I need help with stinky dog.

They make pet wipes that are similar to baby bottom wipes, but they’re for cleaning fur and in between toe pads, and even dog bottoms. The ones I’ve used (when babysitting my friend’s dog) have a light scent, but they may also make unscented ones. He got them at Petco.

Just walking him shouldn’t make him smell bad. Is it possible that he has an underlying medical issue? (Skin infection, yeast infection, seborrhea, ear infection, bad teeth, etc?)

@syz I was wondering that too. Unless there is specifically some type of funky plant material that her dog walks thru that I am un-familar with.

@syz. You would think, but know he is healthy. It the same smell I get even on my clothes and my hair only it leaves me faster than it does him. Its not just him. Anyone coming in from outside smells just as funky. Only it last longer on him I guess because he is low to the ground. The grass is tall and hes a small dog. The smell eventually goes away but on our night walk, I get to take a shower and be rid of the smell quickly, where as he is still spreading the love funk for the next few hours and I don’t want to breath around him. By morning the funk is gone, but then we start the cycle all over again.
His breath, and ears and skin are all fine. I clean them all regularly and I make sure he never eats anything that gives him funky breath. Medically the only thing wrong is allergies to fleas (which he has none) and his eyesite is getting bad.

@Kardamom I’ve tried wipes but his hair is very fine. He is a maltese. So far I’ve only seen the scented kind and they tend to make his eyes tear up.

I can’t imagine what might be in your environment that’s so smelly.

@sys, actually I think the bad smell is from the fresh mulch they lay down
I’m sure it has some manure properties to it.

You might try dusting him with baking soda and going over him with a towel (while you are still outside) and see if it helps. You could also try a washcloth with white vinegar and give him a good wipe off (while still outside). Your vet may also have some good ideas.

Well, I suppose you could go to the extreme of putting booties on him to minimize contact with the mulch. You could also take him to the groomer and have him shaved down for the summer. Less hair will mean less material for the smell to stick to.

If he likes it, you can wash him off with a hose before you go in. I have a misting head that I use that my dogs love. It has been a life saver when they have found rotting fish to roll in on our walks by the river.

Are you referring to the ozone smell we get on our skin and hair when out in the sun for a bit? Yeah, dogs get it so much worse! Brush the dog after walking and give it a list mist of the spray used for itches, it’s got tea tree oil but is mostly purified water and powdered oatmeal.

When I was showing, for quick cleanups we would put Listerine, the original mouth wash into a spray bottle and spray it on, or Massingill douche, the old yellow powder, rub it in then towel it off. Makes the coat nice and crisp plus it has a very neutral scent. It does however dry the coat out with repeated use so keep an eye on that aspect.

And like Syz said, check his feet, I often find they have smelly feet, and again dipping their feet in listerine mix is also good.

I got some of this dry shampoo powder when my dog had surgery and couldn’t be bathed. After he recovered, I realized how useful the stuff was for post-river adventures and now I always carry it in the car. It’s light and fresh and you don’t have to use much. I’ve been known to sprinkle it on my own clothes and the car upholstery too.

Get his skin tested by a vet.
I have anal parents who washed their dog every day and that actually gave him a skin condition that made him smell bad.

@Neizvestnaya Yes, you hit the nail on the head. Its that funky ozone smell. I have a spray on coat conditioner. I’ll give it a shot and see if that works since I do have some on hand. I once got a trial offer for some air purifier and I returned it quick. My home would get that same horrible smell when I used it. The sales person told me that was the scent of clean air like the outdoors. I told them that if I wanted my home to smell like that I rather open my windows than have to pay for it to stink. Its like a smell between poo and strong peroxide smell that just makes you gag.
@rooeytoo Thanks for the idea. I’ll also be sure to check his feet. I do always wipe them off.
@Blueroses That also sounds like a great alternative. I looked it up and they sell it at a Petco near me. Sounds a bit messy. But desperate times may require desperate measures.
@SeaTurtle, I don’t wash my dog everyday. Only once every 7 to 11 days if he is a bit dirty. Maltese just happen to have sensitive skin and tend to be more prone to allergies and sunburn.

@Pandora: Don’t waste your money on an ozone brush either because it doesn’t work. I’ve got a pom and used to keep his hair long which meant he got stinky faster than I could bathe him without risking drying his skin and making dandruff. Nature’s Organics is the brand of itch spray I buy and use it to rub into the coat before brushing out to make him smell better.
The spray works wonders on skin hives if you’re prone, much less expensive than tea tree oil goo sold for humans.

What does ozone smell like?

@bkcunningham: On skin and hair it smells like a combo of chlorine and week-with-no-wash scalp.

Chlorine? Really, like bleachy? The week-with-no-wash scalp thing just sounds like how a dog smells.

Ozone is a love it or hate it smell. I happen to love it. I think it has that sharp clean scent of the air just before a big storm. But then, I also like the smell of chlorine.

@bkcunningham It kind of has a strong peroxide smell. Best way to get the smell is wet a dog and let him play outside all day. Then have him come indoors. The smell should be enough to make you gag.
@Neizvestnaya I tried the spray but it just made him smell like baby powder and the nasty smell.
@Kayak8 Then I tried a face towel dipped in a solution of vinegar and water and brushed it though his hair lightly. I think he liked that better. (With the conditioner spray, he kept rolling on the ground.) He didn’t protest with the vinegar. Once his hair was dry he didn’t smell like anything. It got rid of the smell and the vinegar smell goes away once the hair dries.

@Pandora: Thanks for reporting back. White wine vinegar, apple cider kind? I’m going to make up a spray bottle of this and try it for our other stinkier dogs.

@Neizvestnaya It was the white vinegar and water. Funny thing to is I found a tick crawling on him and it was skinny and flat. For some reason it didn’t attach itself to him. I wonder if the vinegar made him not so appetizing. I thought I saw something on his coat yesterday but I didn’t have my glasses on so I thought it was dirt. This morning I saw the same thing on him under his belly and it was easy to pick off. The tick was just crawling slow on his hair and you can tell unfed. Strange that it was on my dog a whole day and didn’t feed on him at all. I haven’t used any flea and tick meds on him so I find it strange that the tick didn’t feed on him.
Maybe the vinegar helps with that as well. Would be nice. :)