Smell of dog - should I say something?

We used to have a darling golden retriever. The dearest dog but boy, did he pong! As soon as I got home , if he’d been shut in, I opened all windows. We could never get rid of the lingering smell .
We now have a cockerpoo and she doesn’t smell at all. I do ask visitors if the house smells and they alway say ‘not at all’.

Just try to put up with it while you’re there.

Gingerrice

Whilst it's easy to state 'only dog loving visitors should come' I hope none of you ever need the services of carers. I used to visit a house that reeked of a dog ( who probably peed in the lounge!) and sadly most of the carers refused to go back after one visit. Who could blame them ? I felt sorry for this 91 year old lady with no family but sometimes the " visitors" to our houses may be people we need?

That's extremely unprofessional of them. I know several carers and none would ever dream of acting in such a way. The same could apply to carers who are very anti-smoking - they can't just refuse to go into a house of someone who smokes.

Juliet27

^“love me, love my dog” 🐕^
'I live here, you are only visiting'
My thoughts too

A student dd once brought a male student friend - who didn’t like dogs - to stay.
I only heard later what she’d told him in advance: ‘You’ll have to pretend to like our dog, or my Mum’ll hate you.’ 😂

GrannySomerset

Like you I have a strongly developed sense of smell and can’t abide the smell of dog which the owners just don’t notice. If you want to be able to stay with your son say nothing and put scent on your hanky so you have something nice to sniff.

I was going to say exactly the same spray a little perfume on your chest and drop your head. I always did this with friends.
My mum took her own cushion to a relations on which she had sprayed perfume saying she had a bad back. She had the same acute smell I have.

I have worked as and managed caring services, I would be mortified in either myself or the people in my team behaved in such a way.

Whilst it's easy to state 'only dog loving visitors should come' I hope none of you ever need the services of carers. I used to visit a house that reeked of a dog ( who probably peed in the lounge!) and sadly most of the carers refused to go back after one visit. Who could blame them ? I felt sorry for this 91 year old lady with no family but sometimes the " visitors" to our houses may be people we need?

Imarocker

Dont mention it. Dog owners don’t notice the smell and don’t care. I can’t bear to use the loo at my sister’s house as she keeps the dog food there and DSs lounge is covered in dog hair.

You could offer to hoover the sitting room carpet. I’m sure your DS would be delighted and you might even be invited to visit more often.

Katie59

Dogs are the worst they pee up the curtains, bitches are better, yes, some houses smell of dog. I would never say anything I had dogs on the past and am well used to the smell of wet dog, others may well be more sensitive

We have had male Labs all our lives and I can assure you that not one of them ever peed up the curtains. Our dogs were all house-trained at a very early age and never peed in the house after that. My OH runs his own cleaning business and is very particularly about keeping the house clean, but if it does happen to smell of dog, so be it. He's just as much a member of the family as any other, and it's really only immediate family members who ever visit us in any case, and they all love animals too.

Dogs are the worst they pee up the curtains, bitches are better, yes, some houses smell of dog. I would never say anything I had dogs on the past and am well used to the smell of wet dog, others may well be more sensitive

Agree with you Tenko. But if I ever smelt of urine, I would be very grateful if someone took be to the side and told me. That is a whole different story.

I’d rather have a house smell of dogs , rather than smoking or nasty synthetic smelling plug-ins or air fresheners, which can be dangerous to dogs and can cause seizures.
I’ve had 3 dogs over 30 years , all labs and no one has complained my house smells. And I have friends who would say something.
I have hard floors downstairs and leather sofas , so easy to keep clean . I have a robot hoover who does his thing every night . And wash bedding and throws weekly .
As for saying something to your son, if you became incontinent , how would you feel if your son complained that your house smelt of urine .

BlueBelle 'Just because some of us are honest about the dog reek doesn’t mean we are dog haters Fleurpepper just being truthful '

never said they are. Those who notice the smell, if they are dog lovers, will tolerate it because they know how much loved it is- by friends, DIL, or whomever.

