plus, my dad refuses to get the yard fenced because he knows we'll want another dog. Anyway, back to the story. Willow died from a tumor a long time ago, and our current dog, Asia, is a completely outdoor dog. If we were to get another dog, it would hopefully be indoor/outdoor. Asia can't come indoors, because she's a german shephard mix and those are big, like I said, we have a small house. So we have carpeting in the living room and bedrooms, and tile in the kitchen and bathrooms. We can't really afford hardwood. We'd like a smaller dog, my mom wants a Corgi, I'd like some sort of terrier, like a Westie.

Now to the questions. She says that dogs stink up houses and carpets and blankets. I sort of agree with her, but what about if we gave it a bath? How much would he have to get one? Secondly, if they're outdoors, is it considered mean if they are on a chain to a doghouse, or do we really need a kennel/fenced yard? Third, would Asia get jealous if we were to bring a new dog into the house, but not her? Thanks.

 

[finchfarm]

For your guestions. Some dogs may stink up a house. From my personal experience certain breeds may be stinkier than others. Breeds with dropped down ears (ie Cocker Spaniels, Labradors, Bassets ect) are prone to developing ear infections and can cause a smell from the ear. Dogs that have pronounced wrinkles or a dewlap, or breeds that are known for skin problems can also smell if the skin becomes infected or if the wrinkles aren't cleaned out. Picking a breed that isn't known for skin problems and doesn't have dropped ears can help with smell. Bathing will also help. I'd only rememend bathing a dog once a month or once every other month. Bathing destorys the natural waterproofing on the coat if its done too often. They also make some dog-safe dog perfume now that will help your dog smell better. Washing things that your dog constantly lais on (sheets, dog beeds, ect. ) can also help cut down on odor. I would never recommend leaving a dog chained up outside unattended. There have been too many instances of dogs on a chain that have gotten tangled and ended up strangling themselves because they couldn't get free. I'm not much of a supporter of keeping dogs outside period, chained or unchained, just for the mere fact that dogs are pack animals and require the interaction consistently of thier pack (that means people). Dogs that live outside 24/7 just don't get the human interaction that a primarily indoor dog would recieve. I would say get a kennel only if you really want one, some people find them handy, others can do without them. If the dog is going to be outside all the time, I might suggest a kennel, just for the mere fact that it would have a dog house to go to in incement weather and during temperature extremes. No matter the situation I highly recommend a fenced in yard. Fences help keep your dog in, which can mean the difference of having a lost dog. Dogs that get loose because of not having fencing and wreak havoc on a neighborhood by chasing cats, livestock, causing unwanted litters if the pet isn't fixed and even to the extremes of causing potential bites. If you have a secure fence your dog shouldn't be able to do any of these things unless something comes into your yard. Its a lot easier in court to win in bite cases if you had someone trespass in your yard and get bit, versus your dog getting loose and biting someone. Furthermore, fencing helps keep other things out and away from your dog that might harm them. Though this isn't a sure thing, it is certainly a detterrent. As far as dogs getting jealous of a new dog that really depends on the dog. Some dogs do fine with every dog out there, some might not like certain breeds, some might not like a dog of the same gender, and some might hate all dogs period. We've had three dogs in my lifetime, our male American Cocker Spaniel hated all dogs no matter the situation. Our male Siberian Husky dislikes Rottweilers and other male dogs. Our female Siberian Husky likes everybody. My recommendedation is to take your dog to a place like PetsMart or a dog park and see how she interacts with other dogs. Are there certain breeds or sizes of dogs she doesn't like? Does she seem to get along with one gender over the other? When you get a second dog it is generally recommended that you get a dog of the opposite sex of what your current dog is. Males are less apt to fight with a female than they would another male; and vise versa. It is also usually recommended that you introduce the two dogs someplace away from the older dogs territory in a place that is unfamiliar to both dogs, this gets rid of the possiblity of territorial aggression.

 

[wayne84]

in my hose the dogs get treated like babys lol and they dont smell when mitzy ( the staff bull ) was a pup of course you had to house train her but other then that she is good and would not have her anyother way

 

[KathyM]

I think before even thinking about a 2nd dog, you may want to sit down and have a chat about Asia and how she needs to be kept. I realise you have a large property, but if you're asking about kennels I assume you don't already have one? You really also need fencing on your property, it's not safe for your dog to be left loose with no fence, whether she knows her boundaries or not (other dogs won't know the boundaries, thieves will be grateful for the lack of fencing, etc etc).

If you're dead set on having an indoor dog, which IMO is best for most dogs, then why not bring Asia inside where she's safe? German Shepherds aren't a giant breed, and we have a bullmastiff that's much bigger in a small town house.

 

[grahamsokel]

I have to agree with kathy none of my dogs get any further than our front Garden unless i am with them and if our front garden wasnt secure they would not get out there either.
Shepherds are tiny compared to Skye and she actually takes less room up in the house than the Dachshunds do,she normally finda a corner and settles down out of the way

 

[K.J.]

I think before even thinking about a 2nd dog, you may want to sit down and have a chat about Asia and how she needs to be kept. I realise you have a large property, but if you're asking about kennels I assume you don't already have one? You really also need fencing on your property, it's not safe for your dog to be left loose with no fence, whether she knows her boundaries or not (other dogs won't know the boundaries, thieves will be grateful for the lack of fencing, etc etc).

If you're dead set on having an indoor dog, which IMO is best for most dogs, then why not bring Asia inside where she's safe? German Shepherds aren't a giant breed, and we have a bullmastiff that's much bigger in a small town house.

I really do want a fenced yard. We have one side fenced (the one facing out neighbors) and the other four are generally woodland areas. My parents disagree that Asia needs to be kept in a fenced yard. She's never ran into trouble, and there are other unfenced (spayed) dogs. It, from what I'm typing, probably sounds like an unsafe environment to you, but believe me, it's not. She's been living like that for the past six years. We sometimes bring her in to the kitchen on windy/stormy/snowy days. She's learned her limits, I believe. However, having a fenced yard would be a plus. She's a bit wild when we give her a bath, so she usually only gets one in summertime, outside. She came to us as a stray, somebody just dropped her off, so she's been living with us since then. She's actually a bit like a guard dog, only not. She only guards us from stuff like deer. For example, most of the time she's up in the orchard, and in some months deer eat all of our apples. She barks to keep them away. She's completely friendly to people, so I don't really know. I think she's just be too depressed in a kennel. I'll consult on a completely fenced yard, though I doubt that'll happen. Furthermore, I don't know if you realize how small our house is. I don't know exact measurements... but yeah, it's tiny. While it would fit a small dog, e.g., corgi or terrier, Asia is a german shephard. I could have her on my bed, but when we do let her in, she doesn't seem to know what to do and tends to want to get out after that.

I discussed the new dog with my mom. She said it might be possible to build a kennel area, sort of like a fenced in area. It would have a doghouse, obviously. It could be let in overnight or during windy days, and would get a walk however much the breed needs (for example, a hyper active dog needs more.) Hopefully I might be able to convince her to let me build it during summer. Who knows.

 

[LisaLQ]

I agree with the others - I'd concentrate on giving Asia what she needs before even considering another dog.

But somehow I get the feeling you're not that bothered about that - especially after this comment on another thread:

I've already got fish, a cockatiel and a cat, plus another dog, though she's not particularly a "housepet." Eh, long story. She's tame, she's really nice, just not really what I want.

If you meant it the way it reads (which I hope you didnt) and really dont want her, why not rehome her to someone who does and give her the chance of having a happy family who love her?

 

[PlecMama]

Yes but K.J's a kid, profile says she's 16, so that is probably her parents dog and there's nothing wrong with wanting your own animal, my mom had cats, they were ok, but I wanted a dog. I agree that the place needs a fence, but that's probably not going to happen since it isn't her house, it's her parents place, and I couldn't tell my parents to go buy big stuff like that. I had to wait until I left home to get my first dog, and that's what I recommend you doing K.J.

You got a few years left at home K.J? could you wait until you get your own place and then get your own dog, and treat her how you want to treat her, as a house dog, a companion animal? I don't think it's a great idea to get another just now. What about the future? will you have time for a dog? You might go to college and just not have enough free time to take care of one, or have to move to college digs where it wouldn't be practical to keep a dog, then what would you do? leave her behind with your folks?

I suggest maybe wait a while. See what the future is going to be. Get a nice place of your own and a big old black lab and go for long walks, play ball and lay together on the couch. If you accept your pack animal in to your pack, you owe it a duty of care and that means cuddling up together since they just love to be close to you.



Oh and they do smell a bit doggy. I love Sasha, but our house smells like dog, I know it does. Sash is particularly doggy when she has been outside for long periods of time, like when we spend the whole day outdoors in the summer. We only bath her if she's been in the river or has got something on her.

 

[K.J.]

First of all, believe me, I do want her. She's excellent, and a beautiful dog, but like SuzieQ said, she belongs mostly to my parents. I will concentrate on Asia, and I'll think more about this dog and the Asia situation before making any definite decisions.. Thanks for the feedback, guys.

 

[Canis-Equus]

Spend time with Asia - shes probably not the worlds most interesting dog to you right now, because none of the things YOU want from her are things she finds interesting.

And, conversely, the things she doubtless spends her day doing are things you really arent bothered about.

This is because shes been taught to amuse herself. Fortunately it seems she doesnt do anything that would result in her having an accident, ie chasing cars, fighting etc.

If you spend more time with her, walk her on a leash, spend time training her and grooming her, she will WANT to spend more time with you. If you do these things in such a way as she finds rewarding that is. So use food and toys, food for being groomed, treats for walking, toys to play with, treats for learning sit, down, stay, wait, come.....

Also, if she lives outdoors, then yeah if you bring her in the house she probably would stink it up, she will have developed a really thick coat full of natural oils to keep her warm and waterproof. In a warm house that will smell.

Dogs fed on commercial dog food will frequently smell 'doggy' - a certain amount of 'doggy' smell is natural, however dogs that REALLY stink are not natural (excepting those such as Newfoundlands, Otterhounds etc who have got oily waterproof coats). Same actually goes for scratching and shedding a ton of hair and having stinky breath.

I have four dogs in my house, two of whom are the same height as a german shepherd (although not the same bulk). None of them smell overly 'doggy', in fact seriously NON doggy people have been in my house and commented surprise that it DOESNT smell of dog...

Today i had a St Bernard in my house, yep hes a big boy, yep he takes up most of the sofa, my house IS tiny, really really titchy small.... we can fit Sully in though (but in the hall he cant turn round he has to go in reverse ).... even he doesnt stink up the house though!

Going back to Asia - she can be your best friend IF you want her to be and spend the time with her. Im afraid to say, if you cant do that with her the chances are you WONT do that with a new dog.

 

[Rhiannon]

We have 2 indoor dogs and an indoor cat.

We have a staffy and a poodle. Both are bathed regulary and the poodle goes to the poodle parlor.

I do not believe in making a dog live outdoors for its intire life. Humans dont, so pets shouldnt either (except horses, cows etc).

So even if our dogs did stink, bad luck, they would be living indoors with us where its cool in the summer, warm in the winter and they get to sit and sleep on the couch and get lots of cuddles.