I wonder if anyone can help me find out which breeds of dog have low coat odour?

I know Huskies and Mals and Tibetan Mastiffs are all supposed to have low or no odour and I think this is because they have no oils in their coat?  And I think this is true of most spitz type dogs as well?  So is it the amount of oil in the coat in which case would that mean that water dogs (Spanish WD, Portuguese WD, Labradors, Newfies) have more coat odour?  Is it just oils in the coat or are there other factors that cause it?

Do low shedding breeds also always have low coat odour? (I know Bouvier des Flanders do)

Also in my experience every Mastiff, Bull Mastiff and Boxer I've ever met stunk to high heaven and left a smell on my hand after stroking them, is this normal for these breeds?  I've heard that hounds are generally smelly as well, is this true? 

Are there any non Spitz type breeds that have low odour?  My Rottweiler/Weimeraner cross doesn't have much coat odour at all, is that typical of the breeds?

Can coat odour be eliminated/reduced which ever breed your dog is or do you just have to live with it with some breeds?

Thanks for any input.

When we first got Whistler (cocker) we took him home and noticed his smell. He must be one of the most frequently washed cocker ever, his nickname in the office is "stench". However our Border collie no smell I can notice, he is a fox pooh magnet but a quick wash around his ruff and he is ok. Im not sure if they are typical of the breed but thats what we have found!

We have Bullmastiffs and a canecorso we have found that the girls dont smell at all but the male stinks to high heaven even 3 days after a bath, we thought it might be because he was not neutered or he is just a smelly git, infact we have even found that the males pee smells more than females.

i have a boxer, min schnauzer and TT all of which are bathed on a regular basis as i can't stand a smelly dog in the house but i suppose i'd say my boxer tends to smell round his kneck and head area more and my schnauzer bitch usually smells quicker than all of them.
My TT isn't too bad but today she rolled in cow poo so it will be bath time for all of them tomorrow. 

Same with my BC and Shelties too, they not niffy dogs, almost a sort of permanent sweet puppy type smell, GR on the other hand can smell very 'doggy' at times and has a definate wet dog niff when she's been swimming whereas the others don't.

Young, healthy dogs dont 'smell' ( as in an unpleasant odour)  if they are kept clean and dont have inherited abnormal skin folds.
Unwashed bedding, smelly unwashed eyes and unemptied anal glands all contribute to doggy odours.

I suppose it depends what you consider "stunk to high heaven" means....dogs smell of dogs just as horses smell of horses and humans smell of human. If you personally dont like that smell then you would consider it a stink.

My dogs usually smell of 'Head and Shoulders' or 'Pantene' but I do love the smell of healthy natural Boxer...it is sometimes alikened to that of warm biscuits!

I think the boys smell more than the girls, in my opinion, whether it is a testosterone thing I don't know.

My border collies, borzois and silken windhound are all non smelly even though they rarely get bathed. I have a greyhound x collie lurcher though who stinks to high heaven. I bath her every couple of weeks but she smells again almost instantly. She is elderly and has several health problems though so I'd say that's the cause.

I had 5 Spanish in my house at one point and they don't have that much of a doggy odour, The Spanish do not have an oily coat like most of the other water dogs.  Now Komondors and Bergamasco's are a different matter

There's nothing like the smell of a soggy GSD!! :-D

Thankfully :-D

I have a lab x collie x something else x monkey and he doesnt smell at all! not the slightest doggy odour about him. We rarely wash him unless he find some extra smelly fox poo , although i do brush him daily. People he comes into close contact with even comment on how lovely, clean and non-smelly he is :)

My dogs usually smell of 'Head and Shoulders' or 'Pantene' but I do love the smell of healthy natural Boxer...it is sometimes alikened to that of warm biscuits!

Couldn`t agree more...I love the "stink to high heaven"  of my Boxers..LOL

> Now Komondors and Bergamasco's are a different matter

Don`t forget the puli as well I personally think they smell worse....My Komondor doesn`t smell.....yet lol....he`s only a baby:)

My chows don't have an odour, if I stick my nose right in their fur they smell faintly like a wool jumper, if I smell them when they are a bit wet they just smell like a wet wool jumper straight from the machine :)

My Dobe and my Pugs do smell doggy after a while but I don't know why some breeds smell fresher than others.

Soggy GSD I agree I have got one sitting at my feet as I type having just got caught in a down pour!

>Also in my experience every Mastiff, Bull Mastiff and Boxer I've ever met stunk to high heaven and left a smell on my hand after stroking them, is this normal for these breeds?

I have an entire, male Mastiff and stroking him does not leave a smell on your hands, the only time you can smell a doggy odour is when he is wet, he generally smells quite nice as he is kept clean with a wipe-over when needed (they get slobber all over thierselfs).
My sister has a female, spayed boxer and she doesn't smell either.

Our Daisy who is a Westie does not smell. I would hate a house that smelled of dog. If she has been in the rain she does smell of wet dog but that goes as soon as she is dry.

Just wondering out of interest why you are asking? Are you looking to buy a low odour breed? :)

My breed, the Belgian Shepherd Dog, has the most lovely but extremely subtle smell almost like perfume. It's very very subtle and really they don't smell at all (but if you can ever detect anything, it's pleasant).

Get close to the paws and they may smell at times though.

Interestingly my girl who had a "stroke" and was given steroids etc had a very unusual chemically smell about her for several weeks. It wasn't the smell of the vets as she was at home and vet visited - it was from her skin.

my staffy has very little smell and my rottie stinks. Wet dog smell and car odours are far more pronounced than they were when I just had the staffy.

