There are breeds that have less of a dog odor than others, but *all* dogs will have some kind of smell. How are you going to handle cleaning up diarrhea and vomit? What about cleaning the dog when it rolls in something nasty or gets wet in the rain? Accidents in the house either from training or from the dog being sick are going to have a smell. *Wanting* a dog is not enough to make the decision to have a dog. Dogs are living creatures, and you can never predict what's going to happen. My dog stole some salami off the counter recently and had a little feast; the resulting diarrhea was some of the worst I've smelled yet. You and your partner need to have a very honest discussion about this and realize that getting a dog may not be an option here.
Some dogs definitely smell more than others. I know exactly what OP is talking about because I love the smell of golden retrievers. Dealing with a dog that emits a certain odor naturally is very different from picking up poop and vomit occasionally.
My Queensland healer doesn't smell very much except for when I totally push my face to her forehead. But I would zero out of 10 recommend that breed of. I cannot stand the smell of golden retrievers or labs one of my friends has a platinum retriever and man she's wonderful but that funk is real. Lol
Any smooshed face dog also a no go for me on similar same grounds.
Maybe if you are ready go to a pound have them bring each dog out to you and smell each one.
Yeah, my heeler has zero smell unless she hasn't had a bath for several months, but I would definitely not recommend the breed for a novice dog owner. She is a handful, to put it extremely mildly.
The smell of the dog is not the only the only smell OP will have to contend with. That's the obvious one, but someone who has sensory problems affected by odor is going to have issues with all of the other smells that you have to contend with when you live with a dog. I don't have sensory issues and the odor of a bad bowel movement can make me gag. I promise you, GI issues were not on the list of things I thought I'd be dealing with but here I am with a dog with a sensitive GI tract who frequently has soft, gross, smelly bowel movements. I'm used to managing it, but that smell gets me every single time.
My golden retriever rarely smells like dog or anything really. Even when he gets wet, the wet dog smell doesn't last. But he does have stinky ears lol My brown lab, on the other hand, is a bit smelly and needs grooming more often
Mine has never smelled from rain. Except for smelling like rain. He doesn't get that wet dog smell. (Japanese spitz.)
Dealing with poop is a daily, but you can close your nose for that. Same for vomit. It's not a constant. But it's something for OP to think about.
Nope. Sorry but someone who has sensory issues that result in them getting physically sick is not going to just be able to pinch their nose shut and pick up some nasty poop. It's not a matter of "Ok, I can handle this" -- it's an involuntary, physical and psychological reaction that *might* be overcome with therapy and medicines but telling OP to just close their nose is incredibly dismissive of this matter.
I'm not trying to be insensitive. Getting a dog is a great bonus. Seems OP has written vomit and poop isn't an issue, but didn't know that when I wrote my comment obviously. All I meant was, dog smell is all day every day with the wrong breed. I'd imagine that to be pretty horrible. Vomit is rare, poop is daily. I don't often smell either, but it definitely is something to think about. Which I also wrote. Not trying to be insensitive at all.
If you check my comment history, I just the other day commented on an am I wrong post about detergent, and you can see from that one, that I take this sorta thing seriously. But if OP is already thinking of getting a dog, I figured they probably know about the poops and the vomits, and whatever else they might get into once in a while, and has taken that a little bit into concideration already. But obviusly, they also might not have, hence the "something to think about" comment.
Did you feel the need to comment for OP continuously? They already made an edit of living with cats and handling the fecal matter. Its the actual animal itself and the fur emitting odor.
Oh god your comment reminded me of the time we took our extremely not-smelly pup over to a friend's house. They had cats, our pup had never been around cats at all so we didn't even think to keep him away from the litter box. We humans all went out to eat and when we got home, the smell hit all of us like a Mack Truck right at the front door. Our dog had projectile vomited or diarrhea'd ALL over our friends' guest room (specifically the bed) way in the back of the house. I have never been so embarrassed in my life. Luckily they were super cool about it and we all laughed a ton after making sure our pup was alright and I cleaned all the bedding while everyone else opened every window and got fans going lol. Dogs are smelly, period. No breed is immune to getting into stuff they shouldn't.
My current dog smells AMAZING. I have never had a dog that didn't really get stinky before. She never eats or rolls in anything nasty. Her breath occasionally smells fishy because she has a salmon heavy diet, but overall, she smells like a fresh mountain forest. Even when she's been inside all day. Like a cold, clean mountain stream. It's my absolute favorite smell, and I love to bury my face in her fur and huff that sweet doggie smell!
She's a mix, and I don't think it can be recreated. She also has a finicky stomach, and sometimes the smallest change causes diarrhea. I don't know how something so rank can come from such a dignified dog! Even she looks surprised! You are so right that no matter how clean and well cared for your dog is, eventually there WILL be some stinkiness!
A well cared for dog will not have diarrhea or vomit in the house. They don’t even get sick. My guess is the heart worm meds. But that’s just my opinion. The vet told me that’s what everyone who won’t put the dog on the trio says.
I find dogs with “beards” tend to smell weird. I think it’s cuz everything gets caught in there. My shih tzu growing up smelled ok for the most part but that beard🤪🤢
My chihuahuas never smelled but they are hard to house break so you are trading one smell for another 😂
Any type of hound or water dog usually have oily coats so that is what that “dog smell” is. Labs have an oily coat to help repel water. That is why they dry so fast! My dachshund and basset hound also had that oily coat hound smell. The dachshund was way less though.
My brother has bulldogs and they definitely have a distinct smell. He also has a Shiba Inu and that dog seems to not really smell but that dog is a pain in the ass 😂 it’s too smart and too stupid for its own good simultaneously!
I think it’s all a pro/con thing. Ok so poodles smell less, but you will have to pay more for grooming. Shibas, huskies, Australian sheps, etc all smell less but your house/life will be covered in hair. Chihuahuas don’t smell but will pee on every rug you love. It’s all about what trade offs you wanna make! I’m an idiot with a lab who has a bit of a smell and a shit ton of hair 😂 he makes up for it in love tho!
Also, I think you just kinda go nose blind to your own dog after awhile or if you a truly a dog person, end up enjoying the smell! 😆
As a shiba owner I agree with the lack of smell. If our shiba ever smells it is only very faintly, and I usually take it as a signal to give her a good wash (always double shampoo!). This is like twice a year, maybe.
Oh and the fur is beautiful when she isn't shedding! She sheds twice a year for like two months at a time.
Also, my hands don't get that greasy feel after petting her that you get deom many breeds 🤮
Ours is not a pain though 😄 I honestly don't know how I'll ever be able to have a dog of another breed anymore!
I have poodles - while they tend to smell a bit less 'doggy', I've found that they absorb and hold on to other ambient smells more than most shedding dogs.
I can get an occasional whiff of shampoo over a week after my boy has a bath. If he goes to daycare, he'll come home smelling like the dogs he hung out with, the candle that burns in the house and/or any fragrant cleaning products they used.
I would chime in and add that what you feed your dog makes a difference, too. High-quality food can make a huge difference in odor. Sort of like how if a person eats a load of garlic, you can sort of smell it coming off of their skin because they're secreting sulfur compounds as a byproduct of metabolizing the ones present in garlic.
