Poodles make great pets. They have a moderate temperament, intelligent, trainable, and faithful.
However, they are a high-maintenance breed with high grooming needs.
How about their smell?
Do poodles smell more offensively?
Do they have a doggy odor?
Here is everything you should know.
So, Do Poodles Make Your House Smell Bad?
Generally, poodles are not smelly dogs and do not come with the doggy smell that makes your house smell bad like other dog breeds. However, all dogs have their own smell, including poodles. This is not a foul-smelling or offensive smell, and most people get used to this smell over time. If your Poodle has a bad smell that makes your house smell bad, this will not be normal, and you should address the underlying problem straight away. Various factors can make your Poodle smell bad, including skin infections, stuck stool hairs, yeast infections, fluid buildup in your dog’s anal gland, etc.
As you can see, while poodles are not a smelly dog breed, you need to be proactive to minimize the foul odors.
Visiting the vet regularly, ensuring the sleeping area is clean, offering a high-quality diet, and frequent grooming should be your top priority.
This breed also requires regular clipping at least once every four to six weeks.
Fortunately, there are many things you can do as a poodle owner to prevent smells from developing or arising. But you should keep in mind that all dogs smell to a certain extent.
What Can Cause a Poodle to Make Your House Smell Bad?
There are several reasons why poodles can have a bad odor.
The bad odor will make you wrinkle your nose, and your Poodle might smell even after bathing him.
You can easily detect where the bad smell is coming from or might require investigating the origin further if it’s not obvious.
Either way, the most common reasons why a poodle might cause a bad smell to your house include;
1. Inappropriate Bathing Methods
If you merely lather, wet, and rinse your Poodle, this might not get him thoroughly clean.
You need to ensure that you use the best products to ensure your dog is smell-free and clean.
The bath should rinse away the body oils that are excreted by the skin daily.
While oils prevent the skin from getting dry, they can cause a foul stench if not properly rinsed.
2. Skin Infections
Any skin infection, whether bacterial, yeast, or fungal, causes the release of a foul smell that can’t be cleaned or groomed away.
If an infection advances with no treatment, it causes other severe symptoms such as itching, red bumps, thinning hair, peeling skin, etc.
The infection can develop deeper into the skin resulting in pus.
This will be very excruciating for your Poodle, and you should avoid it at all costs.
Skin infections result from the use of unsuitable products on dog coats, such as low-quality conditioners, shampoos, frequent baths, etc. Infections can also advance with development because of leaving the hair of your dog too damp.
If you notice any unusual bad smells or a sign of infection, you should contact your veterinarian for an immediate appointment. Skin infections normally get treated with oral or topical medications.
3. Anal Glands Secretions
Dogs contain a pair of anal glands, each on either side of their anus. This also applies to the poodles.
These anal glands contain fluid that is secreted increasingly when two dogs meet.
Small fluid amounts are released when your poodle poops.
If the anal glands are not completely expressed, they may burst open, releasing a dark-colored oil that smells bad.
You should examine the area around the anus if you notice a foul smell originating from the ear end of your Poodle.
Either a dog groomer or a veterinarian can help express the anal glands so you won’t have to.
4. Flatulence
The flatulence of your Poodle might be a silent or loud issue.
Either way, if it is a frequent issue, you will notice the smell. However, some flatulence is normal, with most dogs farting about ten times a day.
Farting releases major elements, including; hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and methane.
The bad smell is caused by hydrogen sulfide.
Flatulence problems mostly result from eating too fast, low-quality diets, or allergies to particular foods.
5. Vaginal Odor In Female Poodles
With the anus and vulva located close to each other, you can easily mistake the smell from the
Poodle’s vagina as coming from the anus.
The odor from the female poodles is said to be musty, equivalent to that of vinegar.
This smell often indicates a health problem such as urinary tract infection in female poodles. Whatever the problem is, you should take the dog to your vet for a checkup.
How Do You Prevent Your Poodle from Smelling Bad?
Now that you know why your Poodle might make your house smell bad, let’s look at the possible solutions for these problems.
1. Treating Skin Infections
If you suspect your Poodle has skin infections causing the bad odor, you should immediately report the issue to your vet for proper treatment.
Otherwise, ignoring a skin infection on your canine friend can cause it to develop into something more severe.
Your vet can easily treat the infection with oral or topical medication.
2. Proper Bathing Methods
You should bathe and scrub your Poodle thoroughly from head to toe once every three weeks.
Avoid washing your dog more regularly than this, as it will dry out the skin.
You can do a complete body cleaning each four to six weeks to prevent problems of bad smell.
In this period, oily substances of the dog’s skin will hold on to the dead skin, debris, dirt particles, and small food pieces and begin smelling unpleasant.
Ensure to scrub the curls thoroughly to wash away all the oil with the suitable canine shampoo and conditioner.
To prevent ear infections, you should put cotton in your Poodle’s ears before bathing them to prevent water from entering the ears.
3. Fixing Flatulence
If your Poodle has a problem of farting continuously, you should discuss the issue with your vet.
The vet might recommend particular canine supplements that can help decrease the flatulence issue while also helping your dog to absorb nutrients maximumly.
Also, ensure you feed your high-quality dog food and sufficient water daily.
4. Fixing Smelly Anal Glands
If your Poodle has loose stools, this can cause fluid buildup in the anal glands.
It is important to have these glands expressed by the vet or dog groomer.
In case the glands burst open, your dog’s skin will be vulnerable to infection, which requires treatment with antibiotics.
5. Treatment Of Vaginal Smells
A urinary tract infection is probably the cause of bad smells from the vagina.
The best way of taking care of the problem is having a veterinarian treat the infection with appropriate medication.
Bottom Line
It is very uncommon for a poodle to make your house smell bad.
Poodles certainly don’t produce the doggy smell like other dog breeds. However, like any other dog, poodles benefit from timely and proper baths.
They have curly, dense hair, so you should pay attention to bathing, including cleaning their teeth, ears and treating the sites of infection.
Ultimately, smelling should not be a problem for your poodles with proper attention and care.
Related
Are Poodles Good for First-Time Dog Owners? (Seven Reasons They Are)
What Are the Pros and Cons of Getting A 3rd Dog? Does Gender Matter?
Reference
Does having a pet mean a smelly home? – houzz.com
toy poodle smell- Poodle forum
Dealing With Poodle Odors- thriftyfun.com