Do Golden Retrievers Smell? 7 Tips to Help

Our canine friends have a special place in our hearts and homes. However, some breeds can be smellier than others. What about the Golden Retriever? As a classic retrieving dog built for the outdoors, do they carry a stronger scent than their peers?

Like all dogs, Golden Retrievers can smell, but much of this can be reduced with proper grooming. Let's find out what contributes to the scent of these gorgeous canines and where they rank among other breeds.

Golden Retrievers: Level of Smell

All dogs develop a smell if they aren't properly bathed. Like humans, dogs collect grime and debris in their hair and skin. With proper coat maintenance, they won't generate much of an odor. Some hunting breeds, like Beagles or Basset Hounds, emit a scent that people often refer to as "hound scent." Wrinkly dogs like Bulldogs and Pugs can smell bad due to the bacteria buildup between their skin flaps.

However, Goldens are pretty straightforward when it comes to their aroma. They generally smell pleasing until they've gone too long without a bath. If you spend most of their time playing outside, you'll have to bathe and brush them more often.

What Can Influence Your Golden’s Odor?

If your Golden Retriever suffers from allergies, they might emit a foul smell. Sometimes, the allergies cause yeast to grow on the skin. The yeast has a very particular foul smell, and it can cause ear infections in some cases, too.

Other signs of skin allergies include:

• Excessive scratching
• Rashes
• Hot spots
• Yeast overgrowth
• Ear infections

Allergies can come from environmental or dietary triggers. If you suspect your Golden Retriever has allergies, you should make an appointment with your vet for further investigation.

The 7 Tips for Keeping Your Golden Retriever Smelling Good

Keeping your Golden smelling like a million bucks can be a constant task, but you'll get into a routine that works for you. Here are seven tips to keep clean and odor-free.

1. Practice Regular Bathing

Dogs need baths less often than us, but they start stinking after a while. On average, you should bathe your Golden Retriever as frequently as most other canines: every 4 to 6 weeks. Golden Retrievers can have allergy issues or sensitivities to some shampoos. As a precaution, you can use fragrance-free shampoos.

Overbathing can cause other issues, like dandruff and dry skin, which can lead to excessive itching. Try to bathe your dog no more than once a month. For Goldens with extra sensitive skin, you might have to wait 6 weeks or longer in between.

Our Favorite Products

Bathing your dog may be challenging, but selecting the right shampoo can help make the process a bit easier. Our favorite products come from Hepper's Shampoo product line, offering natural, pet-friendly solutions meticulously designed to gently cleanse your dog's skin and coat without any risk of irritating or drying them out. These formulas are free of harmful additives such as dyes, soaps, sulfates, and phthalates. The Deep Cleansing Shampoo is a great option for pet owners who have difficulty neutralizing tough doggy odors. Hepper's Oatmeal Pet Shampoo is a great way to treat your pet to aloe vera and oatmeal's calming benefits while you revel in the delightful and refreshing scents! 

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2. Commit to Daily Brushing

It is a good idea to brush your Golden every day. Brushing promotes blood circulation, oil production, and good hygiene. Also, it helps loosen and remove dirt and debris that can get stuck in the coat.

Since the Golden has a double coat, occasionally brushing deeply with a de-shedding tool can combat dander, matting, and shedding. If adequately managed with brushing, your Golden can smell good for longer between baths.

3. Keep Up With Oral Hygiene

Does anyone like hot, stinky dog breath in their face? To combat bad breath, your Golden should have their teeth brushed every day. Also, it is best to start as early as possible. Even though puppy teeth will inevitably fall out to make way for larger canines, it can be a trial run to familiarize them with the process.

4. Offer Dry Baths

You could always try a bath between baths, so to speak. To prevent oil and debris buildup in your Golden's fur, you can try natural or store-bought dry dog shampoos to neutralize odors and keep their fur fresh.

Corn starch or powder will do the trick, too, since it absorbs oil. However, you should always be careful with this method, as Goldens are prone to sensitive skin. Try to go fragrance, dye, and chemical-free if you can.

Keeping your dog clean doesn't have to mean giving them a full bath. The Hepper Waterless No Rinse Shampoo and Wash Wipes are great waterless products to keep on hand for in-between baths. They're specially formulated to be safe for dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds. The hypoallergenic formulas contains natural, moisturizing ingredients that effectively remove dirt without irritating your dog's skin.

At Dogster, we've admired Hepper for many years, and decided to take a controlling ownership interest so that we could benefit from the outstanding designs of this cool pet company!

5. Choose the Correct Diet

Believe it or not, their diet plays a very vital role in how your dog smells. Many dogs suffer from food allergies, which can cause yeast to grow on the skin. Cleaner ingredients, as you might guess, equal less smelliness.

The higher quality of the diet, the better shape your dog will be in.

6. Take Them to a Professional Groomer

There's nothing wrong with a little royal treatment. Your Goldie can see their stylist roughly every 6 weeks. Unlike home grooming, groomers use several tools and resources people often don't have at home. They can get in deep, making your pup feel fresh from their bare skin to the tips of their fur.

It's refreshing for your dog to have clean, aromatic fur.

7. Wash Their Bedding & Blankets

You can give your dog a bath on a regular schedule. However, if dirt and grime remain on their blankets, beds, and clothes, they will get dirty again quickly. Leftover smells remain on the blankets and bedding, causing dirt, debris, bacteria, and skin particles to collect on the material. If your dog lies in the bed, the same smelliness will find your dog again. It's best to wash your dog's bedding and blankets once every 2 weeks.

Conclusion

With proper care, diet, and health, your Golden Retriever shouldn't smell bad often. You can have a clean-smelling dog with no lingering odors if you implement good grooming habits. So, now you know that the Golden Retriever isn't a breed that generally has a lot of odor concerns, but it's still a good idea to maintain their hygiene appropriately, including teeth brushing. Oral health is just as important!

See also:

• Do Golden Retrievers Need Grooming & How Often?

• Why Does My Dog Smell Like Fish?

Featured Image Credit: Olena Brodetska, Shutterstock