My miniature poodle is washed every 6-8 weeks (ish) and occasionally will begin to wiff as he is approaching his bath & clip date, depends on the weather and what he has been doing. However it is not an overpowering smell, or one that will remain on your hands if you stroke him, its just not quite as sweet smelling as he is usually.

TT's dont have a doggy odour. They smell of errrrrrrrrrrr skin!!!

> Also in my experience every Mastiff, Bull Mastiff and Boxer I've ever met stunk to high heaven and left a smell on my hand after stroking them, is this normal for these breeds?

not that i've ever noticed. but then i have had bullies or a mastiff my whole life so maybe i just don't notice.

When I had Boxers they used to smell a bit sweaty and I bathed them with a doggy deodorant shampoo. Now I have poodles and they dont smell apart from my un-neutered boy who gets a "manly" aroma just before he,s due his monthly bath.

Samoyeds dont have a doggy smell even when wet but they do need a lot of grooming

our swedish lapphund didn't have a doggy smell either and nor did either bernese or setter but the rough collie we had had the strongest doggy smell I've ever noticed. It was noticeable as soon as you went in the house no matter how often he was bathed.

The smelliest dogs I've dealt with have been Bloodhounds! Not an unpleasant smell, just really strongly doggy. And my hands are always left with an oily coating after stroking them.

My mum thinks my Toller smells, but I don't notice it. He just smells like him :)

I don't like the smell of Bloodhounds either.  But I love the smell of wet Border Collie.  And the best smell in the world is puppy breath.

My APBTs and the Lurchersdo not smell unless wet but the Otterhound.... omg... I think his smell is an acquired "taste". Since I've never had one before I can't really say whether or not it is just Bordeaux who smells of if they all whiff due to their oily coat.

None of mine particularly smell, except the saluki x but she IS 14 and im sure not everything is in full working order as it used to be.

All different breeds and very different coat types, the one common factor being that they all eat a raw diet and I am pretty convinced that this is what helps them not smell. If for whatever reason they do snag a lot of 'non dog' food... ie bread, cereals etc... then they pong!

Errol currently smells of Tresemme conditioner.... annieg3, how do your TTs get to smell of skin rather than conditioner, Errol so far cant make it past 2 weeks without needing a bath (hes still got his puppy coat though hes only 8 months..)... he is a  total filth-pig though, aided and abetted by his girlfriend...(deerhound bitch!, hes ambitious ill give him that!).

Thanks for the replies.  Its interesting to read about peoples different experiences with different breeds.  I'm not in a position to get another dog yet but I will in the future and as neither my husband nor many of my friends are what I'd describe as doggy people having a low odour breed will definitely be a factor in our choice.

I didn't mean to offend any Mastiff/Boxer lovers - I personally love these breeds temperaments and looks its just that the ones I've been up close with did leave a doggy stink on my hands after stroking.  In the case of the Bullmastiff and Mastiff it was at Discover Dogs so maybe it was the heat in the confined space making them a bit sweaty? 

Does anyone know if Golden Retrievers have much doggy odour? 

Thanks again for the feedback.   

i have 2 ess and unless wet and covered in gakky puddle/bog water/black mud etc then they hardly smell at all and i dont bath them very often - but i do groom them daily. for me labradors always smell quite doggy - not nasty smell but just very doggy! and i do think most dogs smell worse wet! though i have to say as a groomer its usually the small hairy dogs that smell the worst cos lots of owners (not all before i get mobbed) seem to not notice poo stuck round their bottoms and lord knows how much food and slime etc stuck round mouth hair! yuk! agree with what others have said - if they are healthy and well cared for they shouldnt smell too much - often its bad breath (usually cos of bad teeth) that creates much of the smell - feed a good quality food, give your dog regular dental care and groom/bath them regularly and they will smell lovely! howver, i still fear non doggy people will still go in your house and car and go "wow smells really doggy in here!" cos i think we all just become immuned to it ;-)

> I didn't mean to offend any Mastiff/Boxer lovers

No offence taken here :)

> annieg3, how do your TTs get to smell of skin rather than conditioner,

Point taken. Body shop at the moment. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

how intriguing? How many have you "dealt" with??

For me it does seem that dogs with droopy and especially heavy ears smell when warm.

> In the case of the Bullmastiff and Mastiff it was at Discover Dogs so maybe it was the heat in the confined space making them a bit sweaty? 
>

possibly, it was a smidgeon ripe in there :)

> I didn't mean to offend any Mastiff/Boxer lovers

not at all :) i love tios smell but he's fairly partial to a shower :)

My neighbours Springer spaniel has a peculiar smell that I really dislike.  I thought it was just her but have since met several others (non show) with the same smell.

I can detect when my WHV needs his ears cleaning but generally he smells great - a sort of warm earth and fresh grass smell :)

My wiry mongrel is ok too but if he went to sleep damp, and curled up, you can tell when he relaxes and opens up later!  Not an unpleasant smell though

A few people have commented that they are OK with, or like the way their own dog smells.  I'm sure that has a real bearing on the way we feel about our dogs and works in the same way as we recognise family members by familiar smells.  I can still remember sobbing into the dog we had when I was a teenager and that particular damp smell is hugely evocative to me now - my dogs smell like comfort and home :)

A dogs smell can be affected by diet and cleanliness but also by surroundings.  I would imagine a dog shut in all day may gather a whiff about them.  My dogs (and dog room) can smell a bit like a boys locker room first thing in the morning but it's gone with some fresh air and exercise - I air their beds too as well as washing them regularly.  My mum's GR used to smell a bit fusty as he got older and because he wasn't keen on good grooming it would take a bit of time and effort to shift.  I suspect that was all about him though and not necessarily breed specific.  Might be worth having a word with a groomer to see if they can make any general observations about different breed smells - although of course they won't be seeing much of the short coated breeds!