Our canine friends have many good attributes like undying loyalty, extreme protectiveness, laughable quirkiness, cute playfulness, and constant devotion. However, sometimes these cute and adorable puppies come along with quite an unpleasant smell that can stink up the whole house like you brought in a Durian or something extremely fishy.
Some of these pups have a naturally strong odor due to natural oils present in their water-resistant coats or due to grime or dirt accumulated under their loose skin folds. But, sometimes poor grooming habits become the cause of skin infections, leading to certain skin conditions in dogs, which exacerbate their smelly issue.
It is important to know that your dogs need regular grooming and bathing, just like you. Moreover, as the summer season reaches its peak, you need to provide your sweating, wet dogs with meticulous cleaning to fight their distinctive smell.
7 Most Smelliest Dog Breeds
Our furry friends consist of adorable pups that are usually known to be adorable and fun-loving, but these cute dog breeds have water-resistant coats and deep facial wrinkles, wrinkled skin folds that trap dirt, food, and moisture that becomes a breeding ground for bacteria and yeast, which then produces a strong odor that can turn nasty.
Here is a list of dog breeds that are known for their extremely good attributes and extremely bad smells.
1. Basset Hound
One of the smelliest dog breeds on this planet happens to be a part of the hound dogs and is none other than the famous Basset Hound. This sad-eyed, droopy-eared scent hound is known for its charming, low-key, friendly existence and but ironically also for its signature pungent hound dog smell.
According to VCA Hospitals, Basset Hounds have a weather-resistant coat designed to work as a waterproof barrier. Hence, they have an oily coat through which water slides off easily, but also have large skin folds that gather dirt and moisture, creating a space for bacteria and yeast to grow, contributing to their distinct odor.
These hounds also have a shorter height and low stature, due to which their long velvety ears and droopy jowls get covered in food and drool, which then causes infections, making them smell nastier than before.
If you are thinking of adopting this unique doggo, this quintessential hound dog can be a great hunting companion and pet for your family, but it will need a consistent grooming routine with regular baths, and also require their ears to be cleaned regularly.
2. Saint Bernard
This big, fluffy rescuer from the Swiss Alps is a magnificent mountain dog breed that helps in saving lives (Heroic, isn’t it?). However, he takes the second spot as being the smelliest dog on the planet. Saint Bernards have a thick double coat that is available in a rough long-haired variety and a smooth short-haired variety that protects them from the harsh temperatures of the Swiss and Italian Alps.
But also makes Saint Bernards one of the smelliest dog breeds because their dense, thick coat traps moisture and dirt, contributing to their distinct odor, and can lead to skin infections.
WebMD states that Saint Bernards are known for their drooling, need regular grooming and bathing to make them smell a bit nicer. They are also prone to ear infections, and the drooling just makes their distinct odor more noticeable and worse.
However, their bad scent is an insignificant issue compared to the rescue services they provide to the stranded mountaineers, monks, and skiers. Hence, these dogs remain popular as ever, even after being smelly.
3. Cocker Spaniel
Another hunting dog that bites the dust and makes it to the list of the smelliest dog breeds on this planet is none other than the Cocker Spaniel. With its long ears and adorable looks, it is even a part of the Disney Hall of Fame because of the animated classic “Lady & The Tramp”.
These adorable, loving, and friendly dogs smell bad because of ear infections. Yes, you heard that right, it ain’t the dog’s fault, because there is no fault in their stars.
Green Cross Vets advise that Cocker Spaniels just require regular grooming, because their silky, long ears are prone to ear infections due to the presence of bacteria and yeast. Their ears collect moisture, dirt, and debris, creating an unpleasant odor.
Due to getting dragged in the mud or because the food they eat gets stuck in their ears, which needs to be cleaned regularly, to make things smell fresh like roses again. These poor pups are also victims of overbreeding or inbreeding and are also predisposed to many food allergies, which cause skin conditions and gas, which also leads to the unpleasant odors they have.
These sweet, soulful, and happy dogs are a type of spaniel dog breed that make wonderful pets and family dogs. However, regularly cleaning their luxurious, long, silky, weather-resistant coats of these birds and gun dogs is also not an option, but a mandatory requirement. Hence, take them for regular trims, and regularly bathe them to fight their distinctive odors.