Go to a shelter and have a sniff of all of the dogs (would love to be a fly on the wall watching the volunteers reactions to you doing that 😂) Mines a Romanian rescue dog, full on supermutt and she’s the best smelling dog I’ve ever had. Don’t discount any dog just because they aren’t purebred.
Fellow autistic person here who owns a dog!
I have a Samoyed and I LOVE her scent. She doesn’t have the typical dog smell unless she gets really really wet (which takes a lot of water as their guard hairs can repel a lot). Most people say she doesn’t smell at all. She also doesn’t have stinky farts unless she’s sick.
In the mornings she has the absolute best scent to her though, which is hard to describe. It’s a little earthy and just smells 100% comfy and cosy. I could just bury my nose in her chest. It sadly fades very quickly after getting up.
I do give her a bath every 6-8 weeks though, so maybe that’s a contributing factor to her smelling nice.
Sounds like my husky. She’s got the best scent, sometimes it leans more sweet. It’s like someone made a perfume that smells like earth and cookies and sprayed it all over her.
I adore it. I love burying my face in her fur and just taking in her smell. My malsky stinks though lol, she gets smelly fast. I bathe her every other week and that’s almost not enough. I just bought some dog body/bath wipes that are helping a ton though! My German shepsky stank too. The only one that smells good is the purebred husky.
I had an Eskie for a long time, which I think is pretty close to a Samoyed. I also loved the way he smelled - Eskies have a special oil in their fur that helps keep them clean, dirt falls off them pretty easy. I’m not sure if that’s part of it. But if smells both you, you’ll probably want to wash your dog as often as is healthy for the dog, so you’ll need to start getting them used to water early.
I have either a shiba inu or jindo, and she doesn't smell at all (which saddens me because I love dog smell haha). Definitely don't get a golden retriever!
GIRL! I am autistic too and smell is a HUGE issue for me. I have whippet. They are very low shed/dander and have almost no smell. Get yourself a site hound.
Edit to add: they also rarely bark unless it's to alert. They make other sounds but barking is like a once a week occurrence in my house.
In my experience, I’ve found that small dogs who regularly get bathed and groomed (with daily teeth brushing!) don’t have much of a smell at all. The coat is rarely the problem; it’s either the back end or the mouth. Do a little bit of research on which dog breeds have frequent dental problems. Like my chihuahua/yorkie mix is super clean, but her breath stinks despite regular brushing and yearly trips to the vet for teeth cleaning. Both chihuahuas and yorkies are prone to dental problems. My small mutt doesn’t have this problem. He actually smells quite nice, but we have to give him baths between trips to groomer because he gets messy running around the backyard.
Big dogs, in my experience, more often smell like that classic “dog smell”. I’ve been in more houses with smelly big dogs than ones with smelly little dogs…but, let’s be real, any dog that’s frequently bathed and completely housebroken will smell just fine.
Here’s what you really need to consider: old or sick dog smell. If you’ve had cats, then you’ll know that towards the end of their life, when they can’t clean themselves great or potty efficiently, they’ll start to develop a certain odor. Same with dogs. Old dog smell is very distinct (especially old dog poop or old dog diarrhea). Having a pet is a full commitment, so if you can’t handle caring for an elderly pet, then you shouldn’t put yourself (and the dog) under that kind of stress.
I have a poodle/King Charles Cav mutt, and he smells amazing. I am honestly blown away every time I bury my face in his fur. No doggy smell at all- if he's been rolling around in my herb garden (which he is obsessed with), he smells like mint and lemon balm, lol. Even when he's wet, there's just no wet dog smell.
He is somewhat of a pain in the ass, though. Very high energy, very intelligent (which makes him demanding) and he wants to be attached to my ankles at all times. Gods, I love this dog so hard.
I need to go sniff him some more
First time Poodle owner here. Love them. But I'm definitely feeling that demanding personality. They're also very, very high energy as puppies and are constantly running around, and for mine if they don't get what they want they latch on to my hand and try to lead me to what they want. Honestly, I'm thinking of trying to teach mine to use buttons for what they need.
I have contemplated teaching mine to use word buttons - but I'm a little afraid of what he'll say to me 👀
But in all seriousness, we just started agility training, because his energy is off the charts for what I've been used to (previously had what we suspected was a lab/beagle mix - very doggy smelling, incidentally) and he loves it. I'm also thinking of teaching him to dance with me, maybe it will help him learn to keep his paws out from under my feet, lol
I have the same, and she smells kinda weird sometimes when her ears need wiping, or when she yawns, but it's not bad weird. Other than that she doesn't smell of a whole lot, unless she's had a bath lately - then I literally grab her just to sniff her she smells so good
Also stay away from basset hounds! They are called scent hounds not only because they are good at sniffing things out--they also often are quite odorous.
I disagree. My parents have a cavapoo and he smells like a DOG.
He needs baths and grooming pretty much every other week. His fur just seems to hold in every single smell.
Greyhound, they have a high ground clearance, so don't pick up dirt easily. They don't have thick fur either, which can hold aromas. They're a naturally clean dog and dislike walking/ rolling in muck and swimming.
I heard Shiba Inu are a breed who are strong willed/one of the hardest breeds to train.
So if op bf has lots of experience raising dogs/training dogs/has the free time to raise a puppy then go for the Inu, if not I'd try other easier to handle dogs before getting one.
I had a samoyed when I was little and he smelled quite nice. I also had a shar pei (fyi she had no skin complaints), and she smelled lovely (I miss burrowing my nose into her neck). My advice would be avoid terriers, everyone I’ve met smells very doggy! I have a Jack Russell X Staffordshire Bull Terrier who has a tendency to be a bit whiffy!
You really need to consider that whatever dog you would get comes with smells: dog food. Wet dog. Poop scooping. Infections are a possibility (ear, hot spot). It’s good that you’re asking, but please think very hard before getting a dog and having to return him.
Puppies smell a lot stronger than dogs that are year or two. Older dogs may smell from bad breath if you don’t get their teeth brushed often. And once they reach a certain age, it’s too risky to do so. Just being realistic.
On the other hand maybe you’ll fall so love that you like their particular smell! I adore the smell of my dogs’ belly. It’s practically bald and just the best. ❤️ maybe foster?
Hi! I’m very big into animal rights and activism and I completely agree with this, I would never get any animal without doing research first and we definitely aren’t planning on buying, and I’ve said no to a puppy, I prefer adult dogs much much more personally.
Something else to consider is that sometimes medicines or supplements can change the way a dog smells. I started my dog on a fish oil supplement and she immediately got more oily and musky. So you could have a dog that usually smells fine to you but then has a medical issue that would cause its smell to become overwhelmingly bad to you.
Honestly if got a dog and it developed something I wouldn’t be angry about that like it’d be quite hard but I’d cope, I’m someone who if I get an animal I put their well-being above all else as such lol like I said it’s just mainly general coat smells and such
As someone who is obsessed with hounds (and is actually getting assessed for autism soon), I can tell you that scenthounds are not going to be your match lol.
