Do you think your house smells like your pets?

[Anonymous]

I haven't been able to smell pets in most of the homes I've been in. I can recall only mabye two or three occasions when I've smelled someone's pets, and in each of those cases it's been where the owners are generally not very clean with their home to begin with.

[Anonymous]

I can tell someone has a pet before they tell me. The stink is always there. And sometimes when people are out in public, they smell like their dog, and not in a good way. It is kind of like cigarette smoke smell. it is just always there.

[Anonymous]

I'm a super smeller and really detect things others cannot smell at all. For example, I can blind-sort freshly laundered clothes by person; even after it's been through the wash I can detect the unique scent of each kid. I can tell when a closet door has been left open by smell. I can tell a tree variety by the smell of the leaves and bark, differentiate gin brands by smell and taste, and am overwhelmed by perfumes. Walking into most people houses I have to hold my breath until I get used to the smell of the pet.

I cannot smell our indoor cat when I walk into the house (which is when it usually hits you). I have a sibling who hates cats and swore he'd never visit because the house would smell like cat. He visited and could not smell the cat.

But there is no guarantee that you will get such a scentless pet.

[Anonymous]

Yes but not bad. We bathe our dog weekly, trim every few weeks and wash bedding regularly. No shed dog.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our kids have been pressuring us for a pet and we're pretty close to caving in. We're looking at getting a dog (not a cat due to allergies) but, besides the usual concerns (cost, where to place them when you're traveling, the parents ultimately becoming responsible), we're worried about the potential smell of living with a pet.

The majority of our friends/families have pets and that also means their house smells like dog or cat. Is it inevitable that if you have a pet, you'll also get pet smell. I don't think most people are aware that their house smells like animal (odor blindness is a thing once you get accustomed to the smells), and some or worse than others, but I don't think we've been in a single pet-occupied house that doesn't have the smell.

We're especially concerned now because we were visiting friends last weekend and their house reeked of dog and cat and, once we left, the smell was in our clothes. It was actually quite disgusting and, while that may be an extreme case, we're very sensitive to smells and want to have a plan in place before committing to a dog.

Are there any pet owners that are 100% certain their home doesn't smell like animal? If so, do you have tips on how to prevent the smell?

Some dogs are stinkier than others. Dogs with oily skins like Bassett hounds, pugs, and beagles are smelly. Most hounds fall in this category. Our last dog was a labradoodle and he liked to swim, so we bathed him at least weekly. He didn’t smell like much. I once hosted a baby shower for a colleague and everyone was surprised to see him trot out after his afternoon nap as everyone was getting ready to leave. They had no idea we had a dog. But we also don’t allow our dog on furniture, he doesn’t drool, he doesn’t shed, so perhaps houses smell more when dogs are shedding and drooling on sofas and chairs.

[Anonymous]

It's a quality of life issue. The love of a pet or a better smelling house.

[Anonymous]

We have two dogs and both dogs smell different, but no, our house doesn't smell. We don't allow them on the furniture and wash their beds every 2-4 weeks. We also bathe them once a month.

Both dogs are mixed-breed dogs, but the coonhound-mix definitely has a hound smell to him and requires more frequent baths than the other dog. We knew this going in, so we just committed to bathing them regularly so we could have a house that didn't smell like dog.

If you are diligent about laundry and dog baths, the house will not smell. And I am also a "super smeller" so this was very important to us.

[Anonymous]

I also have a strong sense of smell, we have two cats, one indoor one outdoor. I do the following: I buy a more expensive litter that absorbs smells and clean the box daily. I open windows for the exchange of fresh air as much as possible, in addition to bi weekly cleaning I use a stick vacuum almost daily for hair and I use mrs. Meyers house spray and candles frequently too, though not necessarily to hide smells (though they help absorb smells). I also brush the cats as much as I can to just keep cat hair to a minimum. I don't think the house reeks of cat and I don't smell it but who knows? You do the best you can. For all hiuse smells, the exchange of fresh air is so important (if they don't trigger allergies)

[Anonymous]

I have a hound - and I’m not going to lie, he smells sometimes like PPs have mentioned.

I wash his bedding regularly and we have all hardwoods. Also have cleaners. I don’t think the house sneaks but it does, oh well. I’d rather have my wonderful dog than worry about a little smell.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our kids have been pressuring us for a pet and we're pretty close to caving in. We're looking at getting a dog (not a cat due to allergies) but, besides the usual concerns (cost, where to place them when you're traveling, the parents ultimately becoming responsible), we're worried about the potential smell of living with a pet.

The majority of our friends/families have pets and that also means their house smells like dog or cat. Is it inevitable that if you have a pet, you'll also get pet smell. I don't think most people are aware that their house smells like animal (odor blindness is a thing once you get accustomed to the smells), and some or worse than others, but I don't think we've been in a single pet-occupied house that doesn't have the smell.

We're especially concerned now because we were visiting friends last weekend and their house reeked of dog and cat and, once we left, the smell was in our clothes. It was actually quite disgusting and, while that may be an extreme case, we're very sensitive to smells and want to have a plan in place before committing to a dog.

Are there any pet owners that are 100% certain their home doesn't smell like animal? If so, do you have tips on how to prevent the smell?

Some dogs are stinkier than others. Dogs with oily skins like Bassett hounds, pugs, and beagles are smelly. Most hounds fall in this category. Our last dog was a labradoodle and he liked to swim, so we bathed him at least weekly. He didn’t smell like much. I once hosted a baby shower for a colleague and everyone was surprised to see him trot out after his afternoon nap as everyone was getting ready to leave. They had no idea we had a dog. But we also don’t allow our dog on furniture, he doesn’t drool, he doesn’t shed, so perhaps houses smell more when dogs are shedding and drooling on sofas and chairs.

This. I’ve had a mutt with very short fur like a hound or pug that just smelled like dog within 24 hours of bathing her. Currently have a spaniel with hair that smells like dog shampoo for a week, then like nothing. Her skin just doesn’t make oils in the same way the last dog did. And big messy dogs like doodles just spread dog mess.

[Anonymous]

Your house smells like dog. I don’t care what you say. I can smell it.

[Anonymous]

Our house smells more like cooking than dog.

[Anonymous]

The smell is worst with greasy dog breeds (basically anything bred for swimming.) Avoid these if you are really worried about smell. I can smell these dogs on their owners even when they're in public.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it does. We have a golden retriever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have friends who have dogs and their dogs may stink a bit, but their homes do not smell. CATS, are a different story. I only know of two cat families whose home does not smell at all and its because their homes are clean and tidy. Every other cat home I've been into, reeks of cat, and I try not to spend so much time in their homes because my allergies flare up instantly. The smell is disgusting and yes, the people who live there have odor blindness.

You know what's interesting about this? I have three cats and don't think my house smells, but I acknowledge I may very well have odor blindness.

However, if I go to someone else's house that has cats, I'll notice it there.

I once went to an open house and it was obvious the cats sprayed walls or furniture with urine. (Thankfully I do not have that problem).

But I wonder -- is it odor blindness to only your own cats/animals? Or is the condition more applicable anywhere you go?