by Dale Dolmo

Created on: February 03, 2010   Last Updated: May 08, 2012

The dirty secret of dog ownership is that most people know whether a home has a dog in it the moment they walk in the door, even if the pet is nowhere in sight. How do they know? Whether you want to believe it or not, your shaggy best friend has likely filled your house with the unmistakable "Eau de Pooch." Keeping dog odors in check takes some effort, but it can be done.

Keep the dog clean.
A dirty dog is a smelly dog, even if he's not covered in actual mud and grime. Bathe your furry friend at least every other week. If you have an active doggie who goes outside often, you may want to give him a weekly bath; more often than that could irritate his skin. Use a dry shampoo in between baths.

Bare your floors.
Many of us underestimate just how deeply that distinct doggie smell can penetrate into rugs and carpets. If keeping your home free of pet odors is important to you, it would be best to avoid wall-to-wall carpeting. For those who choose to have carpet, opt for a low pile. If you have carpet with a thicker pile, vacuum every day, or at least every other day. If you're serious about eliminating dog odors, buy a carpet shampooer, and use it once a week. Vacuuming and shampooing this frequently may sound like a lot of work, but it is unrealistic to think that you can keep dog hairs (and thus dog smell) out of carpets and carpet padding without putting in this effort. YOU may not be able to detect the smell, but trust me, your guests do. So, keep the vacuum handy, and start saving up for laminate flooring or tile.

Off the Couch
The fabrics in your home are like sponges for odors. To make the job of controlling dog odors MUCH easier, keep the dog off of upholstered furnishings. If you're a softie, maybe you could have one chair just for the dog to sit on, but make him or her stay off all the other upholstered pieces. If you do allow the dog on the furniture, you're going to have to treat it like the carpet: vacuum every day or every other day, and shampoo very frequently. For a quick fix that works moderately well, you can try fabric freshening sprays like Febreze or Glade Fabric and Air Odor Eliminator. Just remember that these sprays are no substitute for really cleaning your fabrics - or keeping Fido away from them altogether.

Accidents Happen
Some of the worst smells dogs produce come from specific bodily functions. Bathroom accidents may be more of an issue for puppies, but even adult pets can slip up occasionally, especially if they are very old or have health problems. For poochie potty smells, clean up the urine or poop immediately, and then use What Odor or an enzymatic cleaner that will break down the compounds that contribute to the smell. You can minimize the likelihood of having your dog "go" indoors by taking your pet out frequently and learning the types of behaviors your pet displays when he or she has the urge.

A Few More Tips
-Keep windows open on good weather days, to provide ventilation that eliminates pet odors, as well as other smells.
-Train your pets not to do things that will lead to bad odors, such as digging in the trash or "going" on the carpet.
-Generally speaking, smaller dogs make smaller smells; if a nice-smelling home is a priority, you may want to avoid bigger breeds.

For most of us, the joys of living with a dog will more than compensate for any inconveniences, including dog odors. On the other hand, you can make sharing your life with a dog even better - by making it a little less stinky!

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