Do Greyhounds have odor? Find Out Here

How Do I Stop My Greyhound from Smelling?

Greyhounds don’t generally smell as much as other dogs and some smells can’t be avoided, but with a healthy lifestyle and good grooming, you can reduce the occurrence of unpleasant odors.

Bathing

Greyhounds don’t need to bathe as much as other dogs, but they still need a good wash every now and then. Most Greyhound owners only bathe their dogs “as needed”, but more frequent baths can reduce smells and ensure that their coat remains healthy.

It is important that you use a high-quality dog shampoo so that you don’t upset the natural balance of oils in your Greyhound’s coat. The wrong cleaning products can result in infections and result in your dog smelling worse than when you started.

Brushing

The short coats of a Greyhound don’t require much in the way of maintenance, but a good brush is still important to keep out tangles and remove excess dander or hair. Brushing every couple of days is a very soothing way to bond with your dog and will keep their coat looking shiny and clean.

Ears are a very commonplace for dogs to get infections, so you should be paying close attention to this area when you are grooming. Your vet should check your Greyhound’s ears regularly for mites and infections.

Teeth

Good dental hygiene is really important to prevent bacteria from building up in your dog’s mouth and reduce the risk of infections. You should be brushing your Greyhound’s teeth at least 3 times a week with toothpaste that is specially formulated for dogs. Dental hygiene can also be supported with chewable dental products.

You should get your dog’s teeth and gums checked by your vet at least once a year to look out for infections and tartar build-up.

Nails

It is really important that you don’t let your Greyhound’s toenails get too long as this can become uncomfortable or even painful for them. Long nails can also split the skin and cause infections. Trimming nails isn’t always the most pleasant experience for your dog, but it is essential for the health of their paws.

Diet

There are many reasons why a healthy, balanced, natural diet is really important for your Greyhound. To reduce gassiness, bad breath, and even the likelihood of infections occurring, your dog should be eating the right food in the right quantities.

Greyhounds need high-quality food that is free from additives or fillers, and they should be getting a healthy mix of meat, good vegetables, fish oils, and dry foods.

Why Do Greyhounds Smell Less Than Other Breeds?

Greyhounds do not produce much doggy smell because of the way that their bodies and coats produce and hold natural oils. You may have heard the term “dander” in the context of an animal’s hair or fur, and this is another key component of the natural smell that dogs have.

Oils

Just like humans, dogs produce natural oils to protect their skin and hair. These oils can help to keep them warm in cold weather, prevent damage to their hair follicles, stop their skin from drying out, and even provide waterproofing. These oils are the main reason why dogs have a “doggy smell”, and some breeds produce much more than others.

Newfoundlands, for example, have thick heavy coats, the outer layer of which is quite oily, to protect them from the cold and keep them warm when they swim through icy water. Greyhounds were not bred to face harsh conditions, and they have short coats that don’t trap in too much heat, so they cool down quickly when they are running at high speeds.

Greyhounds produce a lot less natural body oil than other breeds, which means that they don’t smell as much as most dogs do.

Dander

Another factor that adds to the smell of your dog is the dander that they produce. Dander is small flakes of skin that appear in an animal’s coat. It is one of the main causes of allergic reactions and it can contribute to doggy smells.

Greyhounds don’t produce much dander, and the individual hairs on their coats are too small to hold a lot of it when they are shed. This is another reason why Greyhounds don’t smell very much and don’t need to be bathed as often as other dogs.

Coat

Body oils and dander are both closely linked to the type of coat that a dog has. Longer coats that shed frequently will hold more of those doggy smells and spread them further throughout the house.

One of the most iconic features of the Greyhound breed is their beautiful, sleek coats. They have very short hair and while they do shed, it is not in large amounts. Greyhounds’ coats are low maintenance, they don’t hold onto much odor, and you won’t find big balls of it throughout your house.

Why Do Dogs Smell?

The iconic “doggy smell” is one aspect of the odors that we associate with our pets, but there are many other smells that you can expect when you’re living with a dog. Some smells can’t be avoided, some can be managed with good hygiene and a healthy diet, and others can be a cause for genuine concern. Some of the most common reasons why dogs smell are:

Natural Odour. Dogs should smell a bit like dogs, and some natural odor is to be expected. If you are noticing a consistently bad smell, even after a bath, there may be something else going on.

Bad breath. Everybody gets bad breath, and dogs will put all sorts of things in their mouths that don’t smell great. A really bad mouth odor, however, may be caused by a tooth infection, or it can be an indicator of kidney disease or diabetes.

Gas. It is no secret that dogs will produce gassy smells, but overly frequent and particularly potent emissions may be an indicator that your dog needs a change of diet.

Rolling. The smell is a really big part of the way your dog interacts with the world. In the view of most dogs, the smellier something is the better, and they will often roll in bad smells and cover themselves in strong scents. This behavior can be discouraged through training, but you will still need to bathe your pet regularly.

Scent Glands. All dogs have glands that excrete a scent used to mark their territory and communicate with other dogs. If these become impacted or malfunction, they can cause discomfort and produce too much odor.

Yeast or bacterial infections. If your dog has a consistent musty smell or a bad odor, they may have a yeast infection on their skin or a bacterial infection in their ears. These can be caused by all sorts of things, including poor hygiene or a bad diet, and should be treated medically with the help of a vet.

Illness. When dogs get sick, they are much more likely to produce bad smells, particularly if they are having digestive problems. Unpleasant bowel movements or vomiting are often signs that you should consult with your vet.

When you’re raising a dog, smells are part of the package, but bad odors can be an indicator that something is wrong or your dog needs some lifestyle adjustments.

If you are ever concerned, get in touch with your vet so that you can figure out whether or not there is a medical issue that needs addressing.

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10 Dogs That Don’t Smell

Public opinion and the scientific literature alike reflect a widespread assumption that there are differences in behavior between dog breeds. Direct empirical behavioral assessments of such differences, however, are rare and have produced mixed results. One area where breed differences are often assumed is olfaction, where German Shepherds, hounds, and Labradors are commonly used for odor-detection work, whereas toy breeds and brachycephalic dogs, such as Pugs, are not. Choice of breed for scent detection work, however, may be driven more by historical choices than data. In this article we directly assessed the ability of German Shepherds, Pugs, and Greyhounds to acquire a simple olfactory discrimination, and their ability to maintain performance when the target odorant was diluted. Our results show that contrary to expectations, Pugs significantly outperformed the German Shepherds in acquiring the odor discrimination and maintaining performance when the odorant concentration was decreased. Nine of 10 Greyhounds did not complete acquisition training because they failed a motivation criterion. These results indicate that Pugs outperformed German Shepherds in the dimensions of olfaction assessed. Greyhounds showed a general failure to participate. Overall, our results highlight the importance of direct behavioral measurement of assumed behavioral breed differences.