# Do hounds have a natural "smell"?



## caysh_terrill86 (Jun 8, 2012)

Me and my sister were talking the other day and she mentioned that her two Dachshunds have smell that most others don't and that most hounds have a natural odor? Is this true? I have just been very curious about it.


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## brandiw (Jan 20, 2010)

I have found it to be true. I have a beagle/lab mix, a beagle, and a basset hound mix, and it they don't get regular monthly baths, they start to smell "houndy."


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## caysh_terrill86 (Jun 8, 2012)

well I never knew, what does it smell like (her dachshunds don't live in the house and I am not around them enough to know)? The reason I ask is because it is almost time for us to get our new puppy and its a dachshund/Alaskan husky mix and I am trying to learn as much as I can about both breeds so I won't be an idiot when it comes time for us to bring him or her home.....


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

In my experience it's true. I took cello lessons as a kid and my teacher's basset and later beagle both had a smell that my schnauzers didn't have. She kept her house immaculate too, so I'm sure it wasn't for lack of bathing and cleaning up.


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## Nil (Oct 25, 2007)

I don't have a hound nor have I had really any extensive experience with hounds, but could the smell be due to food? I know dogs that are fed lower quality food generally have a more 'doggy' smell to them versus dogs who are fed a higher quality food. Are these hounds getting fed different foods than your non-hound dogs?


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

I don't know what my cello teacher fed her dogs, but we fed Purina or Pedigree or some other lousy food (didn't know better back then) so I don't imagine that's the root cause.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

My dachshund mix is very low odor. I am extremely sensitive to smells, and one hesitation I had to getting the pup in the first place was my dislike of doggie odor. Unless he's been rolling in questionable things or getting slobbered on by other dogs in play group (he had a brief love affair with a leonberger), you pretty much have to put your nose on Hamilton to be able to smell him. We do bathe him about once a month, or if he gets really filthy (last bath was after playing at the beach - his undercarriage was caked in sea water and sand!), and I freshen him up with Nature's Miracle dog deodorizer once or twice a week.


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

Let me suggest something to consider...Some of these posts list dogs with droopy ears. Dogs with droopy ears have a higher chance of having a yeast infection (yeasty smell), bacterial infection (pungent smell), or possibly sinus infection (not exclusive to droopy ears, but may smell moldy). A mild infection may have a mild smell, but head shaking and ear scratching (or nose scratching for allergies) may indicate the need for closer examination.

I bring this up b/c my sister adopted a senior standard poodle. She told me that "poodles smell." I came by and recognized the smell, and the owner had sold the dog with a bad yeast infection in his ears. A trip to the Vet, 2 weeks of drops, a couple of months of maintenance ear cleaning, ... and poodles no longer smell...


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

Bloodhounds stink. There skin and coat stinks, even right after a bath.


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## kafkabeetle (Dec 4, 2009)

A few years ago I had a roommate with a beagle and she did kind of have a houndy smell which my dog didn't. At the time though the beagle was on 'Ol Roy and Sydney was on something like Purina One or Whole Earth Farms. Not stupendous foods, but much better ones. I wouldn't be surprised if the smell was food-related. I also know that the beagle did have problems with recurring ear infections so that may also have contributed.


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## BassetMixUp (Dec 14, 2011)

On the show Dogs 101, the Basset owners said that Bassets have a particular smell. I think they said it's like potato chips? 
I have an unknown mix - maybe mainly Beagle / Basset or Dach and you can't smell him unless you put your face on him or it's raining.


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## brandiw (Jan 20, 2010)

Nil said:


> I don't have a hound nor have I had really any extensive experience with hounds, but could the smell be due to food? I know dogs that are fed lower quality food generally have a more 'doggy' smell to them versus dogs who are fed a higher quality food. Are these hounds getting fed different foods than your non-hound dogs?


In my case, my hounds are fed a rotation of high-quality, grain-free foods. Yet, they still have a slight smell to them. It isn't an awful smell, or overwhelming, but they do have a slight odor. I think I notice it more with the hounds because I had Sasha first, and she never smelled at all - unless she rolls in something (yuck!).



hanksimon said:


> Let me suggest something to consider...Some of these posts list dogs with droopy ears. Dogs with droopy ears have a higher chance of having a yeast infection (yeasty smell), bacterial infection (pungent smell), or possibly sinus infection (not exclusive to droopy ears, but may smell moldy). A mild infection may have a mild smell, but head shaking and ear scratching (or nose scratching for allergies) may indicate the need for closer examination.
> 
> I bring this up b/c my sister adopted a senior standard poodle. She told me that "poodles smell." I came by and recognized the smell, and the owner had sold the dog with a bad yeast infection in his ears. A trip to the Vet, 2 weeks of drops, a couple of months of maintenance ear cleaning, ... and poodles no longer smell...


