Do Hounds Smell?

I have had many people tell me that a hound can not be kept in the house because of its odor. I have smelled our beagle all over and can't detect any bad smells on her, and we really don't bathe her that often. Some of the hound mixes at the shelter seem to have an odor, but I'm not sure how much of that is just shelter living. Those of you who have hounds, do they have an odor? Why would a clean hound smell any worse then any other dog?

I personally think it's a self-fufilling old wives tale. Dogs used to be kept outside, hounds were very common. All dogs love to roll in things, hounds especially and since baths were an extreme rarity, I bet that's where it started and so many people just kept their dogs outside where they weren't bathed and could roll in things, so the myth kept going.

I haven't noticed a bad smell associated with hounds of any type, ever.

I was around a B&T Coonhound at the clinic and a Bloodhound and holy smokes did they reak! I can't say the owners kept them clean though. The smell was different from any smell I had ever been around. I wonder if it had to do with poor ear hygiene?

I transported a shepard/beagle mix this weekend and she was a very smelly, but sweet!! girl. It may have been she hadn't had a bath in quite some time though

I think that this is an old wives tale. I think that it comes down to their diet and how often they are bathed, as well as their living conditions. Any dog living outside/never bathed/and fed Ol' Roy is bound to be smelly.

i have a hound mix and he doesnt smell less i dotn bathe hima dn i have a grey adn he never stinks

Scent hounds have a dense, very oily coat that can smell a bit more than, say, a Maltese. But I don't mind that little bit of "dog smell".

Most of the smell from a dog comes from the food they eat. A high quality or raw food will decrease the smell of any dog no matter the breed.
If the hound is used for hunting he is exposed to more than a dog kept in a house, kennel, or a yard. It is understandable that a hunting dog would smell different.

In general, sighthounds have very little to no doggy odor. But I agree that smell from any dog has more to do with it's living conditions, hygeine and diet than the breed.

Sorry , but I have to say it from the OP's original question . Yes, with their noses .

When barry is on a poor quality food he smells HORRIBLE. Like get away from the bed, room, house bad....

With a better quality food, and a bath when he gets too "Ripe" (Aka he's been rolling in something!) he's got a rather pleasant smell, not offensive, but definatly a "Smell"

He does love his smells though, he looks at me like I murdered a puppy when I wash his bed!!!

Good answer.

My hound does smell of roses and lavender.

Seriously, the only time I have noticed an unpleasant smell on him is when I brought him back from one of the parks, which was fixed with a nice bath.

:lol-sign: