How To Get The Dog Smell Out Of Your House

You love your German shepherd but you don’t always love the mess they leave behind. Toys, fur floating through the air, spilled water, bits of food, and the occasional doggy smell is all part of dog ownership.

Lucky for you, German shepherds are not a notoriously stinky breed. When they are healthy, clean, groomed, and fed a good diet, they usually don’t smell offensive. But they are also super active and love to play so they do tend to get dirty.

So, those times that your house does smell funky, there are some things you can do to help eliminate the odor. Such as:

Keep dog bedding clean

Keep all dog bedding clean. If you buy dog bedding with removable covers, it will make life much easier because you can just toss it in the washing machine as often as you need to.

Cover furniture and your bedding

By covering your furniture and bedding with moisture-proof covers, it will be much easier to keep your furniture and bedding clean and smelling fresh. That way, all you have to do is wash and dry the covers on laundry day or whenever they get dirty.

Keep your dog clean and groomed

German shepherds usually don’t need a lot of baths but they do require lots of grooming. By removing loose fur, you can help keep their skin and coat healthy and free of dirt that can accumulate in the house. Frequent brushing will help you keep your house cleaner and also give you a chance to inspect your dog’s skin for any signs of injury, parasites, infections, and lumps and bumps that the vet may need to check out.

Give regular foot baths

Keeping your dog’s paws clean between baths can help remove sweat and doggy odor plus remove outdoor residue. You might even find they help your allergy dog. Consider giving your dog a foot soak in water with Epson salts or a povidone-iodine/water bath. If having your dog stand in a couple of inches of water isn’t your thing, you can mist their feet with a spray bottle and pat them dry.

Wash collars and leashes

An often-overlooked collector of bad odor is your dog’s collar. Collars see a lot of action and get wet and dirty easily. Next time you remove your dog’s collar to give them a bath, go ahead and wash their collar and leash too.

Clean dog toys often

Dog toys get filthy and can harbor bacteria and more odor causing yuckiness. They get covered with slobber, dirt, grass, and everything else found on the ground in your dog’s yard. Some toys can be put in the dishwasher, others in the washing machine, and others, you’ll need to hand wash. But cleaning your dog’s toys should be a regular thing.

Wash pet dishes daily

Your pet’s dishes hold oils, old food, and saliva, all of which can harbor bacteria and other germs. It’s just a good idea to clean their food dishes daily. Even the bottom of bowls can harbor germs and get smelly.

Clean food vaults often

If you use any type of food vault, you should clean often to remove oils that can get rancid, and smelly, and make your dog sick. If you remove the food from the bag by pouring it in, you should clean between each new bag and always put the old kibble on top of the new so it doesn’t spoil. Even if you keep the food in the bag, you should clean it once in a while to remove any residue.

Keep floors clean

Dogs often have smelly paws, drool, spill treats and food, and more. By vacuuming often followed by a quick damp mop, you can help reduce odor build-up and reduce the amount of dog fur in your home. Don’t forget to clean the HEPA filter on your vacuum often because it can get smelly, too.

Professionally clean carpets

If you have carpets and live with pets, there probably is no escaping that you will need your carpets professionally cleaned every once in a while. But for those routine spot cleans, a hand-held or vacuum-style floor cleaner can be helpful.

Now that you know what to clean, here are some tips on how to keep your house smelling clean and fresh. Some things to always have on hand are:

Air filters

To help remove odor, dander, and allergens, always use a good quality HEPA air filter and change it monthly.

Pet stain remover

Try an enzymatic cleaner odor neutralizer to remove urine, feces, and vomit stains. Follow the directions on the package to spot treat when your pet has an accident. You can also purchase mattress cleaning kits for any accidents on bedding.

Baking soda

Baking soda is a natural odor neutralizer that is pet friendly. Rather than buying fresheners that just cover up odors and can also be toxic, try sprinkling baking soda on carpets, pet bedding, rugs, and furniture (always test an inconspicuous area first). Let sit a few minutes then vacuum.

Hydrogen peroxide

Hydrogen peroxide is a great all-around cleaner, disinfectant, and odor-neutralizer. You can use it to clean things around the house such as the toilet, tile, grout, flooring, and toilets. But for your dog stuff, you can clean toys, dishes, brushes, and much more. Since it is non-toxic, it is safer than bleach but like bleach, it will lighten and stain fabrics. Never mix with ammonia, chlorine bleach, or vinegar in a closed container because it can cause unsafe gasses to form.

Vinegar

Vinegar is another pet-safe cleaner and odor-neutralizer. It’s best to dilute the vinegar with water and then spray it on the surfaces that you want to clean. You can add a bit of baking soda to add more odor-removing power. For stubborn gunk, try adding a few drops of dish soap to the mix.

Natural air freshener

You can make natural air fresheners that will leave your house smelling wonderful by boiling your favorite citrus skins in a little water. Orange, grapefruit, and lemon skin combined with spices such as ginger, cinnamon, and even herbs, like mint, are great. After you boil them, you can even store the cooled liquid in a spray bottle and mist them whenever you want to. Not sure where to start, a favorite is lemon, ginger, and mint.

Keep your dog healthy

If your pet ever becomes extra smelly, it is a good idea to give them a once over to make sure they don’t have any type of health problem going on. If you still notice that they smell bad, things that are not obvious, like a dental problem, ear infection, sinus infection, ear infection, bladder infection, bacterial or fungal infections, and more can all cause them to get stinky and require vet care.

We hope you found these tips helpful. They will help you keep your house smelling clean and fresh while keeping your dog healthy, too. As always, please feel free to share with your friends.

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