Smelly Boxer

[aurorab]

Ok Jake is now 3 month old and he is starting to smell. I have 2 chis and give them baths every other week or so, but since Jake is a Boxer and they have sensitive skin my husband says that we can't give him too many baths b/c boxers are prone to dry skin. I brush him as much as possible, but I have allergies and so far it has been ok but the smell is annoying and I don't want to start w/ any problems. I Febreeze and wash his bedding as much as possible, this helps some. I just tried a no-water liquid bath and it seemed to help w/ the smell. I was thinking of getting the powder bath. I'm not sure if the liquid would dry out his skin and not sure how well the powder works.
Any one tried either? Or had a boxer (or ther similar breed) and has any suggestions?????
He's starting to get a bit big but he's now into sitting in your lap, so I get to smell him so much more now
I want to try to find a middle ground w/o causing him dry skin or having to push him away b/c of the smell and possible my allergies. thanks!

 

[Gempress]

When I bathe my dogs, I always used a good conditioner along with the shampoo. It kept their skin from drying out. I don't think one bath will hurt him, as long as you use a good shampoo and conditioner.

 

[EliNHunter]

He might be secreting something foul from his pores/glands? I've never heard of such a well kempt dog "smelling" unless there's a problem on the "inside". Some food reaction with his oil glands??? Not sure...

 

[Twilight]

Try bathing him with a Tea Tree shampoo, perfect for boxers skin ans smells lovely too!

not too often though! Boxers need all the oils in their coat, otherwise they will get dry skin, they should only be bathed if it is really neccesary

The type of food you feed can also change the coat condition/smell

but i am in the UK so i cant reccomend a good food for you because i dont think it is sold worldwide

 

[Boxer*Mom]

I just tried a no-water liquid bath and it seemed to help w/ the smell. I was thinking of getting the powder bath. I'm not sure if the liquid would dry out his skin and not sure how well the powder works.
Any one tried either? Or had a boxer (or ther similar breed) and has any suggestions?????

I haven't heard of these. Could you elaborate some? Ike doesn't seem to have a problem with getting a bath about once a month. But I know puppies can get awfully dirty a lot! I'd say just use a mild shampoo with a conditioner. In between baths you could wipe him off with a baby wipe.

I would love to pics of Jake and your Chi's as well! Have you posted any since you've joined?

 

[aurorab]

Jake is still crate training and sometimes has accidents, pee only but boy does he stink. At least now it's not everyday but still. I tried to use just a wet cloth. I have the wipe (like baby wipes) but I can't seem to find them right now. We move not too long ago and I've been putting things away, and now I can't remeber where.
They might help for everday but he still gets a bit funky after a few days. Plus we have been doing wash like crazy and spraying in his crate toe get the smell out and even venting out the room.
Btwn the peeing and rolling around in the yard and the rain the last wk he's a stinky dog.
The no-rinse wash is similar to the power, you don't need water for either. The liquid rubs in like a lather, then you can wipe it off (similar to the stuff they use in hospitals). The powder you just shake on and brush out the excess.
I know that boxers need to keep their natural oil and I'm not sure if either or both might take away too many of those oils. ????
Also my husband said that when he gets a bit older it will be better, b/c boxers like to keep clean. But right now PHEWEY and he likes to climb up and lay in my lap in the evening. We have 2 chis and they snuggle next to me. He's over 2x's their sixe but he thinks he's a lap dog Can't wait till he's full grown (glad we didn't get a Dane or mastiff or I'd be crushed- hehehe). My husband has had many boxer b4 and he doesn't mind the smell... or the farts or the snorring, etc. I'm still getting used to boxers but he has already stolen my heart. I'm so used to my chis and I can bath then once a wk w/ a gentle shampoo. I'm not sure about him and I'm trying to be very careful.

 

[Boxer*Mom]

They are lap dogs!! I don't think it would hurt his skin if you had to give him a bath at the end of the week for now, especially if he's in one mess after another. Those things you talk about sound like they would be safe to use also. Now, where are the pictures?!

 

[aurorab]

I have pics but not a computer to transfer them. I'm using the one at work right now. I have to get over to my parents house on remember the digital camera. Ours died and w/ a new house, new puppy, xmas, etc, that's last on the list. He's a beautiful dark mahagony brindle and growing like a weed. But every pic he has blue eyes. I've been trying to get him on angles but it dosen't seem to work. I will try soon. I also want to get a few up of the girls too. I have one of Mira curled under a mag. w/ a few pgs turned and a little head poping out... SOOOO CUTE.
Thanks for all the help. I'll look again for the wipes or just get more, they aren't that expansive. I just hate to waste the other ones and it just drive me crazy that I already have them... somewhere.
Hopefully he will be completely potty trained soon.
We had to limit his water in the morning and slowly give him more and more. It's a lot better but he still has accidents. Hey at 3 months he's doing pretty good. Plus w/ the down pours we had he was trying so hard not to go outside. The poor thing.
I think its so funny that a dog that size wants to be a lap dog. Other than the smell I'm ok.. well except that I'm used to girls and I'm not used to... huh how can I put this nicely. After going potty still being wet or the oozing -that's only evey once in a while and I knew about it b4 but still. My Mother laughs at me, says it's good practice if we ever have kids. Girls run in my family but a few boys have shown up and w/ my luck I will have one.