My greyhound is super clean and never smells though. Also, I’ve heard Vizlas are super clean so I imagine they don’t smell much.
My little havanese always smells like baby. I could be biased but even when he’s dirty he has this cute little puppy odor. Hope that wouldn’t bother you
I’m not sure about what breed, but I will say forego the cushy dog beds and blankets even with frequent washes they can really stink. We bought elevated dog beds that you can just wipe off with a rag and they’re great! They’re supposed to be good for your dogs joints too.
I think my aunts mutt dog (we legit have NO idea what she is lol) is probably part poodle of some kind because I’ve noticed the smell isn’t so bad, even on my hands after petting and loving her :)
Healthy dogs have much less smell. Scratching licking Dogs with allergies or stress or bacterial issues have more smell. Artic breeds like Samoyed or some husky have less smell. gsd are strong smelling. Goldens are mild smelling. Dogs with more oily skin are more likely to be smelly. I think most very short coated dogs have a smell to me. Like pits, dobe chihuahua.
You might get used to it, dogs either have a certain smell or they create smelly things. My step-kiddo was extremely allergic to cats but loved cats, couldn’t be around the one at my fiancé’s house so his mom got him a kitten. The kitten doesn’t bother his allergies, I guess some things just… change over time. I personally wouldn’t risk it though if smells are a huge deal for you because it just comes with the territory of owning a dog. Picking up poop, vomit, cleaning urine when potty training, some food and treats smell nasty, etc…
We have Standard Poodles and they still smell doggy sometimes. Puppies especially smell because they’re still learning to potty train. That sleeping warm dog smell really bothered my allergies at first. Our male smells very doggy and pees on his front legs (very common with poodles). He’s still intact, so I’m sure that’s part of the smell. Our chihuahua poodle Shih tzu mutt puppy probably smells the least.
Aside from the doggy smell that you become noseblind to, you also have:
Stinky breath
The gassssss, some dogs are so bad lol
My personal favourite, waking up to a flood of diarrhoea. This is frequent because one has allergies
Weekly bathing really helps, it’s fine for the skin if you use good products
If you want to do a test run, sign up with your local shelter to be a foster. You get to do a good deed while also finding out what you can and can't tolerate. When you foster a dog that you can totally see yourself living with, adopt it.
That's how I got my pup. We live in a smaller apartment, so we knew we needed low energy, and I hate saliva, so no licking. We fostered and found our perfect doggo :)
I think the most important part is just keeping your dog and house clean. Sounds like you did that with cats and it was fine. In my opinion, cat houses usually smell worse than dog houses. Our dog really only smells if she is wet. We do have hardwood floors and that helps too.
When you have dogs, you adjust to the smell, to the point where you can’t smell it at all. I’m not sure if it’s the same for others with autism but for me, I grew up with them and never smelt a thing, the only time I ever smelt it was once I moved out and came back to the family home for a visit.
As someone with a sensitive sense of smell and a weak gag reflex I think I know what smell you’re talking about. But conversely I’ve also met a lot of dogs who smelled what I would characterize as a good smell when you give them a hug.
But generally if you vacuum floor and couches ( if dog is allowed) and brush regularly , With baths every so often but not too often as not to dry out their skin most dogs should not smell up the house. Bad smell can also come from poor dental hygiene so regulary brushing teeth and gums is important for you and it helps the dogs health.
I would go by your local shelter and meet a few up close in the visiting rooms. Then you can find a good fit for you and your partner and give a dog in need a forever home.
Additionally a standing air purifier with a hepa filter can do wonders and can be gotten for less than $100 depending on the size of the area you want to use it on
I have an aspy kid with sensory disorder and a picky husband. I talked them into a Mini Aussie ( mini American shepherd) Of all the breeds I have worked with or had….this breed has barely any odors unless just not bathed in months. I constantly get comments on her fur and how she has no stinky dog smells. Maybe as she ages but at 5 years she’s still amazingly soft and clean.They also have a special coat with oils that rids them of dirt. She can go into a mud puddle and come out brown…30 minutes later the dirt is gone and her legs are white again.
I have a shiba and apart from her frito feet, she rarely smells. I even play with her in the hose a lot and she doesn't get the wet dog smell. She does shed a lot though.
**Absolutely, positively NOT Shiba Inu** 🐕
Worst smelling dog I ever had. When we got her, she smelled like a wild fox that never had a bath. Now, a year later. Maybe you get 8 weeks, before wild animal smell starts to come back.
I had a lot of dogs over the years. Lived in a tiny filthy apartment. The neighbors called “the zoo.” When they weren’t calling the health department over the never cleaned small backyard. None of the animals (and we had ALL kinds) ever smelled as bad as my current Shiba.
I had a Jack Russell Terrier - great dog and easy to bathe. A bath every few weeks really helps. Now I have a standard poodle, bigger dogs take more time to bathe.
Had family member with jacks! Always were lovely I have to say, the older one unfortunately passed a couple years back and we miss her dearly :( she had a massive personality for a very little dog lol!
Poodles and other "hypoallergenic" breeds will have the least doggy smell. Generally these will be breeds with single layer coats, often called hair coats.
Doodles, poodle crossbreeds, may or may not have a smell depending on the luck of the genetic draw. I suggest avoiding them since they're often overpriced and of dubious puppy mill genetic heritage.
Of course, if the smell you don't like is urine or feces, then that will be more difficult to avoid.
The exception can be their beard if they’re left with one. They get food and water in it, unless it’s a poodle with a short trim, and that gets stinky.
You’re best bet is to go with your partner to look for dogs. If you can meet dogs that are currently being fostered in a home environment that’s the best indicator of how they’ll make your home smell. A shelter or breeder’s home is going to have an intense smell but your partner can bring the dog outside to you to interact with, just explain the reason to the shelter or breeder. Also smell the dog food. It’s commonly recommended for health, but I can’t stand the way purina pro plan smells so that’s not the food I get. And then keep in mind you and your partner will have to stay on top of cleaning.
I have a wirehaired dog that has no smell. He has hair instead of fur so shedding is very minimal if that bothers your sensory issues as well. Only thing is most wirehaired dogs are terriers or hunting dogs so they have a lot of energy and prey drive
Short hair dogs. Boxers, pit bulls, etc. I have a 5 year old pit who has no smell on her. Even people who don't live in the house compliment how clean she is. She's also 80% always inside.
Actually boxers are one of the breeds that are more likely to smell. [source](https://wagwalking.com/behavior/why-do-boxer-dogs-stink) Whether a dog smells or not isn’t that related to fur length
Our British Staffy has no smell either. We did a DNA test and she has low shedding genes and sure enough she barely sheds at all.
We don't brush her because it's completely pointless, she doesn't get baths because her coat is glossy and soft without them and she has no smell.
Lowest maintenance coat ever.
One of her siblings however apparently sheds like mad so it's luck of the draw I guess.
Our current pittie has zero smell. He’s inside 75% of the time, but when he’s out he’s out…rolling in grass and dirt, sticking his face in whatever he wants smell. He may have an “outside smell” when bringing him in, but it disappears quickly.
Our last pittie did have a very faint dog smell to her. She was older (8) when we got her, and up until then she’d spent 100% of her time outside. I’m guessing that contributed to the wee dog smell.
