Why Do Dogs Stink When Wet?

Published A Few Days Ago
ADVERTISEMENT

There’s always a distinctive smell coming from your pooch after he gets wet. Have you ever wondered why dogs stink when they get wet?

You’ve just come in from the rain after having walked your now sopping-wet pooch. You enter the house, remove your boots, and stand back as he rigorously shakes all that wet away, and begins to wag his tail. While he’s a happy boy, you’re thinking “whoa, what on earth is that funky smell?” Well, that’s the smell of wet dog and until he has been thoroughly dried, he’s going to spread that dank scent throughout the house and onto any soft surfaces he cares to rub himself against.

Related:Best Dog Wipes

So, what causes that distinctive “wet dog” odor? It’s actually as bad as you’d think. It’s a stinky combo of microorganisms such as yeasts and bacteria that naturally occur deep down, on your dog’s skin and just settle in for the long haul. And, like most natural organism, they excrete volatile compounds (AKA poop). Just add a little water and what you have is the answer to why wet dogs stink. Yes, that odor is in fact a cocktail of reconstituted feces from those millions of microorganisms.

Now that you know what causes the smell, how do you prevent it from infiltrating your home, your car, and clothes? I mean, dogs will continue to jump in lakes, pools, get caught in rainstorms, run under hoses, and have baths, right?

There are a few tricks you can use to banish doggy smell, such as:

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

You May Like

Global Pet Expo: A Royal Bed Designed Especially for Your Furry Duches

Trying to see everything at the Global Pet Expo 2018 is ruff. And we''ve found the softest ever dog beds... don''t mind us while we catch a little nap!

Havanese

The Havanese is a lapdog, performer, and companion. Friendly, loving and happy, the Havanese loves to play with its owners and other animals.

Bits of Bacon Dog Treat Recipe

Valentine’s Day is a few weeks away and I went a little overboard at the baking supply store. I got a few new cookie cutters I couldn’t wait to t…

Checkered Giant Rabbit

The Checkered Giant was first known as the Land Kaninchen. It has a muscular build and a long, hare-like body with a semi-arched/mandolin body type.

Adoptable Dog Of The Week – Roux

Say hello to Roux, our Adoptable Dog of the Week. He is a two-year-old Maltese and Terrier mix from San Diego, California. Roux is already neutered, up to da…

Recall Alert: Nature’s Variety Recalls Instinct Raw Chicken Formula

Nature''s Variety has announced a voluntary recall of their Instinct Raw Chicken Formula for dogs with due to possible Salmonella contamination.

Top 10 Polite Canadian Dog Deals (Eh!)

Celebrate 150 years of Canada being the nicest, most maple-syrup-coated country there ever was by covering your dog in Canuck-inspired gear, eh.

Cat Gagging: Why Does It Happen

What causes cat gagging? Is there anything you can do to prevent or help it? Let’s talk all about cat gagging and shy it happens. Gagging is something…

Thanks to Twitter, Troy is Getting a Police Cat

Step aside, K-9s: felines are ready to join the law enforcement, and the future officer Whiskers is probably not afraid to get his claws out.

Maremma Sheepdog

The Maremma Sheepdog is an Italian breed of livestock guarding dog. This fluffy white dog is known to be a friendly and even-tempered breed.

Cao De Castro Laboreiro

A large and impressive livestock herding breed, the Cao de Castro Laboreiro is fairly rare outside his home country of Portugal.

Camera-Shy Dogs Get The Puparazzi Treatment With BarkCam App

You love taking pictures of your pooch. Now, how can you make that more fun? With the BarkCam app for iPhone! You''ll be addicted to posting hilarious pics!

Best Dog Chews

Dog chews help occupy your pup, give them an outlet for their innate desire for chewing, and keep those canines sparkly clean.

10 Dashing Doberman Doodads

When you can''t stop gushing about your rambunctious Doberman, the only thing left to do is to buy all the Doberman-related things!

Serbian Tricolour Hound

A medium-sized scent hound, the Serbian Tricolour Hound was bred as a running hound. A loving and loyal breed, these dogs are popular in the home.