Ivory & Beau Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 We adopted a younger [age unknown] entire female Labrador late last year. She's great but she always seems to have a strong doggy smell. She swims at the ocean a lot at the moment and I have bathed her once. Her diet is good now she's with us. Lots of raw meat and bones. What else would make her smell? Does the doggy smell take awhile to leave their system? Should I try bathing her again? I smell it the most when she's in my car going to the beach. I'm keeping a close her on her and for when she comes in to season but hopefully we will have her desexed before she cycles again. Could being entire make her smell more? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I grew up with a Lab and have known many more since and they all have a very doggy odour due to the waterproof oils in their coat. Getting them wet makes it worse, so rain, swimming, etc will increase the odour and washing them only makes a little difference for a short while, as the oil is produced constantly. They were developed to retrieve in freezing water the oily coat was essential to keep the skin warm and dry. So many Gundog breeds that were developed to work in water and any dog with that short dense double coat also has a doggy odour. I love Labs but between the constant shedding and the dog odour, I will never own another one. I prefer my long coated breeds that shed seasonally and have no doggy odour at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivory & Beau Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 I have an English Pointer and to think about it, he does get a little smelly too. But not as strong as the Lab, Tinker. I guess my nose will adjust to it and she has been at the beach a lot this summer. My partner is the Lab lover! I'm the Belgian Shepherd girl :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunny1shine Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 our lab swims in a creek everyday. we dry her off before she gets in the car and then use a peppermint/eucalyptus on her, and dry that in using a fresh towel. We dont notice a strong doggy smell on her, theres also not a strong smell left by that product so she doesnt go the other way and smell overperfumed. she rarely gets real baths. The only smell we notice is the nice cornchip smell when she is sleepy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Maeby Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 My Pug has a strong smell and I wash him with organic shampoo and essential oils (tea tree, lavender and rosemary). It helps a bit but he still smells. I don't mind it, I like the doggy smell :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bjelkier Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 (edited) It's a Lab thing, mine stinks. If it rains he smells even worse and he doesn't even have to get wet! In 11 years I've not found a solution. I think people with double coated breeds notice the distinct sent some short coated dogs have even more, simply because our dogs have little to no smell. Edited January 16, 2014 by Bjelkier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 (edited) My website Lots of shampoos and colognes - all natural and if you use coupon code dogz you can have 10% discount. Or if you pay postage - $7 Ill send you some samples. Edited January 16, 2014 by Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Maeby Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 My website Lots of shampoos and colognes - all natural and if you use coupon code dogz you can have 10% discount. Or if you pay postage - $7 Ill send you some samples. Ooh, I love that kind of stuff! Thank you! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Yea, definitely a lab thing. It's so much worse when they are wet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ivory & Beau Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 our lab swims in a creek everyday. we dry her off before she gets in the car and then use a peppermint/eucalyptus on her, and dry that in using a fresh towel. We dont notice a strong doggy smell on her, theres also not a strong smell left by that product so she doesnt go the other way and smell overperfumed. she rarely gets real baths. The only smell we notice is the nice cornchip smell when she is sleepy I'll look in to this product, thank you. We don't dry her off, maybe we should? It's a Lab thing, mine stinks. If it rains he smells even worse and he doesn't even have to get wet! In 11 years I've not found a solution. I think people with double coated breeds notice the distinct sent some short coated dogs have even more, simply because our dogs have little to no smell. Ivy has no doggy smell at all, Badger has a small amount and he's a boy and rolls in stuff he shouldn't. So I guess it is normal to think Tinker stinks. My website Lots of shampoos and colognes - all natural and if you use coupon code dogz you can have 10% discount. Or if you pay postage - $7 Ill send you some samples. Awesome, thank you! I will sit down with a coffee and have a look through. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 It's interesting, my Anatolian x has a slight doggy smell when hes due for a bath but my Aussie always smells and looks like she's just been bathed. There's definitely differences between breeds :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podengo Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I think all dogs smell a bit, just like all people have a smell, it's not always bad... Granted some are stronger than others, labs are high on that list! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 It's interesting, my Anatolian x has a slight doggy smell when hes due for a bath but my Aussie always smells and looks like she's just been bathed. There's definitely differences between breeds :) Thats odd, Nova only smells when he's been in something gross, if he's due for a bath it's only slight. I've heard most Aussies don't have a strong smell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 My Lab doesn't smell... I'd not have her on my bed if she stank... ewww! None of my dogs smell "doggy" actually. It's been well over 12 months since any of my dogs had a bath - not that you'd know it from their nice coats and lack of doggy smell. My dogs don't swim though... I'm sure that would make a difference... especially with the Lab... T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 It's interesting, my Anatolian x has a slight doggy smell when hes due for a bath but my Aussie always smells and looks like she's just been bathed. There's definitely differences between breeds :) Thats odd, Nova only smells when he's been in something gross, if he's due for a bath it's only slight. I've heard most Aussies don't have a strong smell Sorry I probably wasn't clear, that's what I mean, she doesn't ever smell, but she has her own smell which is always lovely and clean :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandgrubber Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Yea, definitely a lab thing. It's so much worse when they are wet! Hey, wait a minute. Not all Labs stink! I have three. I almost never bathe them. Their smell is quite mild, even when wet ...I only smell them when my nose is right next to their coat, and even then it's not an unpleasant odor. No one else has ever commented on a doggy smell either, so I don't think it's just that I'm used to them. For some reason, some of their bedding ends out smelling raunchy . . . but never the dogs themselves. The first Lab I owned developed some skin condition (I've forgotten its name) that made her really stink. There was a very specific chemical for managing the odor, and I've forgotten its name. Long ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 (edited) I'd love another lab one day that didn't smell Sandgrubber! The only ones I've met that didn't have that distinct lab smell have been freshly bathed labbies. It only bothers me when they are wet, but I can definitely notice it otherwise. We used to dab a bit of lavender oil on my boy where you would put a flea treatment, it's a natural flea repellent too :) Edited January 16, 2014 by LisaCC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancinbcs Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I can smell dog in even the cleanest homes of people who have gundogs in the the house but I have never noticed any doggy odour at the homes of BC or Jap Spitz owners, even if there is dog hair everywhere. It is definitely a breed thing. A friend with German Pinschers did tell me that feeding Missing Link stops the odour with those coats so it might be worth a try with a Lab. Missing Link Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
essentialdog Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 (edited) We have alot of customers with labradors that use our Lavender, Lemon Peel & Sage shampoo and they are very happy with it. The lemon peel is a natural odour eliminator. I think a stinky lab is better than no lab - they are the most beautiful dogs and love how they do that bouncy gallop when they are happy. Edited January 26, 2014 by essentialdog Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSoSwift Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 Labs in general have a stronger odour than many other breeds. GSD's and Goldies are up there as well. I have Hairless cats that can get more body odour than my Whippets. I often as guests if my house smells of dog just to be sure. So far they say no :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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