 

[014509Bo]

Most bad odors come from the inside out. What are you currently feeding? a few friends of mine own boxers and have never bathed their dogs, they smell great and have beautiful coats (except one friend with a white boxer that has allergies). Try to help the dogs immune system, a poor immune system can lead to smelly coats and poor skin. I give Astragalus as an immune booster as well as Shittake mushrooms a couple times a month. Nutrition is also a big key to good skin health, poor diets lead to poor skin. All the bathing in the world is not going to help the skin if they are not getting the proper nutrition.

For bathing, balance is the key to managing your dog’s hygiene; too much or too little is not healthy.
Trying to scrub away all the dirt and detritus that our dogs collect in their normal course of work and play may be counterproductive. Too much cleansing can be drying to the skin. Dry skin is physically irritating, which may cause the dog to dig and scratch excessively. Additionally, we know that the skin’s oil glands produce a substance that is antibacterial; so excess cleaning actually removes the antibacterial barrier.
Furthermore, there is considerable recent evidence to indicate that a certain amount of “dirt” is good for the immune system. Exposure to dirt, low concentrations of locally important bacteria and bugs, local plant pollens, and household dust are all vital for developing a healthy immune system and for stimulating an appropriate immune response.
Healthy skin should be dry but not flaky, pliable, and possessing a slightly oily feel, and the hair coat should have lustrous sheen.

I have started adding Coconut Oil to my dogs food and I have found a big difference in the health of their skin.

 

[aurorab]

We just upgrade his food. He was on puppy food w/ mothers milk. I was either the Mom milk or he had coccidia (sp?). Either way we changed his food and he was on meds. He is doing so much better now. We didn't have his ears done. He looked so cute w/ floppy ears, plus I didn't like the idea of cutting him w/o a reason... hummmm now I know why they clip their ears. I have had to clean them once a wk.
Part of the problem is that we have a new house and the back yard has new(er) top soil and we are working on growing grass. Jake loves to roll around and likes to carry around branches and leaces and clumps of roots and dirt. It's a very big yard and he is in hog heaven. We had a pile of sand and he loved to dig his nose into it. He looked like rodolph but w/ an orange nose.
Plus w/ the rain he was dirty/wet smell dog w/ stinky ears. His ears are better now that I keep a watch on them, and once the snow comes and next yr the grass, it will be better.
The wipes and the waterless shampoo have helped so much! But the rugs and the slip covers really need a washing now.
It may still be an internal problem, plus the ears plus the dirt. Hopefully it will get better soon!
Thanks everyone.

 

[RoxyBoxer]

wait till they pass gas. then nothing you are smelling now will compare hopefully you dont have a stinky one!! as for a lap dog, well if you let it now...lets just say Roxy still swears she can fit on my lap perfect even though im 8 months pregnant has anyone else ever put there dog in the shower with them?? I know not to use pert plus or anything lol but she will not for a million cookies sit still in the bath.

 

[Mordy]

if a dog has bad gas, try a probiotic supplement. half the human dose is enough already most of the time.

 

[Twilight]

Boxers ALWAY have bad gas no matter what you feed them lol

 

[RoxyBoxer]

Boxers ALWAY have bad gas no matter what you feed them lol

lol ive had people try to tell me soo many ways to help a boxer with its 'problem smell' nothing works and nothing ever will lol a dogs gotta do what dogs gotta do and like my mom used to say better out then in which reminds me roxy needs a bath soon

 

[Twilight]

I think it should be put in the breed standard LOL ive never met a boxer who doesnt pass gas at last 5 times a day LOL

 

[showpug]

Just wanted to mention that if your dog is on a good food and fatty acid supplement you are not going to dry his skin out by bathing him. You could bathe him once a week and you are not going to dry him out. Just use a tearless puppy shampoo and conditioner. Puppies get really smelly and it's worse for their skin to have even a small amount of dried urine then it ever would be to bathe them. It's more of a myth that bathing a dog too often drys them out. You just have to find the right shampoo - some add moisture!!!!

 

[aurorab]

Well we have only had a small puffs
Not that they smell like roses but my husband say they aren't that bad .... YET. Our little tiny chi has a funky butt sometimes but my hubby said it was way worse than them.
She's silent, small and deadly, I wonder what he will be- Big, powerful and knock you out HEHEHEHE

Well we got a hose for the shower. Jakes too big for the sink. My little boy is growing up so fast. My husband used to have his boxer come into the shower w/ him (Beast passed away just after we met but b4 we actually started dating so I never got to meet him). Jake doesn't mind the bath but he won't stand still b/c he wants to drink the water. That boy would drink till he burst if we let him.

Oh and he has smelled so much better w/ the waterless shampoo and wipes and ear cleanings. He has to get a full bath on Friday (he has to go see grandmom and pop this weekend)

Thanks again everyone for the info.

 

[garyluer]

My dog tends to be a bit odiferous between baths and I found a good temporary solution is to rub his outer coat with a sheet of Bounce.

 

[Mordy]

please don't use bounce sheets on your dog. they are not designed to be used on skin/coat directly. your dog may ingest chemicals when licking himself.

 

[TheWonderPuppies]

Try the dog wipes they sell for between baths it works wonders on my dogs(you should be able to find them at a pet store my walmart even sells them and they dont take out all the oil in there coat and its safe to clean them selfs)