Do all cocker's have a strong smell? When we got him at 8 weeks he was smelly, which you would expect really.
I keep him well groomed and a visit to the groomer about every 6 - 8 weeks. I only really bath him after a roll in something smelly, and he swims about two or three times a week so he may get a quick shower if its in the sea. But he does smell, our BC has the same treatment apart from not going to the groomer, he swims regulaly but doesn't smell.
I comb his ears at least twice a day because of seeds, mud ect and otherwise he's cleaned as and when.
How often should I bath him? Im not going to start with doggie deoderant its just when he gets to bad in the office I have to do something.
Its not a major problem but i do not want to cause skin problems by overdoing the bathing, oh and he's on Natures Best diet with carrots, cucumber the odd tripe stick, doggie chews ect. Lovely clean teeth I keep up with them and cant see any tarter. Am I doing anything wrong?

Its not his ears that smell is it?  I'm only asking this as there is a cocker near to me and the smell from him is definitely his ears.

>When we got him at 8 weeks he was smelly, which you would expect really.

I certainly wouldn't expect a baby puppy to be smelly! Even barn-raised puppies should (if properly raised) smell sweet.

Have you had his ears, anal glands and skin checked by the vet? Ears can get waxy and smelly if not plucked and cleaned regularly inside; anal glands can make a dog smell, and there are yeasty skin conditions that can make a dog generally smell all over.

> and there are yeasty skin conditions that can make a dog generally smell all over.

I can vouch for that :( My old dog has just been diagonsed with having a yeast infention on his skin - he smells really strong (you can smell when he has walked into a room it's that strong) along with that he has very greasy skin with some flaking.

What do you feed him on? As i have heard say that dogs fed on Pedigree chum have a certain odour about them!!

Is his mouth ok as cockers can have a problem with their lips and it can be smelly but I wouldnt of thought a pup would of been effected

Wendy

I agree, he should not smell at all,

Though I once went to collect a Springer pup with my mum and boy did he whiff, (I can still recall as it is the only pup that has ever smelt)kennel reared, but after a quick shower he was as fresh as a daisy.

If I didn't know better I would say t sounds like ear canker, very smelly when a Cocker has it, have you looked in his ears, can you see lots of brown? But, then again probably not, as he will have had a 10 point health check from your vet when you had him inoculated.

Did your vet notice an odour?  Did you mention it?

I would take him for a vet check,  he really shouldn't smell, perhaps it is diet or a skin condition as suggested, but I would let a vet decipher what the problem is and if nothing is found look to your groomer for some advice. :-)

No I was told that could be a problem its just him.

I do check his ears when he is groomed and they are as clear as a bell, just looked now to make sure!! His mouth looks fine no tarter, pale pink.
He is ok after a bath but soon gets his smelly smell back again. As a tiny pup sweet was not the smell it was dog and he was kitchen reared, I meet Mum all the pups and all the family! after a shower hes lovely (coconut now) but he just smells doggie after a couple of days.
Natures Best with fresh veg and the odd doggie treat is his feed no tinned. He was bathed last night and his ears ect just smell coconut at the moment, (apart from the pony crap he rolled in on his morning walk, but thats been washed off! )
I cant explain it really, could it be that he is a whole dog not castrated and our border is neutered? I do not notice him peeing anywhere, the office would reek. Its definately Whistler and not pee!
The vet checked him when he had his boosters at 14 months and he's happy with him. Plus he is well groomed regulalrly and we do his ears at least twice a week. His skin does not look flakey at all but I will take your advice (with thanks) and get him checked for a yeast infection I hadn't thought of that.
Jake as a pup was barn reared and no smell at all really still doesnt smell as a 16 month old. Both have beautiful shiny coats not dull, Whistler doesnt moult much Jake does!
Thanks to you all for your comments.
Oh I'll also have his anal glands checked - off to book the vet.

My mothers male Cocker is unneutered has never ever smelt, nor any of her previous males, Springers, Cockers, Labs, I doubt that is anything to do with it, particularly as it is a problem from as young as 8 weeks when you collected him.