4. Shar Pei
CKCUSA defines Shar Pei as the ultimate owner of skin folds and wrinkled faces. It is a Chinese dog breed that is susceptible to being a smelly punk. These dogs have an extremely high amount of hyaluron or mucin in the skin, which causes their distinct skin folds.
They are also prone to a skin condition called “Hereditary Cutaneous Hyaluronosis,” which causes their skin to blister and break, leading to hyaluron leaks, which is a major cause of their smelly skin infection situation.
Their famous skin folds also collect grime and trap dirt and moisture, which becomes a breeding ground for bacterial and fungal yeast infections. To take care of your Shar Pei, you need to give them regular grooming, along with regular baths, get their short coats dried, get their nails trimmed, and ears cleaned regularly to keep them smelling fresh and bright.
5. Bloodhound
The bloodhound is notoriously the best scent hound on the planet, famous for its exceptional sense of smell, but is known to be a smelly dog that is prone to distinctive odors. The bloodhound also has long ears that require regular cleaning and loose skin folds that need regular bathing to make them smell fresh.
Britannica states they have an oily coat, which is water-resistant, collects dirt, and traps moisture, which makes them have a pungent odor. If you want to own this noble dog, you need to have enough guts and strength to bear its natural, earthy body odor.
The long ears of a bloodhound help them channel scents up through their nose, which helps in detecting and tracking down smells accurately are prone to ear infections and injuries, making them smell even worse than before. Only truly loving and caring owners can bear their stench; hence, if you are a bloodhound owner, may the wind be with you.
6. Beagle
The AKC elaborates on the adorable, versatile, friendly, and mischievous beagle as one of the most popular dog breeds on earth, popular for their good looks, good locks, and good hooks (that was clearly a bad joke but true nonetheless), these favorite hounds have floppy and long ears that are prone to ear infections along with short coats, which secrete natural oils that gather bacteria and trap dirt, and make them have a bad body odor.
Hence, they need a consistent grooming routine, including regular bathing and regular cleaning to avoid infection in their ears and skin. The beagles are team players and hunt in packs, and their strong offensive dog odor actually helps them in tracking their pack members.
But it is difficult to bear and put up with. Hence, if you want to adopt a dog that doesn’t smell bad or require regular grooming beagle is not the right fit for you.
7. Pug
PDSA explains Pugs are flat-faced dogs that hail from China and are another notable smelly dog on the list because of their flatulence exacerbated by obesity. They need to be cleaned regularly and should be provided with a good diet to curb their smelly issue.
Various factors contribute to their smelliness, like deep facial wrinkles and loose skin folds that hold onto gunk and food along with dirt and moisture, dental problems or tooth decay, pushed-in snouts, which cause gassiness.
This small dog has big, smelly issues. It is also prone to food allergies, skin infections, and ear infections. Hence, don’t treat your pugs like some snorting pigs, which they are, but provide them regular grooming and bathing and get their ears and anal glands cleaned regularly to keep your doggo smelling fresh.
Conclusion
Everybody hates that wet dog smell, and can’t bear these slobbering, messy, and drooling dogs. But have you ever thought that these stinky smells can easily be evaded by giving your doggos regular baths and using some good quality dog shampoos or conditioner, so that your clean dog can smell like a fresh flower or an expensive Dior perfume. Furthermore, dogs with loose skin folds are prone to skin infections due to bacteria and trapped dirt. Hence, if your dog is stinking too much, take them to the nearest pet hospital or veterinarian for a health checkup.
Different breeds like the boxers, Labrador retrievers, Newfoundlands, French bulldogs, and English bulldogs are known for their potential odor, due to their flat faces, pushed-in snouts, or long hair, glorious wrinkled faces, dirty teeth, and ears. These breeds include dogs like the pugs, who are voracious eaters and big foodies that are always asking for dog treats, which can lead to food allergies, infections, and bad odors. Hence, make sure your canine friends eat a healthy diet and are cleaned regularly to fight ear infections and skin infections and to maintain their health and hygiene.
