# The best-smelling dog breeds?



## caykuu (Nov 12, 2012)

I've never seen any talk about this before, but I realized that some people I know who want a dog, but don't want a dog... is only because of some dogs having a very strong dog stench! 

I'm wondering what breeds in general, in your experience, have the least scent? 

AKA the best-smelling dog breeds?

side note.. my Rara, who is a MAS, has a natural body odor that smells like some perfume.. (I'm serious!) that mainly comes off of the back of her neck. The longer she doesn't take a bath, the more that perfume-ish smell comes out, and she ends up smelling better than when she takes a bath... It's the weirdest thing in the world, and I swear it's not any perfume or lotion stuck to her! When we brought her home as a puppy, she smelled the strongest of that scent, and we thought it was the breeder's perfume stuck to her. But when she took a bath, it vanished... and a couple weeks later, the same smell returned! And it's been like this for her entire life. It's super weird. Rara smells good.


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## CandyLeopard (Oct 14, 2013)

My dog! 
Boston's are one of the odorless breeds. He doesn't even get that "wet dog" smell. 

I'm not sure how accurate this is, but *here*'s a list I found of odorless breeds.

The first time my neighbor held him I heard her say "ouu, you smell good".. At first I thought it was kind of strange, but now it makes sense.


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## lil_fuzzy (Aug 16, 2010)

Obi and Pixie don't smell. I don't like the doggy smell either and this would be a major point when choosing a breed.

Pixie is maltese x poodle and Obi is a JRT x. They do get some wet doggy smell when I shower them, but it's not offensive compared to some I've smelled. I have noticed Obi gets some doggy odour when he's on dry food, when he's on raw food there is no smell. The smell isn't offensive though. The house doesn't smell, you'd have to stick your nose into his fur to smell it.


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## caykuu (Nov 12, 2012)

CandyLeopard said:


> My dog!
> Boston's are one of the odorless breeds. He doesn't even get that "wet dog" smell.
> 
> I'm not sure how accurate this is, but *here*'s a list I found of odorless breeds.
> ...


oh, thanks for the link! I don't know why I didn't think of googling "odorless dogs". My first instinct is always to ask on a forum... LOL. 

I don't know how accurate it is either, but I still sent it to my friend!


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## Finkie_Mom (Mar 2, 2010)

Finkies just don't smell. It's awesome. When we were selling our house in Texas and I had three of them, our realtor said she wouldn't even have known we had dogs except that she could see them LOL. Even when wet, they just smell like nothing. Though since I clean their crate blankets often, they will sometimes smell like laundry


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## Foresthund (Jul 17, 2013)

I think shorter haired dogs tend to stay cleaner. My Rott isn't smelly unless wet,and I don't even bath him.same with my past Malamute mix. The newfie could be a bit stinky though. I think the main thing is to keep the dog clean and feed it food that agrees with them.


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## GrinningDog (Mar 26, 2010)

Gypsy is very low odor. Thank goodness, because I have a very strong sense of smell! I don't know if it's her coat or the food I feed her or what. 

I've noticed scent hounds to have more of a doggy odor, same with wirehaired dogs. Especially after exercise and being outside. Again, I don't know what causes that. It may just be the dogs I know.


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## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

I guess poodles aren't supposed to smell bad. My moms Siberian Husky doesn't smell. But their lab stinks! Most of the labs I've met leave a stench on my hand after I've pet them. I don't know if they aren't bathed enough or what. Most people think hounds stink but mine doesn't smell bad at all. If he goes too long without a bath he will get a corn tortilla chip smell to him. But I've never noticed a strong doggy smell even when wet.


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## caykuu (Nov 12, 2012)

Foresthund said:


> I think shorter haired dogs tend to stay cleaner. My Rott isn't smelly unless wet,and I don't even bath him.same with my past Malamute mix. The newfie could be a bit stinky though. I think the main thing is to keep the dog clean and feed it food that agrees with them.


I know that Miniature Pinschers have a very distinctly strong body odor, even right after taking a bath. Same with my old pekingese!


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## Xeph (May 7, 2007)

I have a super sensitive nose, and have never met a dog that didn't "smell" in one way or another (not bad, just noticeable to me). That said, the worst smelling breeds I have ever encountered are the corded dogs....particularly Bergamascos (UGH)


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

CandyLeopard said:


> I'm not sure how accurate this is, but *here*'s a list I found of odorless breeds.


I don't know how accurate it is re: odor, but it's sure wrong about papillon exercise requirements and whether or not they're barkers! The whole "dominance" category is ridiculous, too.

Are there many dogs that DO have a strong odor? I've never had one. I've owned a Samoyed, a malamute/collie mix, and now the papillon and AKK. They all smelled only when wet.