It must be some kind of glandular odour, coming through his skin, many breeds do definitely have a 'doggy' smell, some breeds quite strongly, but Cockers just aren't one of them. Anal glands have a  particularly fishy smell it is destinctable and would not have been with him from 8 weeks until now, if ears are ruled out and food, then it is a smell coming from within his body, perhaps some kind of over production of an enzyme.

Your right you can't keep on shampooing him it will dry his skin and take away his natural oils, try Petplanet Johnsons dry shampoo £2.49 it cleans and deodorises, like a talc that you brush through his coat with a scent specially made for dogs? It will be better for him than continual washing and may well take off the scent. :-)

I do sympathise a friend of mine has a breed that is naturally whiffy, I can smell her dogs the moment I step in the house, she is completely used to it and doesn't notice but it would drive me crazy, try the dry shampoo it may well be the answer or at least the cover up :-D

Our Golden is smelly at the moment and it's down to an ear infection, it was a very strong doggy smell.  The vet has given us some ear drops to clear it up and it seems to be working.

I assumed at first it was just that she needed a bath, so we gave her one and it cleared up the smell for a few hours (probably masked by the wet dog smell!) but once she dried it was back, thats when I took her to the vets.

Don't forget to check the bottom of his feet.  In this weather the fur between his toes probably never gets the chance to dry out so could have some fungal or bacterial thing going on in there, some kind of doggy athletes foot :)

Thanks Lunamoon any advice I will work on as I think its unfair to deoderise him. I thought maybe cockers were more doggie smelling than borders.
I have a vet appointment so lets check his anal glands, hope it doesnt mean the themometer up the anus (it makes him wince).

Just a thought, but some foods make my normally non-scented dogs really pong of dog!  It's one of the things I watch for when trying a new food.   No matter how good the food, if it makes them pong then I have changed it - I really can't stand smelly dogs or dog breath :( 

What food was your pup on when you got him?  is it similar or the same as he's on now?   If so then it may be worth finding one which is as good but has different ingredients? (different meat type, cereal type etc)   Just for a month or so to see if it makes a difference ;)

He was on Eukanuba and we tried a few foods before settling on Natures Best. We had a month or two of bad tummy before he settled.
Do you think its worth a try?

Our cavs are what I would call smelly (sorry boys)....but that is just to me, I am terrible for our house always smelling bleached and perfumed because I can't stand anything smelly so to me all the long haired dogs I have ever met have a doggy smell to them. My parents staffy has no smell to her. Is it just a strong doggy smell?

Like Angels2, I have two Cavaliers and they to are what I would call smelly - I too am forever mopping, cleaning, have oil burners going, wash their vet bed every other day and have electronic air purifiers in most rooms because I have a very strong sense of smell and like everything to smell nice. One thing I have noticed with spaniels, including my friends Cocker is that they do get smelly around the folds in their lips and can be prone to bacterial infections. I clean my boys lip folds on a daily basis with a diluted oraldene and water solution then dry thoroughly - might be worth checking Whistlers lip folds?

Hayley

My FIL has a cocker which is only whiffy when he needs his ears cleaned. Thinking on you mentioned tripe sticks - I fed my boy those & the smell of them actually came through his skin. Needless to say he didn't get those again!!! Poss that?

I'll try that one as well, the vet found nothing wrong! I think Im one of those that dont like smells inthe house I have those airwick things that you keep plugged in and smell nice. I use the oil and reeds in the hall ways and bathrooms. thanks for your help.

Yes I did use pigs ears but Jake was a bit sick on those maybe too fatty so we went to tripe sticks. i thimk its back to bulls pizzles!! Thanks

Probably its in his hair, he is hand stripped so a longish coat which seems to hold the smell. Possibly whistler just whistles!!

> I think Im one of those that dont like smells inthe house I have those airwick things that you keep plugged in and smell nice. I use the oil and reeds in the hall ways and bathrooms. thanks for your help.

Yep definately one of us! :-)