Originally Posted by Angelmerritt
Originally Posted by Mary O
As a retired groomer and having bathed over thousands of dogs first make sure he doesn't have a skin problem which can make them smell. Make sure you use a DOG shampoo because their PH is not like humans and baby shampoo is actually not gentle enough for dogs.
I agree completely and I was a groomer for 12 years. It is highly probable that he is getting too much grain in his diet and if his PH balance is off, the smell might be yeast infection (dogs get yeast on their skin, paws, and ears.) Does he ever get hot spots (especially in the summer)? This is a common symptom of a PH/yeast problem.
My favorite shampoos are Lambert Kay Oatmeal and Baking Soda Fresh N Clean or BioGroom Natural Oatmeal. If the odor is not coming from his skin, then consider a silicone based grooming spray like Top Performance GloCoat or The Stuff. It is applied to freshly washed fur and is fantastic for reducing static electricity, tangles, stains, and barrier for "mild" dirt (not a mud puddle) they pick up outside.
A great grooming trick is to use a vinegar rinse. Just mix 50% white vinegar wtih 50% warm water. Wash and rinse your dog and apply vinegar rinse to dog (but not near the face). Let sit for 5 minutes, then towel dry (do not rinse the vinegar off the dog). I promise the smell will completely go away when the dog is completely dry. Vinegar is great for skin/hair and gets rid of odors.
If you would like to know if your dog food might be problematic to his skin, look up
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog-food-index-a.html.
Thanks for the info. He does not get hot spots thankfully. We keep him on a pretty strict diet. My lab had sebhorric dermatits and he really smelled horrible. Scruff just stinks like "wet dog". I will try the bath w/ vinegar rinse--I'll letcha know how it goes. He does love a bath and then a dip in the pond, roll in the mud, and stroll thru the woods.