lk greer, writer
Having retired from rescuing and fostering dogs, including many Siberian Huskies, I still get questions from past adopters. Two issues almost all dog owners face are the smell of a dog and a dog getting dirty when you’re trying to leave the house.
To be fair, nothing ever replaces a good dog bath and grooming. However, after a mere three days, that pesky dog odor can start sneaking back, especially if you have more than one dog. Of course certain breeds have more oil than others, making us aware of their presence even when they are tucked snugly (and cutely) under the desk while we try to be productive. So what are your options to reduce or eliminate dog odor?
- Give frequent baths which are time consuming and/or expensive.
- Use odor eliminators or maskers like candles, potpourri, and wall plug-ins. These solutions are costly and add another layer of fragrance that not everyone in your household may appreciate. Furthermore, they don’t do anything to help eliminate the dog odor when you are petting or snuggling with your dog.
- Spritz a little dog cologne. Well, I’m not a fan, but this is an option. It doesn’t do anything to remove bacteria or oil. Once again you are masking an odor.
- Send the dog to exile in another room or outside. Well, gosh, what’s the point of having the dog? And frankly, putting the dog outside alone will only make matters worse.
So, what’s the solution I recommend? Keeping a bottle of waterless shampoo (a.k.a. rinse free shampoo) very handy. Personally, I used Biogroom’s Waterless Bath (rinse free shampoo). Of course there are other products available. However, I’m a sucker for a family owned business. Biogroom is a privately-owned, second-generation, Texas company. The waterless formula has been around for many years, and has “saved” us many a time. I’m told the product is safe to use on cats too.
When we had rescue dogs coming through our home over the years, I can tell you we used gallons of the Waterless Bath. Every time we would show a dog to a potential owner, we’d spray the dog all over, and take an ever so slightly damp wash rag and rub down the dog. We would always spend extra time on the face, making sure not to spray into the dog’s nose or eyes. When people came to visit a dog (or visit us), they inevitably would be getting up close and personal with the dog. Having a fresh scent made the experience that much better. FYI, the instructions say spray and wipe. I don’t think they mention the slightly damp rag.
The waterless bath or shampoo also came in handy when we were trying to get ready to leave, and a dog would have managed to roll in some dirt or mud or nasty odor. I sure didn’t want to leave a stinky dog in the house while I was away. So, Biogroom to the rescue! There are several of other uses including cleaning puppies or kittens, helping minimize baths for older dogs or cats, spot cleaning, and for the dog that expresses anal glands a bit too often.
Let me know how the rinse free shampoo works for you. Happy spray and smell!
LK Greer
www.lkgreer.com
P.S. The photo is Matisse, a wooly-coated Siberian Husky we rescued and rehomed many years ago.