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## JazzyTheSiberian (Feb 4, 2013)

Papillons tend to have a low odor, the one's I've met haven't bothered me much. They do smell when they're wet,thats with all dogs though.


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## Kayla_Nicole (Dec 19, 2012)

Alannah always smells so good. She has some sort of a natural light, sweet smelling smell. Overall though, Wheatens don't have a dog smell. I think the hair coat helps. You could never tell from (smelling) our home that we have dogs. 

I've met several hounds...beagles, bassets that definitely had a strong dog smell.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Well, a lot of it is care (I know a VERY stinky dog but it's because they feed him junk and never wash his blankets). But I think single-coated dogs probably smell less than double-coated dogs in general.


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## ForTheLoveOfDogs (Jun 3, 2007)

I've met smelly individuals of many different breeds both single and double coated so I have a hard time narrowing down who stinks the least. My Aussie has a slight doggy odor when she hasn't had a bath in awhile, but I'm a clean freak so.. yeah.

While I've met some seriously stinky scent hounds, Labs and such..

The winner of the stinky award goes to Cocker Spaniels. Man oh man, have I dealt with the stinkiest Cockers. Greasy coats with skin problems and ear infections galore.


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## PatriciafromCO (Oct 7, 2012)

Raw has made a difference to stop the smelly wet dog type of smell... If I had to guess for my current crew if they were on regular kibble not to smell I think it would be my corso


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## River Amore (Feb 7, 2014)

My Papillons smell good. Especially River.


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## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

Aidan smells good -- no doggie odor at all.

When we had our rough collie, he smelled great every day of his life. That was one of the things I loved about him. I'd smell him several times a day he smelled so good.


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## Gally (Jan 11, 2012)

Corgis are pretty much odorless. They also don't get a wet dog smell.


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## animalcraker (Nov 9, 2006)

Some Afghan Hounds are known to have a jasmine scent. There's a really sweet legend about how the scent came to be in the breed. Here's a link to the sorty if any one is interested Scented Afghans


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## Kibasdad (Jan 1, 2009)

Shibas are pretty much odorless. You have to stick your face right in their fur to smell anything. The little odor they do have is very pleasant and relaxing. It's the first thing I do when I come home from work everyday.


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## Whistlejacket (Jul 26, 2012)

My uncle has always had setters (English and Gordon) and they all STINK. Now, he uses them for hunting so they are often out in the rain and mud, but they definitely smell much stronger than Luna when she was wet. She had inherited the papillon coat and only gave off a very slight smell when she hadn't been bathed in a while.


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## Laurelin (Nov 2, 2006)

CandyLeopard said:


> My dog!
> Boston's are one of the odorless breeds. He doesn't even get that "wet dog" smell.
> 
> I'm not sure how accurate this is, but *here*'s a list I found of odorless breeds.
> ...





Crantastic said:


> I don't know how accurate it is re: odor, but it's sure wrong about papillon exercise requirements and whether or not they're barkers! The whole "dominance" category is ridiculous, too.
> 
> Are there many dogs that DO have a strong odor? I've never had one. I've owned a Samoyed, a malamute/collie mix, and now the papillon and AKK. They all smelled only when wet.


Lol yeah. 

I've met some seriously stinky dogs of that list. The worst smelling dog I have EVER smelled was a siberian husky. It was absolutely atrocious and of course the thing rubbed on my jeans. Not sure if it had rubbed in something and they never bathed it but it was disgusting. You could smell it outdoors from several feet away.

On the papillon front, I don't think they're odorless. Beau gets a bit stinky and so does Mia if I don't bathe her every few weeks. She has a little bit of a 'sour' smell to her. You'd have to stick your face in her fur to smell it but it's definitely there. *I* don't mind the smell but that's probably because I'm used to it and associate it with Mia, the Best Dog Ever. 

So yeah, I'd say a lot is diet and how well the dog is groomed and also just individual.


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## Pasarella (May 30, 2013)

Dachshunds don't smell,not even when wet.They have that special doxie odor.And their paws smells so lovelly.


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## Galathiel (Apr 11, 2012)

Some dogs have oilier fur than others so maybe that (and floppy ears) can contribute to odor. Diet also can play a big part in smell as some cheap diets encourage yeast growth which stinks.


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

I've noticed a definite difference in doggy odor depending on food. The dogs I know who eat a poor diet generally have oily stinky coats even though they are bathed frequently. I have petted dogs and then been able to smell them on my hands afterwards. Ick. Some of them are breeds mentioned in this thread as being low or no odor as well, like bostons and corgis. I'm guessing it has to do with the food, but I'm sure it's an individual thing too.

My dog has his own scent, but I think it's a nice subtle scent and generally pleasant, though he can start to get a bit of a doggy smell if he hasn't had a bath in 6-8 weeks. I think it's mostly because he has a longer coat and gets pee on his feathers (and other things from the environment). In general though he's pretty low odor and I don't think you would smell him just coming into the house.