The yeast infections do smell awful. Heather had several yeast ear infections before we discovered her food allergies. My hounds ears are cleaned every week, and still, if they aren't bathed regularly, they do have a slight smell.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

My old dog was a GSDxGR mix. I hardly ever bathed him, though I did brush him every day, and even back when I was feeding crap food, he never smelled like anything.

My new dog has more than a little beagle in him, I brush him every day, I feed him high quality food, and he's pretty gamy right before his grooming. It's not offensive, it's just _there_. It's definitely not his ears, I had the vet look while I was there yesterday.

So, yes, in my experience with my dog and other hounds, hounds have a smell. It shouldn't be offensive or overpowering, but it is there.


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## Brydean (Apr 3, 2008)

I had a dog that was a lab/hound mix, at least that was our best guess! LOL I never let her go more than 2 weeks without a bath, I hated that "doggy" smell. Part of her life it was cheap food, but even after the switch to good food she still smelled. When we were looking this time, my dd really wanted a basset hound. But I wouldn't consider any of the hound type dogs, because of the smell. I will admit that my dd tells me that " I can smell farts from France!." So I am a little obsessive about odors! LOL



















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## Sighthounds4me (Nov 7, 2010)

Sighthounds don't have the smell!


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## Nil (Oct 25, 2007)

Well I know when I had my female rats that they both had a very 'grape soda' type smell to them so I think it's entirely possible for hounds to have a smell. It's interesting to hear about though. I haven't been around enough hounds to really notice, I will have to remember this next time I get to hang around some.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

Male rats, on the other hand, smell exactly like men. LOL

My mom has a Dachshund and her other one is possibly a Chiweenie or Dachshund/Min Pin, and the known purebred smells all the time! My Chi/terrier only smells like anything if she's wet (bad) or if she's been out in the sun for more than a couple minutes (very good, love that smell).

However, the Dachshunds get Kibbles 'n' Bits and Roxie gets Solid Gold and Vital. So the food probably does play a factor--I know Mollie's coat is terrible.


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## caysh_terrill86 (Jun 8, 2012)

Well that does explain a lot Nil, my sister had a rat terrier mix and even when she was bathed and given high quality food, she still had a bit of a smell kinda more "dog rubbed with aged grape wine" than "grape soda" for her but it just may depend on each "houndish" dog. I might do a little more research on this, I was just curious of it was something you all had experience with or if she was just going off her dogs smell.


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## lovebug219 (Jun 21, 2012)

I have heard people say this before, I think it a myth. 

My long haired dachshund never had a smell that's different from other dogs. Actuelly he normally does not stink at all unless he rolled in something haha. We Bathe him, clean his ears and teeth. Keeping their ears clean is very important, in both hounds and other dog groups. Many hounds or dogs in general can generate a smell from unclean ears and have bad breath from teeth that are never cared for.

As for other types of hounds, I have never noticed a bad smell on them either. I have been around plenty of Beagles, basset hounds, and some grey hounds.


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

lovebug219 said:


> I have heard people say this before, I think it a myth.
> 
> My long haired dachshund never had a smell that's different from other dogs. Actuelly he normally does not stink at all unless he rolled in something haha. We Bathe him, clean his ears and teeth. Keeping their ears clean is very important, in both hounds and other dog groups. Many hounds or dogs in general can generate a smell from unclean ears and have bad breath from teeth that are never cared for.
> 
> As for other types of hounds, I have never noticed a bad smell on them either. I have been around plenty of Beagles, basset hounds, and some grey hounds.


 Ever hugged a bloodhound?


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## ladyshadowhollyjc (Oct 28, 2008)

Ellie is our dachshund X chihuahua mix and she does have a more "doggy" smell that our others do not have. She is fed the exact same food and bathed as often (her ears are also very clean).


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## juliemule (Dec 10, 2011)

My coonhound didn't smell. Nothing would stick to her coat either.


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## ThoseWordsAtBest (Mar 18, 2009)

My hounds smell like dogs. So mud and Fritos.


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## lovebug219 (Jun 21, 2012)

juliemule said:


> Ever hugged a bloodhound?


Nope not yet. I have meet and worked with many dogs in my life, but I rarely have been around bloodhounds. It seems like not many people have those around my area.


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