# puppy smells but can't give a bath



## manman (Mar 18, 2009)

we have a 4 mo. old samoyed puppy, and between what I've read and heard from some breeders, they should only be bathed about every 2-3 months. Since they are snow dogs and have heavy protective coats, I guess their skin is sensitive, and needs to keep the natural oils etc, so you're not supposed to bathe too often.

We just gave him a bath a few weeks ago, but he's already starting to get a pretty strong smell... I was wondering if there are any products you can use to keep your dogs BO down in between baths, haha. Something that will work without wetting his skin down excessively.

thanks!


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## 0hmyd0g (Aug 18, 2008)

When you give him a bath dry his hair with a hair drier on medium setting. The quicker the coat completely dries the longer the BO will stay away. That's why when dogs go to a professional groomer they stay smelling nice longer, because they are dried immediately. There are doggie colones out there that absorb smell and also condition.


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## TooneyDogs (Aug 6, 2007)

Are you saying that the daily brushing is not removing the smell?


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## manman (Mar 18, 2009)

Thanks for the replies

yeah, we do usually dry him with a blow dryer without heat, that works pretty well.

And, we don't brush him daily, we do twice a week grooming sessions for about 20-30 min each, which was also recommended in what I read about the breed. We did just miss his last session though, maybe it will get better after we brush him today.


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## AkiraleShiba (Dec 9, 2007)

My dad's Cairn had a terrible odour while he was on Science Diet. Sometimes the reasons why a dog smells bad is not as obvious as we may think.


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## ValtheAussie (Apr 19, 2009)

I found a bottle of spray shampoo that you just rub into the dog and wipe with a towel. It works well for pupies who are afraid of baths and is a lifesaver for in between baths. You can get it at any major pet supply store. My dog is petrified of baths, as of now, he is only 4 months old.


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## Locke (Nov 3, 2008)

Are you sure it's BO? 
Ear infections give off a pretty raunchy smell, as do other infections.


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## manman (Mar 18, 2009)

he's been to the vet recently and was in great health, so i'm pretty sure it was just odor from playing around outside etc. But ValtheAussie and Tooneydogs had it right I think. I used some spray conditioner and gave him another good thorough brushing and he's smelling good again. Hopefully if I use that stuff for his normal grooming sessions that should keep him smelling good between baths.

Thanks to everyone else as well though, I never knew that helth problems could be the source of odors. Good info for the future.


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## ValtheAussie (Apr 19, 2009)

Val still doesn't want to do his business, poops that is, when it is rainey outside...any ideas?


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## StardustInVegas (Apr 11, 2009)

manman said:


> Thanks to everyone else as well though, I never knew that helth problems could be the source of odors. Good info for the future.


Oh yeah.  As a former vet tech...smells is our life. :roll eyes:

Ears can give off a bad odor if it's infected, full of dirt, mites. Yuck.
Infected anal glands are bad.
Even the mouth can give off a bad odor - infected mouth, rotting teeth, etc etc.

For very thick fur dogs, it does get tricky trying to track down a nasty cut infection.


As for shampooing - I have no idea though. I never realized that Samyoed can't be bathed that often. I thought it's pretty much standard that all dogs should be bathed at least 3 times a month. My pup gets baths every week or so...since she goes to dog parks and she's WHITE, so she does stink a little bit after a while.


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## Donna5503 (Mar 13, 2009)

Hi...I have a Siberian Husky and although he doesn't have any odor to him -- I use the Furminator Dry Spray on him once a week -- I spray lightly on him, rub it in, let it dry a bit & then brush him --- it not only helps with the shedding - it has a nice smell to it & makes his fur soft & fluffy!

I'm not sure I would use too much doggy perfume -- it might irritate his skin & start to smell worse -- too much perfume is never good!


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## ioreks_mom (Oct 1, 2008)

manman said:


> And, we don't brush him daily, we do twice a week grooming sessions for about 20-30 min each, which was also recommended in what I read about the breed. We did just miss his last session though, maybe it will get better after we brush him today.


i also have a samyed and i don't think that 2 20-30 minute grooming sessions a week are enough. i can brush my dog 45 minutes a day EVERY day and still brush fur out. they get mats VERY easily, especially behind their ears and in their pants. maybe you could up the amount of brushing he is getting. it will be better for you in the long run for him to be used to more brushing. i know that he probably doesn't have his adult coat yet, but when he does and he has his first shed, oh my! you will want to have him used to brushing. i can spend a 1/2 hour on one tiny section of him, like his hind leg or his mane and get TONS of fur. you will want to brush him really well for the summer to get all the under coat out.

good luck with it all!


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## bellajuno2009 (Apr 14, 2009)

I found some puppy/dog bath sheets with aloe to use in between bathing. Seems to work ok for our dogs. There are other reasons why a dog can harbor odors: the dog food, ear infections, mouth infections, ruputured anal glands. My dogs get bathed every 2 months, we use the aloe bath sheets in between bathing, their teeth are brushed 2 times a week and ears cleaned weekly.


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## baorb (Mar 14, 2009)

I had a samoyed mix, she was very dirty and smell so horrible. We had to wash for every week, and a lot of brushing. After that we never had to wash her again, just brush a lot. She didn't smell. I think you should only wash them, when its needed. 
It can be what you are feeding them.


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## Best*In*Show (Mar 14, 2009)

I use Fresh N Clean cologne drops (just one drop every 3-4 days) and have been able to reduce her baths to once every 2 weeks. We also use a daily grooming spray for brushing her out and brush her teeth every other day (until she starts eating bones). This seems to work really well for us.


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## Dogstar (May 11, 2007)

You absolutely CAN bathe your dog more frequently than every few months. There ARE a few caveats, though. 

First, you need to make sure you use a properly diluted shampoo, and get it rinsed out COMPLETELY. Secondly, you need to dry the dog in some way - and with a thick coat like most Sams, you're going to need a force dryer to do that. But seriously, I know folks with Sams who bathe them WEEKLY for show, and their coats and skin are in great shape.  

That said, your dog shouldn't have anything more than a normal 'doggy' odor to him (and not much of one) unless he is either getting into something, or his food is not agreeing with him. Whta does he eat? 

Rufflyspeaking.wordpress.com has some good articles up on grooming on her front page right now.


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