My rabbits have the best smell ever. Their fur smells like fresh laundry and always feels soft, never greasy.


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## pugmom (Sep 10, 2008)

My boston is definitely by far the best smelling dog I've ever had ....I've always been amazed how nice he smells even after months with no bath (bathing him too much makes his skin dry) ...I usually only have to bathe him if he decides to roll in deer poop


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

RoughCollie said:


> Aidan smells good -- no doggie odor at all.
> 
> When we had our rough collie, he smelled great every day of his life. That was one of the things I loved about him. I'd smell him several times a day he smelled so good.


Yep! My Collies and my Schnauzer/Poodles have no bad odor. They always smell good.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Sassy appeared to be a lab mix and stunk to high heaven for 13 years. I was so happy I figured out how to attach the hose to the kitchen faucet so she could be bathed outside so no wet dog stink in the house anyway. After she got sick and started eating freshly cooked chicken and rice much of her stink vanished. Apparently the very minor anal sac build ups she had caused her to lick her bum and spread the lovely stink all over her fur. On fresh food she didn't get build up in her anal sacs which translated to less on her fur and hardly any stink!

Max never smelled like dog. He smells like dust or his last shampoo, I love it. He looks like a lab/spaniel mix.

Ginger smells nice too in spite of her finding great places to roll when she is at the dog park. Pretty sure she isn't rolling on a flower but whatever it is isn't making her smell bad. She looks more like a pom mix than a JRT/spaniel mix as she was labelled at the pound. Has a medium length double coat with a ridiculously long furred tail and britches anyway.


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

My dog just smells like whatever he's been on lol so if he's been sleeping in laundry, he smells like laundry, if he's been sleeping on a stinky wet towel, he will smell like a stinky wet towel lol!


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## LaneyKate (Feb 7, 2014)

I grew up with a Basenji. They're known as a low-odor dog and this one certainly fit that bill. She didn't smell at all!

I have a BC mix now and he grooms himself obsessively. People think I must get him professionally groomed, but I don't. Right now he smells like snow because he was just outside rolling in it. Other than rolling in things he never has an odor.


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## lreed89 (Jan 30, 2014)

Daisy is neither odorless nor purfumey. She smells like a dog, and I like it. She doesn't have bad dog odor unless she's dirty AND wet, but I love her Daisy-smell otherwise. For a day or two after a bath, she smells like coconut rum, but that's just the shampoo. 

My husband's aunt has a rot that reeks. It lives outside, though, so what do you expect?


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## Jen2010 (Feb 12, 2013)

> But their lab stinks! Most of the labs I've met leave a stench on my hand after I've pet them. I don't know if they aren't bathed enough or what.


 Yeah labs definitely have an odour.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Because of the type of hair they have, American Eskimos are low-odor. When he's wet, Snowball doesn't have much of a smell unless you're right up close (like, nose a foot a way), even months after a proper bath. The hair also sheds dirt, meaning they stay pretty clean even without bathing. Its been two months since Snowball's last bath, and last week we had half a dozen people make comments about how "someone's just had a bath!".


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

RE: But their lab stinks! Most of the labs I've met leave a stench on my hand after I've pet them. I don't know if they aren't bathed enough or what. 

I don't think that Labs [as well as Goldens and other high oil breeds] have a strong odor when clean. But, they tend to shed dirt b/c of the high oil, so we don't wash them as often as needed. I haven't washed Shep in about 2-3 months. Although he looks clean and doesn't have a strong odor, his fur does have a buildup, indicating time for a bath! When the weather is nice [most of the time!], I usually wash him every 6 - 8 weeks, avoiding a smell or build-up, and retaining the soft coat.


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

I've found lots of hounds and retrievers (labs and goldens) smell even if you bathe them. When you pet them, my hands always tend to have a dog smell on them. 

But most of the non-shedding breeds, I find, don't really smell.

We had a cockapoo, and now I have a yorkie, and even my dads JRT mix and long haired Dachshund mix and they've really never had a smell to them, when you're close to them, or pet them, etc.


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## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

I think it pretty much depends on whether or not you keep up with the bathing than the actual breed. Maybe my dog smells to other people but I've just come accustomed to it.


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## Damon'sMom (Aug 2, 2011)

caykuu said:


> I know that Miniature Pinschers have a very distinctly strong body odor, even right after taking a bath. Same with my old pekingese!


Our Mini has no odor at all.  Even after running for 6 miles, nothing.  Sometimes he smells like laundry soap because of the blankets but that's it.

Luna has a corn chip smell to her after about 2 weeks.  And as much as Jasper exercises (6 hours a day) I wash him every two weeks too. He never has a really strong doggy odor though. I think that Chinese created have a weird smell to them, even after a bath.


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