Well, I wish someone had told me that my house smelt of my son's dog. I never noticed it. Years after dog had died I bumped into an old friend. We reminisced about the old days and she said, rather rudely, I thought, "Oh boy, didn't your lounge pong of dog every time I came round." I was mortified and kept thinking of all the times I had hosted a get together for my friends. What must they have thought!

I like dogs but I do not like the smell some reek more than others and owners are so used to it they don’t notice it We have dogs come in the shop and some don’t smell at all, but others smell horrendous.one very well dressed lady came in with a real pongy dog yesterday I had to get out the way

Just because some of us are honest about the dog reek doesn’t mean we are dog haters Fleurpepper just being truthful

But in answer to you Namo no don’t say anything it’ll only cause trouble see how defensive some are on here

All houses have their particular smell, or scent if you will.

Good manners preclude your mentioning that you dislike the smell of any particular house.

I like dogs myself, but are not all that keen on the smell of wet or old dog, but frankly as I am not allergic to it, as I am to most shaving lotions, hand soaps and perfumes, I can put up with the smell of dog when visiting a dog-owner.

Basically, if you want to go on visiting your relatives you will need to put up with the smell, or invent an allergy to dog hairs that justifies you in making a request that the dog is not in the same room as you.

My DD and family have a lovely male dog but my house does smell after they have stayed . Their house also smells . They had a female dog before this present dog who didn’t smell even when she was very old . Both lab mix breeds .Do male dogs smell more ? I find it very unpleasant actually and although I ask for him to be kept off the sofas he always seems to end up on one . I use throws that I can wash when they have gone . I wouldn’t dream of saying anything as the dog is very much part of the family.

My border terrier smells like mushrooms, I don't find it offensive at all but others might. My daughter's Vizsla doesn't smell as nice but she doesn't notice. Perhaps we just get used to our pet's aroma. I do have hard floors in the areas where the dog spends most of his time and throws on any chairs he's allowed on that get washed very regularly. I wouldn't be without a dog in the house, he's a very important part of our family.

And if someone offered to clean my house I would let them do the whole house top to bottom then never invite them again

eddiecat78

I'm amazed that some of the dog owners here aren't bothered that they and their homes smell!
If you had a smelly human living with you wouldn't you do your best to keep him/her and everything they came into contact with clean and fresh?! (I managed to keep us smell free when we lived with a dog and 2 cats)

Because it may smell to others, especially those who don't like animals. I never trust people who don't like animals, and don't enjoy their company.

Fair enough. My house does not smell- not to me, not to OH. If it did smell for you, I would not care at all.

They can mention it of course but you have to understand it's unlikely to be received positively

I'm amazed that some of the dog owners here aren't bothered that they and their homes smell!
If you had a smelly human living with you wouldn't you do your best to keep him/her and everything they came into contact with clean and fresh?! (I managed to keep us smell free when we lived with a dog and 2 cats)

Why can't OP mention it?
I don't think people realise how offensive a dog smell can be
You might temper it by offering to clean
The only thing worse are cats.

Of course you can’t say anything. If the smell offends you then don’t visit. It’s your problem not theirs. I write as a dog owner.

We had a Golden Retriever when I was a child and before that a poodle. The Golden retriever did shed like crazy and it was a nightmare on Navy school uniform etc.
However I think he was largely confined to the kitchen in those days (luckily we spent most of the day in there as it was very big and the centre of family life) with easy access to the back yard and garden. He was definitely not allowed on the furniture and never ever went upstairs.
There were occasions when he did decide to have a roll in something revolting such as fox poo or just launch himself into some stinky river (to the dog it is the equivalent of Chanel No.5.
So I’m thinking maybe the smells are becoming trapped in carpets and cushions and anything soft because owners do allow this more nowadays.
Obviously elderly and incontinent dogs or young pups not yet housetrained ,well you just have to be patient.

Same here 3dognight hard floors, non fabric suite, washable dog bedding and cheap & cheerful rugs which can be replaced as required.
My house will never feature in Homes and Gardens but it suits us and our pets and best of all doesn't smell.