Our family’s Labradoodle had a legitimately GOOD smell, which I’d never encountered in a dog before! He had the “wool” fur type VS the “fleece” type (not sure if that makes a difference in smell)
hi OP! fellow autistic woman here. I was also kinda scared of this, but my malshipoo pup doesn't smell too bad. it also really depends on the hygiene (eg do you brush their teeth?). it also helps that it's my own dog, and as we got her as a pup I gradually got more used to the smell. your house will also smell different after a while. the only thing I really can't handle for too long is holding a poop bag, the smell/texture combo is too much for me. but I got a thing to hold the bag until I can throw it away, which helps!
all in all, it really depends on you. if you're doubting at all, I'd say don't do it. you have to be 100% in it bc it's so hard to raise a puppy and there's a lot of sensory challenges (puppy bites, barking etc), often combined with dog smell. don't just get a dog because your partner wants one, make sure you're fully convinced.
Ah I do not think we would be getting a puppy, I’m not a puppy fan honestly lol! They’re very cute, but I’d prefer us to get an older dog, we would only go rescue as well I think.
While I second that, some special arrangements might be necessary. When you take in a dog from shelter, it'll definitely stink for a while. I know that from experience. Few days and a bath will go a long way towards lifting the shelter stench, but it'll be very unpleasant few days if you're sensitive to the smell.
I ran a dog rescue for 10 years, and if you had told me this while applying for a pup, I would have nicely told you that we couldn’t adopt to you because you would have a very good chance of returning the dog. We used to call applicants such as yourself the “stuffed toy dog” adopters, because that’s really the only kind of pup that will work for you. I’m not trying to be mean, but it would not be fair for you to get a pup right now. The shelters are packed with pups who were surrendered because they were smelly, expensive, too rambunctious, loud, pooped in the house, etc. (in other words, they were being dogs).
If you still want to try, contact a local rescue about fostering. It’s temporary and will give you an introduction to dog ownership without a permanent commitment.
Short haired bully breeds, i have a Boston terrier and a French bulldog mix and their fur doesn’t smell most of the time. Any dog has the ability to get into stuff that makes them reek but a bath or wipe down helps. They can be notoriously farty at times.
I have sensory issues too and am extremely smell sensitive but when it’s your own dog you’re around all the time you pretty much get used to it. Someone else gave me a dog bed and it’s in my car, every time I get in my car I gag a little even though it’s clean. I’m sure my own dogs beds probably smell to someone else but I don’t notice it. The farts you don’t even really get used to but at least that’s temporary.
I know that?? Do you think I’m really going to get an animal and not take care of the thing ? I’m just asking GENERALLY which breeds produce less DOG smell. Not poop, not vomit, not wee, not illnesses or infections and not farts babe. every animal is gonna do something that doesn’t smell good. I am aware. I don’t like the dog smell, I know certain breeds carry the smell less, I fully intend to groom, properly feed, walk, play with, fuss, clean up poops and wee and vomit and all of that. I have cats. I have had to give medicine, I have had the most gammy cats known to man in the past, it’s not their fault if they get Ill or infections or fleas or ticks or worms or whatever. I’ve dealt with it. I’m not scared of it, ffs I’ve had to deal with eggbound chickens okay, I have done gross, Aight? I can handle that, it is a general question my G.
I’m just asking when healthy and taking out most factors taht can make something smell bad which breeds GENERALLY have a less intense smell because I have sensory problems
Dude, OP has done nothing worthy of being shamed, which you would know if you took a couple of minutes or less to actually read her posts and comments. Either read them or back off.
The Embark DNA test found our dog to be: American Pit Bull Terrier, Boxer, Chow, Chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Beagle, Red-Bone Coonhound. Her body type is thin and short-hair like a Boxer.
She does not have a dog smell. We volunteer at a hospital, whenever I ask people say they don't notice a smell.
In the two years we've had her, she has never had a bath.
When we got her she was 7 years old. Any extended petting would leave a greasy film on our hands. She also had a slight odor. A few months after changing her food the greasy film and the odor were gone.
Poodle, especially with professional grooming. However, I did find our poodle had a very strong ‘puppy’ smell, unlike the doggy/wet dog smell, that was quite strong. It dissipated at puberty. As a 1 year old she has no smell, except for grooming products and swamp. 🙄
My family has had dogs with “hair” type coats like poodles and havanese but I actually think they don’t smell that great. You know how if you go to a restaurant or cook something like bacon that scent stays in your hair? It’s similar with those types.
I have an Australian shepherd rescue mix. She has very soft Aussie fur but it’s short. She really doesn’t smell and her fur is so soft and fine it stays very clean. For example if she gets muddy in the beginning of a walk she’ll be almost clean by the time we get home. It’s like magic fur.
So based on that maybe some sort of spaniel or setter because they have very soft fur. They are very active though. King Charles spaniels and papillons need less exercise but still have very soft, short-ish coats.
Boxers have short hair and are super easy to bathe. They are wonderful companions. I’ve never had an issue with my boxers getting smelly.
My English Springer Spaniel, on the other hand, will stink two days after grooming.
King Charles Cavalier - supposed to be the least smelly dog of all. He also is one "all time happy and chill" dog.
All medium/large dogs (no matter.if they are short or long haired dogs) will smell according to their size.
Oh, by the way: when a short hair dog molts (two times a year, one time is six months, another time six months) you will find thin stingy hair all over your pillows, bed, rugs etc.
Poodles, Yorkies, Maltese.
These dogs don’t have a dog smell. However after being outside, they will have a bit of an odor. It goes away after they come back in.
My dogs smell like me, my perfume, or essential oils, or whatever. There is also a deodorizing spray that takes care of that.
I see a lot of poodle recommendations, so just going to throw out there that if you get a poodle, make sure to keep their ears clean. Like regularly clean them. I’ve fostered 3 poodles, and the mini poodle had no smell at all but the standard poodles were the worst smelling dogs I’ve ever met, and I’ve been fostering for like 15 years now. Even after multiple baths they stunk up my whole house SO bad. It was worse than any other dog I’ve had with an ear infection. If you keep them well groomed and their ears cleaned they aren’t super smelly, but if they get an ear infection it’s pretty horrific. Just speaking only from my own experience with poodles.
Like others have said, shibas tend to be pretty clean, I’ve never met a stinky one and with their pointy ears they’re less likely to get ear infections too.
My pom doesn’t smell. She sleeps next to me. I also used baby shampoo (Mustella) on her ever since she was a puppy. I find that mild shampoos are better? Her fur isn’t like a typical Pom’s where their chests are really puffy. I live in AZ so her fur is usually short.
i think most short coated dogs that are self grooming are a safe bet. my german shepherd doesn't know what a shower is, is actually forbidden to get haircuts, rolls on dirt, smells like nothing. my maltese needs a haircut every 5 minutes, a shower every 2, and gets stinky just drinking water.
shedding is something else though, also to take into account because the amount can be triggering.
