My Ichiro has amazed others at our local dog park by running thru mud puddles then magically having white paws after about 10 minutes. He's self cleaning. :) Also, he gets a 'little' stinky after a few months w/o a bath, but nothing directly noticable. I can only tell because he'll cuddle up and get right in our faces.
Brushing teeth is not an easy task. I gate Nemo in the kitchen (gallery kitchen only one way out, and narrow) and then make him sit. Then I can get in about 15 seconds of good brushing, however he always has his tongue going in and out while we brush. Then I give him a sweet potato treat and let him out. 15 seconds is what we have built up to in a year of trying.
Pam- just a thought on the stinkiness.... try ferret shampoo. I had a ferret for some time when I lived in Arizona and man do they stink! they are definately known to smell though. They make special shampoos for them that helps destink them (it is an oil they kinda 'sweat' that makes them stink) with out drying out their skin. Since they need very regular baths it is a very gental shampoo.
My two Shibas did not smell. As a matter of fact, people commented when they came over that they were suprised we had 2 dogs b/c there was no "doggie smell" in the house. However, if they rolled in a dead frog or poop...eww! My Jindo and my Shikoku puppy don't smell either. Perhaps you could try some sort of "green, barly" suppliment to deoderize them from the inside out. I've seen it in pet stores.
This is so funny. Mookie has the best non-smell ever! We always stick our faces in his fur and take a big sniff. He's a clean little guy.
Penny, our rescue, came to us really stinky. Her fur had a weird odor which is mostly gone now after a few baths and some grooming from her brother. Her breath is like Pam described about Roxy. It was gross!! I felt bad when she wanted to lick us and we would cringe. This has gotten better now since we started giving them their sweet potato treats after dinner. I think it might have something to do with the situations they came from, whether neglected or from a puppy mill. If the puppies don't have anything to chew on, the remnants from the food they eat just stays in their mouth and stinks it up! This is also why we believe Penny has an underbite. 8 months of chewing nothing but food. Now she has tons of toys and a big brother to chew!
Her breath is definitely better and we think her underbite has also become less severe.
(I've heard pharaoh hounds are little to no odor as well. Our dalmation was pretty low odor considering. However, growing up with labs who were LGD, and whose summer cool downs included dips in the pasture pond...whew, talk about smell...)
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Miso doesn't smell at all. ever.
My Jindo and my Shikoku puppy don't smell either.
Perhaps you could try some sort of "green, barly" suppliment to deoderize them from the inside out. I've seen it in pet stores.
Sounds like bathing 2 or 3 times a year should be enough?
Kristin - our puppies are definitely soul-siblings! Lol
Penny, our rescue, came to us really stinky. Her fur had a weird odor which is mostly gone now after a few baths and some grooming from her brother. Her breath is like Pam described about Roxy. It was gross!! I felt bad when she wanted to lick us and we would cringe. This has gotten better now since we started giving them their sweet potato treats after dinner. I think it might have something to do with the situations they came from, whether neglected or from a puppy mill. If the puppies don't have anything to chew on, the remnants from the food they eat just stays in their mouth and stinks it up! This is also why we believe Penny has an underbite. 8 months of chewing nothing but food. Now she has tons of toys and a big brother to chew!
Her breath is definitely better and we think her underbite has also become less severe.
(I've heard pharaoh hounds are little to no odor as well. Our dalmation was pretty low odor considering. However, growing up with labs who were LGD, and whose summer cool downs included dips in the pasture pond...whew, talk about smell...)