Stinky Situation

Before I got Ellie, I did a lot of research on owning corgis. One thing I read repeatedly was that you shouldn’t bathe corgis very often. Most people suggested every couple months. Have these people ever lived with a corgi? Dirt might fall out of the coat when it dries, but it still stains white fur, and corgis are as stinky as every other dog out there.

I have a very sensitive nose, so I prepared in advance before bringing Ellie home. The air fresheners are working overtime, I vacuum several times a week, bedding and stuffed toys are washed regularly, and there’s always a blanket down when Ellie’s on the couch. I’ve noticed a certain “dog” smell that even the dog spray couldn’t get rid of for a couple weeks. I thought it was my nose being too sensitive.

But I came home yesterday and got a whiff of kennel – not just dog – kennel, so heedless of what the advice blogs say, Ellie got plopped in the bath tub last night and scrubbed down with shampoo. My shampoo that smells like flowers. Twice. Because dog shampoo stinks, and that defeats the purpose of bathing her.

She’s a perfectly happy little dog this morning. No itchy skin, no trauma from the bath tub, no sickness from human shampoo, no Apocalypse because I bathed my corgi six weeks after her last bath. Her coat is shiny and fluffy today. Consider this my defiance, but Ellie is going to get bathed a lot more in the future, and I’m not going to feel guilty about frequent baths when it keeps us happy with each other.

1 member likes this

Comment

You need to be a member of MyCorgi.com to add comments!

Join MyCorgi.com

Comment by Sam Tsang on February 14, 2013 at 1:53pm: That's okay Heather, it works for you and Ellie :) We all live in different parts of the globe with distinctive weather, our lifestyle and activity directly affects our sense of smell. For example, warmer humid air enhances our sense of smell, that's because humidity carries odor molecules to our noses. I personally prefer human baby shampoo, it's hypoallergenic, gentle with skin, good enough for a baby's butt, good enough for my dog!

Comment by Dora & Rocky on February 14, 2013 at 1:41pm: There are dog shampoos out there that smells great; you just have to be patient and keep looking until you find one. :) For Rocky, I went from store to store, sniffing the shampoos (salespeople thought I was nuts! :P) until I finally found one at a pet salon that smelled like berries. Human shampoo wouldn't necessarily give Ellie sickness, but in the long run, it may dry out her skin. The constant wet baths may also dry her skin out. Have you tried using a dry shampoo on Ellie in between baths? I found the dry shampoo sold at Pet Smart doesn't smell too bad so that can be another option. Also, I don't know what kind of weather you're experiencing but we live in Vancouver where it rains CONSTANTLY and when Rocky gets wet, he absolutely REEKS. We've since gotten him a raincoat and we wipe his stomach and paws dry when he comes back inside so he doesn't stink after walks anymore :)

Comment by Ludi on February 14, 2013 at 1:00pm: My dogs do not smell (except for when they're rolled in something like poo) and I chalk it up to their monthly bath - they get one before every application of flea/tick prevention - and eating quality kibble that agrees with their stomachs. I found that dogs on decidedly "discount" foods tend to REEK, like that typical doggy odour x10.

Ace sleeps on the bed with us, and we change our sheets and covers regularly, but Lady is crated and we'll change out the towel put down as bedding within a few days of use. It is worth the extra load of laundry to avoid having that musty odour linger in our bedroom, for sure. :-)