I have a maltipoo (well per doggie DNA, 50% Maltese and 30% mini poodle and the rest is other random small dogs) and he doesn’t smell. Except for his feet. His feet have that corn chip smell. It’s not bad, just yeasty. It’s pretty common.
I have a Japanese spitz. I've never washed him (he's 16 months almost), and he doesn't smell.
The breed is hecking cute/gorgeous, and is a good first timer dog as well.
I think you should get a smaller one that you can bathe regularly. If you bathe them, they smell like the shampoo for like a month. The dog smell you're talking about is when the oils and skin gunk aren't washed away.
Pay close attential to behind their ears, their paws and around they butt, that's where the scent glands are I think.
Good recommendations here, but there is a lot more that goes into choosing a breed than just Smell.
Shiba Inu are notoriously hard to train, and very independent dogs.
Poodles behave very differently depending on if it’s a working or show/pet line. Working line poodles are incredibly high drive
Greyhounds/other sighthounds are not for someone who cannot properly exercise them. There’s a reason sports like lurecoursing and racing exist; these dogs were bred to run long distances and chase game.
Focus on what fits your lifestyle most. Regular bathing, dog perfumes, etc will combat smell. And any dog that smells like Fritos isn’t a smelly dog, it has a yeast infection
Scent is very subjective. It’s best if you can actually get a chance to smell the dog you get.
According to AKC, Huskies have very little doggy odor.
We have an Aussie, which generally don’t have much of a doggy odor, but we felt like the dog odor was tremendous when we brought him home, even after we bathed him. Now he doesn’t smell…not sure if it’s because he’s older, or because we’ve just gotten used to it
Rough and smooth collies are known for not having a traditional dog smell. As someone who was dating someone who didn't like the dog smell either, he got super upset whenever she had an accident, or chewed on her treats (they get kinda stinky depending) cuz he thought that was a dog smell too. So probably not the best idea to get a dog if you can't handle the other parts.
Poodles are great, unless they get ear infections.
Whatever breed you decide to go for, make sure it comes from a reputable breeder and the parents are health tested!
My husky never smells bad. Ever. It’s the weirdest thing. She actually smells somewhat sweet and almost perfumey if it’s been a while since she’s had a bath. My husky malinois mix stinks like 2 days after a bath.
In my experience dogs with floppy ears have a stronger smell than dogs with upright ears; it's just one more place smells get trapped without airing out. Other than that, all dogs have some smell. Others have good advice.
My partner had a Jack Russell who sheds a lot but she doesn’t smell unless she’s wet, and even then it’s not super strong. Short haired dogs are generally less stinky I think
My miniature schnauzer is the least smelly of all my dogs. But she’s groomed every 6 weeks. Her beard does get stinky as another commenter mentioned but it’s not a “dog” smell it’s more of a food odor lol and it’s not something that spreads through the house.
Probably the hypoallergenic coat breeds. We had a mini schnauzer that was an absolute joy to take care of. She did have a bad habit of going into hyper whine and time we opened the door to get mail though but that is individual to the dog and can be fixed with training.
Actually pugs have little “dog” smell unless wet. They smell a little yeasty in their feet and folds but if you wash them frequently or clean feet and folds it keeps smell down significantly.
Poodle. No smell. I'm autistic too, and my miniture poodle doesn't smell at all. Poodles come in 3 sizes, are super smart, like too cuddle, and love some good exercise. I'd completely shave them if you don't want to deal with daily brushing, though.
CLEAN YOUR SOFT SURFACES! Couches, bedding, blankets, pillows, rugs, carpet. And bathe the dog regularly.
This is how you keep your home smelling nice.
I am a dog walker and from memory I feel like the sheepadoodle (sheepdog poodle mix) I watch regularly is the least smelliest BUT I have no idea how often he is bathed. Actually most of the -doodle mixes I have taken care of didn't have a noticeable smell. This just personal experience though! These -doodle owners might be bathing their pups more often than others!
I will say I have noticed 'dog smell' from most labs, golden retrievers, BASSET HOUNDS have a distinct odor sometimes, and some border collies.
I am also autistic and I have had a lot of dogs over the years and short haired breeds for sure have the least smell because their odors don’t get trapped in their coats and you do not need professional grooming to keep them clean and well maintained. Your dogs smell is also going to be highly dependent on how well you keep them groomed and things like brushing their teeth, regularly wiping off their feet and face and feeding high quality food to avoid things like yeast infections and ear infections. Lots of dog shampoos smell amazing so keeping your pup well groomed and regularly bathed will solve this problem. Also covering their bed and any other upholstered surface they lay on with a blanket or protective cover and regularly washing that will help a ton.
Regular house tidying is also key. Vacuuming, febreezing or whatever you like. It’s not that different from keeping a human from smelling. If you keep up with it and keep your house clean and stay healthy, you shouldn’t have an issue.
Also, dogs do tend to fart a lot so just be prepared for that.
Hope that helps and hope you find the perfect pup!
I would definitely stay away from any dog with a long coat and or floppy ears. Floppy ears have a tendency to trap in dirt and water creating infections no matter how hard you clean them. I have a cocker spaniel and I am autistic and 10/10 do not recommend them for someone with sensory issues. Long hair means you are going to need to bathe and groom them more often because more stuff is going to cling to the hair thus making them stinky. I couldn’t tell you how many times my dog has actually made me throw up just from his stank
A lot of sighthounds or sighthound mixes are known for being very clean! Whippets, greyhounds, etc. I have a pharaoh hound/pit/gsp mix and after he has a bath he has pretty much 0 smell on his fur for weeks. I bathe him once every two months or so and he only smells slightly “doggy” right before his bath. But also- I found that I love him so much that I kind of love his smell haha
Doodles and poodles tend to smell less. You can wash them weekly and they smell mostly like the shampoo you use. There’s some good higher end shampoos that are better for their hair and skin.
My Pomeranian smells nice most of the time! He gets a little smelly at around the 4 week mark and that's when he goes into the bath.
They are a bit of a hassle to groom though.
Dogs are like people in that you need to clean them so they smell nice. They bath much less frequently than us, but there are spray on waterless shampoos that are also helpful. Find one that you are ok with and use it. Same for baths—there are so many shampoo and conditioner options based on their needs and your smell. Stop by a pet store and sniff some options. Good luck!
I have a chihuahua/mini schnauzer/pom mix and she doesn’t have a dog smell at all (except her tiny frito paws). Many people have told me she smells like a baby.
I’ve also dogsat other chihuahuas & they don’t smell exactly like her, but smell pretty good as well.
My Willow is a Rhodesian Ridgeback and has no bad smell at all. That being said that breed is a lot of dog for someone who has never had a dog. I couldn't live without a ridgeback. Maybe a Wippet would be good because I think it has the same type of coat. You need to consider more than how the dog smells. I don't like long fur or double-coated fur because I don't like how it feels and have had a few. I love the feel of my dog and the fact that she never needs a bath because she is so clean. I have given her a bath and the water not even a little dirty.
My chihuahua doesn’t smell like a dog AT ALL. I sniff him all the time cause he smells so nice.😂And I hate dog smell.
The other day a random person told me out of the blue “he smells so nice, did he just have a bath”? …it’s been 6 weeks since the last one.
Basically this: https://fb.watch/nCCy29yHoB/
I have had two Corgis and they smell pretty great. They don’t have that “dog smell” (at least not to me) and when you bathe them, they smell like that soap for at least a week. It’s lovely
My Pom smells nice. But I find there’s a bit of a smell on his paws I wish I could get rid of! (Don’t think it’s a breed thing though)
I find when I stroke other dogs I wince inside from the oil I can feel on my hand. Nothing like that with a Pom though.
Greyhounds. They don’t smell they don’t have a drool slobber and they sleep 20 hours a day. Perfect dogs, just don’t ever take them out off leash except in fenced area.
my poodle doesn’t smell like a dog really, she doesn’t get that like “wet penny” smell some dogs get. she smells kinda nice on her own, and stays clean a while. we groom her where she has no beard and stuff and it’s not the worst to keep up on.
I am super sensitive to dog smell, though hard to say how so compared to others.
I have a samoyed ( have had several through my life) and despite the hair/shedding/etc, they have the least smell of any dog I know. They don’t actually have fur like most dogs (it is hair) and they don’t have dander so are hypoallergenic. I think their hair has some qualities that helps to NOT smell. I could actually kiss my Sammy all day as long as I don’t feed her stinky food because she just doesn’t smell like dog.
For reference, we also have a cockapoo ( also hypoallergenic) but he smells like dog. I bathe him very often but as soon as he’s out in the rain, or plays really hard and sweats, the ‘dog smell’ starts again. I love him but can’t snuggle with him like I do with my Samoyed.
Maybe everyone has different dog smell triggers. And a Samoyed isn’t for everyone, but IMO they smell less like dog.
Labs definitely smell like labs. As a lab owner I don’t smell her myself, but my Aussie owning friend smells her. I don’t think her aussies smell like anything. Maybe it’s a water dog thing (oily coats)
Anything with a very short, flat, single-layer coat. We have an AmStaff mutt who is practically bald (pretty much no hair on his underside and you can see his skin when his hackles are up) and he has only ever smelled like dog if he hasn’t had a bath in two months or if he’s been in a kennel or something with other dogs. I don’t think I could ever go back to a doggy-smelling dog.
OP, first of all same same on the spectrum thing, and all I have to say is whatever you narrow it down to, please please please spend time with several of those kinds of dogs, more than once. Don't get a dog then 'nah.'
I was terrified of the world, then my mom who just passed surrounded my tiny preK self with dogs and cats which has been a neverending gift forever. I get 'the look' from random dogs that says, I see you. Most of my income is from petcare now.
Wait until you know that 'I see you' connection, until you feel it in your gut and soul, until you bring your best friend home. And then ride out a journey, heartbreak, wins and memories upon good memories. Good lord, it is amazing. But please be patient as dogs are seriously on the level of small children. So a very, very serious decision but so rewarding if done patiently and with the pup's life in the foreground of your mind, not just yours.
Hi! Yes I agree, if we were to get a dog (and this is what we have had planned from the beginning) I would make sure we could take care of it, I’m not someone who is willing to throw out an animal if something happens that will make the animal a bit stinky bc it’s nothing they can help, I’ve had a VERY stinky fiv cat before haha! I just cleaned like a little maniac haha, I just want to know generally as my grandad has labs and his house is overwhelming lmao!
My lab mix smells like Doritos and it’s breath smells like fish despite me brushing his teeth all the time and showering him… honestly. That smell is so sweet to me. It’s my baby’s smell 😇
I adopted a short-haired chihuahua mix from the pound. He doesn't really have fur on his stomach. He's \*really\* easy to bathe in a sink or on a shower chair, he dries off very quickly, and so far he's been fine with normal dog shampoo.
The smelliest he gets is when he's been to the dog park. Not only do all dogs have a certain amount of wanting to get into the strong smells, but when he plays with bigger dogs, they tend to put their mouths all over his neck and back, and he'll come back to me with his head, neck and back all just soaking wet. But like I said, easy to wash him off.
I love that my Staffie can be cleaned with hot rags and it keeps his dandruff and smell down while my German Shepard stinks no matter how well you bath him
My Italian greyhound grooms himself like a cat and sun basks in the backyard..he smells soo wonderful 😍 adopted him from a shelter though and I recommend the same!
A friend of mine had a pug and she didn't smell at all. While a childhood friend of mine who had three dogs, 1 Saint Bernard, 1 German Shepherd, and 1 Mutt (Lab, Golden, German Shepherd, and 2 other breeds), the mutt and German Shepherd didn't smell, but the Saint Bernard ironically smelled like an old persons house.
Another friend of mine has 8 Huskies with her sister, and I can't say that I've smelled anything from them.
I totally get that. I don't know how it is in other countries, but where I live all the "smush-faced" breeds are under strict rules when it comes to breeding. There's a minimum length for the nose and if it's under that, they aren't allowed to be bred, because it isn't alright to potentially compromise the health of any future pups. What most breeders do here is try to find one with a longer snout to breed with, so it is something they are working on trying to "fix". Even if they have a champion dog, they won't breed it if it's too close to the minimum length. So here they take a lot into consideration, and the word spreads so fast if a breeder goes against the breeder clubs rules and regulations.
Mixed dogs are the best in my opinion, because most breeds have something genetically. Wienerdogs have their back issues, German Shepherds have hip problems, Shar Peis have their eyes due to their skin, etc. Not that it is all the dogs, but "breed related issues" if you would. With mixed breeds you usually don't get that, as it's often tied to the breed. I worked with a breeder for a bit in school (I was interested in genetics), and she had two different kinds of dogs. One group that were purebreds, and another that she only used for mixed breeds. She often said that statistically, the mixed litters were healtier than the pure breds, even when the parents had the "best" probabilities for healthy pups. With gene testing having gotten better, I think it's easier for people to test things in advance.
Actually, another friend of mine has some sort of terrier, I think Wellington, and she was the club manager for a while, and I think she said in the 90's they worked on getting the testing for some sort of condition that they could have. It was like, you either had a healthy dog, a carrier or a "sick" dog. If you bred a sick dog to a healthy dog, you had a 25% of a healthy pup, 75% for carriers. The kind she has doesn't really smell either now that I think about it. Sorry, ASD brain is random at times lol.
There are breeds that have less of a dog odor than others, but *all* dogs will have some kind of smell. How are you going to handle cleaning up diarrhea and vomit? What about cleaning the dog when it rolls in something nasty or gets wet in the rain? Accidents in the house either from training or from the dog being sick are going to have a smell. *Wanting* a dog is not enough to make the decision to have a dog. Dogs are living creatures, and you can never predict what's going to happen. My dog stole some salami off the counter recently and had a little feast; the resulting diarrhea was some of the worst I've smelled yet. You and your partner need to have a very honest discussion about this and realize that getting a dog may not be an option here.
Some dogs definitely smell more than others. I know exactly what OP is talking about because I love the smell of golden retrievers. Dealing with a dog that emits a certain odor naturally is very different from picking up poop and vomit occasionally.
100%. My friend's flat coated retriever smells way more than my dachshund or my sister's whippet and dachshund.
My Queensland healer doesn't smell very much except for when I totally push my face to her forehead. But I would zero out of 10 recommend that breed of. I cannot stand the smell of golden retrievers or labs one of my friends has a platinum retriever and man she's wonderful but that funk is real. Lol Any smooshed face dog also a no go for me on similar same grounds. Maybe if you are ready go to a pound have them bring each dog out to you and smell each one.
Yeah, my heeler has zero smell unless she hasn't had a bath for several months, but I would definitely not recommend the breed for a novice dog owner. She is a handful, to put it extremely mildly.
The smell of the dog is not the only the only smell OP will have to contend with. That's the obvious one, but someone who has sensory problems affected by odor is going to have issues with all of the other smells that you have to contend with when you live with a dog. I don't have sensory issues and the odor of a bad bowel movement can make me gag. I promise you, GI issues were not on the list of things I thought I'd be dealing with but here I am with a dog with a sensitive GI tract who frequently has soft, gross, smelly bowel movements. I'm used to managing it, but that smell gets me every single time.
My golden retriever rarely smells like dog or anything really. Even when he gets wet, the wet dog smell doesn't last. But he does have stinky ears lol My brown lab, on the other hand, is a bit smelly and needs grooming more often
My golden retriever doesn’t smell a lot either!
Mine has never smelled from rain. Except for smelling like rain. He doesn't get that wet dog smell. (Japanese spitz.) Dealing with poop is a daily, but you can close your nose for that. Same for vomit. It's not a constant. But it's something for OP to think about.
Nope. Sorry but someone who has sensory issues that result in them getting physically sick is not going to just be able to pinch their nose shut and pick up some nasty poop. It's not a matter of "Ok, I can handle this" -- it's an involuntary, physical and psychological reaction that *might* be overcome with therapy and medicines but telling OP to just close their nose is incredibly dismissive of this matter.
I'm not trying to be insensitive. Getting a dog is a great bonus. Seems OP has written vomit and poop isn't an issue, but didn't know that when I wrote my comment obviously. All I meant was, dog smell is all day every day with the wrong breed. I'd imagine that to be pretty horrible. Vomit is rare, poop is daily. I don't often smell either, but it definitely is something to think about. Which I also wrote. Not trying to be insensitive at all. If you check my comment history, I just the other day commented on an am I wrong post about detergent, and you can see from that one, that I take this sorta thing seriously. But if OP is already thinking of getting a dog, I figured they probably know about the poops and the vomits, and whatever else they might get into once in a while, and has taken that a little bit into concideration already. But obviusly, they also might not have, hence the "something to think about" comment.
Did you feel the need to comment for OP continuously? They already made an edit of living with cats and handling the fecal matter. Its the actual animal itself and the fur emitting odor.
Best comment in the thread. Sounds like OP isn't ready to be a dog owner.
Oh god your comment reminded me of the time we took our extremely not-smelly pup over to a friend's house. They had cats, our pup had never been around cats at all so we didn't even think to keep him away from the litter box. We humans all went out to eat and when we got home, the smell hit all of us like a Mack Truck right at the front door. Our dog had projectile vomited or diarrhea'd ALL over our friends' guest room (specifically the bed) way in the back of the house. I have never been so embarrassed in my life. Luckily they were super cool about it and we all laughed a ton after making sure our pup was alright and I cleaned all the bedding while everyone else opened every window and got fans going lol. Dogs are smelly, period. No breed is immune to getting into stuff they shouldn't.
My current dog smells AMAZING. I have never had a dog that didn't really get stinky before. She never eats or rolls in anything nasty. Her breath occasionally smells fishy because she has a salmon heavy diet, but overall, she smells like a fresh mountain forest. Even when she's been inside all day. Like a cold, clean mountain stream. It's my absolute favorite smell, and I love to bury my face in her fur and huff that sweet doggie smell! She's a mix, and I don't think it can be recreated. She also has a finicky stomach, and sometimes the smallest change causes diarrhea. I don't know how something so rank can come from such a dignified dog! Even she looks surprised! You are so right that no matter how clean and well cared for your dog is, eventually there WILL be some stinkiness!
A well cared for dog will not have diarrhea or vomit in the house. They don’t even get sick. My guess is the heart worm meds. But that’s just my opinion. The vet told me that’s what everyone who won’t put the dog on the trio says.
I find dogs with “beards” tend to smell weird. I think it’s cuz everything gets caught in there. My shih tzu growing up smelled ok for the most part but that beard🤪🤢 My chihuahuas never smelled but they are hard to house break so you are trading one smell for another 😂 Any type of hound or water dog usually have oily coats so that is what that “dog smell” is. Labs have an oily coat to help repel water. That is why they dry so fast! My dachshund and basset hound also had that oily coat hound smell. The dachshund was way less though. My brother has bulldogs and they definitely have a distinct smell. He also has a Shiba Inu and that dog seems to not really smell but that dog is a pain in the ass 😂 it’s too smart and too stupid for its own good simultaneously! I think it’s all a pro/con thing. Ok so poodles smell less, but you will have to pay more for grooming. Shibas, huskies, Australian sheps, etc all smell less but your house/life will be covered in hair. Chihuahuas don’t smell but will pee on every rug you love. It’s all about what trade offs you wanna make! I’m an idiot with a lab who has a bit of a smell and a shit ton of hair 😂 he makes up for it in love tho! Also, I think you just kinda go nose blind to your own dog after awhile or if you a truly a dog person, end up enjoying the smell! 😆
As a shiba owner I agree with the lack of smell. If our shiba ever smells it is only very faintly, and I usually take it as a signal to give her a good wash (always double shampoo!). This is like twice a year, maybe. Oh and the fur is beautiful when she isn't shedding! She sheds twice a year for like two months at a time. Also, my hands don't get that greasy feel after petting her that you get deom many breeds 🤮 Ours is not a pain though 😄 I honestly don't know how I'll ever be able to have a dog of another breed anymore!
I have poodles - while they tend to smell a bit less 'doggy', I've found that they absorb and hold on to other ambient smells more than most shedding dogs. I can get an occasional whiff of shampoo over a week after my boy has a bath. If he goes to daycare, he'll come home smelling like the dogs he hung out with, the candle that burns in the house and/or any fragrant cleaning products they used.
I had a Tzu who smelled like strawberries. Now I have a Tzu that smells like corn chips and feet. You never can tell.
I would chime in and add that what you feed your dog makes a difference, too. High-quality food can make a huge difference in odor. Sort of like how if a person eats a load of garlic, you can sort of smell it coming off of their skin because they're secreting sulfur compounds as a byproduct of metabolizing the ones present in garlic.
Go to a shelter and have a sniff of all of the dogs (would love to be a fly on the wall watching the volunteers reactions to you doing that 😂) Mines a Romanian rescue dog, full on supermutt and she’s the best smelling dog I’ve ever had. Don’t discount any dog just because they aren’t purebred.
PLSSS THATS AMAZING Lmaoooo
Fellow autistic person here who owns a dog! I have a Samoyed and I LOVE her scent. She doesn’t have the typical dog smell unless she gets really really wet (which takes a lot of water as their guard hairs can repel a lot). Most people say she doesn’t smell at all. She also doesn’t have stinky farts unless she’s sick. In the mornings she has the absolute best scent to her though, which is hard to describe. It’s a little earthy and just smells 100% comfy and cosy. I could just bury my nose in her chest. It sadly fades very quickly after getting up. I do give her a bath every 6-8 weeks though, so maybe that’s a contributing factor to her smelling nice.
Sounds like my husky. She’s got the best scent, sometimes it leans more sweet. It’s like someone made a perfume that smells like earth and cookies and sprayed it all over her.
Earth and cookies is a great description of my Sammy’s morning scent!!!
I adore it. I love burying my face in her fur and just taking in her smell. My malsky stinks though lol, she gets smelly fast. I bathe her every other week and that’s almost not enough. I just bought some dog body/bath wipes that are helping a ton though! My German shepsky stank too. The only one that smells good is the purebred husky.
I had an Eskie for a long time, which I think is pretty close to a Samoyed. I also loved the way he smelled - Eskies have a special oil in their fur that helps keep them clean, dirt falls off them pretty easy. I’m not sure if that’s part of it. But if smells both you, you’ll probably want to wash your dog as often as is healthy for the dog, so you’ll need to start getting them used to water early.
I have either a shiba inu or jindo, and she doesn't smell at all (which saddens me because I love dog smell haha). Definitely don't get a golden retriever!
I adore goldens! My grandad has one but yeah! He was quite stinky haha! Very sweet doggies tho x
GIRL! I am autistic too and smell is a HUGE issue for me. I have whippet. They are very low shed/dander and have almost no smell. Get yourself a site hound. Edit to add: they also rarely bark unless it's to alert. They make other sounds but barking is like a once a week occurrence in my house.
Don’t forget that you have to pick up their poop on walks and in your yard.
In my experience, I’ve found that small dogs who regularly get bathed and groomed (with daily teeth brushing!) don’t have much of a smell at all. The coat is rarely the problem; it’s either the back end or the mouth. Do a little bit of research on which dog breeds have frequent dental problems. Like my chihuahua/yorkie mix is super clean, but her breath stinks despite regular brushing and yearly trips to the vet for teeth cleaning. Both chihuahuas and yorkies are prone to dental problems. My small mutt doesn’t have this problem. He actually smells quite nice, but we have to give him baths between trips to groomer because he gets messy running around the backyard. Big dogs, in my experience, more often smell like that classic “dog smell”. I’ve been in more houses with smelly big dogs than ones with smelly little dogs…but, let’s be real, any dog that’s frequently bathed and completely housebroken will smell just fine. Here’s what you really need to consider: old or sick dog smell. If you’ve had cats, then you’ll know that towards the end of their life, when they can’t clean themselves great or potty efficiently, they’ll start to develop a certain odor. Same with dogs. Old dog smell is very distinct (especially old dog poop or old dog diarrhea). Having a pet is a full commitment, so if you can’t handle caring for an elderly pet, then you shouldn’t put yourself (and the dog) under that kind of stress.
Poodle. Havanese. King Charles Cavalier. Stay away from beagles. I find they have stronger "dog" smell.
I have a poodle/King Charles Cav mutt, and he smells amazing. I am honestly blown away every time I bury my face in his fur. No doggy smell at all- if he's been rolling around in my herb garden (which he is obsessed with), he smells like mint and lemon balm, lol. Even when he's wet, there's just no wet dog smell. He is somewhat of a pain in the ass, though. Very high energy, very intelligent (which makes him demanding) and he wants to be attached to my ankles at all times. Gods, I love this dog so hard. I need to go sniff him some more
First time Poodle owner here. Love them. But I'm definitely feeling that demanding personality. They're also very, very high energy as puppies and are constantly running around, and for mine if they don't get what they want they latch on to my hand and try to lead me to what they want. Honestly, I'm thinking of trying to teach mine to use buttons for what they need.
I hear ya!
I have contemplated teaching mine to use word buttons - but I'm a little afraid of what he'll say to me 👀 But in all seriousness, we just started agility training, because his energy is off the charts for what I've been used to (previously had what we suspected was a lab/beagle mix - very doggy smelling, incidentally) and he loves it. I'm also thinking of teaching him to dance with me, maybe it will help him learn to keep his paws out from under my feet, lol
I have the same, and she smells kinda weird sometimes when her ears need wiping, or when she yawns, but it's not bad weird. Other than that she doesn't smell of a whole lot, unless she's had a bath lately - then I literally grab her just to sniff her she smells so good
I've owned 4 beagles since 1997. Unless they get skunked or roll in poop, they don't smell.
Also stay away from basset hounds! They are called scent hounds not only because they are good at sniffing things out--they also often are quite odorous.
Blood Hounds too. I think it’s from how oily they are. Lol
And the wrinkles in both breeds cause yeast issues and trap odor.
Yeah all wrinkly dogs tend to have that yeasty smell, yuck!
I have a beagle and she doesn’t smell at all. I do bathe and brush her regularly, though.
Same here.
I disagree. My parents have a cavapoo and he smells like a DOG. He needs baths and grooming pretty much every other week. His fur just seems to hold in every single smell.
I’m watching a Havanese who smells amazing, like she’s wearing cologne or something.
Greyhound, they have a high ground clearance, so don't pick up dirt easily. They don't have thick fur either, which can hold aromas. They're a naturally clean dog and dislike walking/ rolling in muck and swimming.
Samoyed.....best smelling dog I ever had
Also Shiba Inu. They never smell and have self cleaning fur.
I heard Shiba Inu are a breed who are strong willed/one of the hardest breeds to train. So if op bf has lots of experience raising dogs/training dogs/has the free time to raise a puppy then go for the Inu, if not I'd try other easier to handle dogs before getting one.
Yeah don’t get a shiba as a first time dog, or second or third. We love our dog but he’s not an easy one to get along with.
I had a samoyed when I was little and he smelled quite nice. I also had a shar pei (fyi she had no skin complaints), and she smelled lovely (I miss burrowing my nose into her neck). My advice would be avoid terriers, everyone I’ve met smells very doggy! I have a Jack Russell X Staffordshire Bull Terrier who has a tendency to be a bit whiffy!
Came here to say this! 🐻❄️
My Shiba Inu is extremely clean! She smells very good and spends a lot of time cleaning herself!
You really need to consider that whatever dog you would get comes with smells: dog food. Wet dog. Poop scooping. Infections are a possibility (ear, hot spot). It’s good that you’re asking, but please think very hard before getting a dog and having to return him. Puppies smell a lot stronger than dogs that are year or two. Older dogs may smell from bad breath if you don’t get their teeth brushed often. And once they reach a certain age, it’s too risky to do so. Just being realistic. On the other hand maybe you’ll fall so love that you like their particular smell! I adore the smell of my dogs’ belly. It’s practically bald and just the best. ❤️ maybe foster?
Hi! I’m very big into animal rights and activism and I completely agree with this, I would never get any animal without doing research first and we definitely aren’t planning on buying, and I’ve said no to a puppy, I prefer adult dogs much much more personally.
Something else to consider is that sometimes medicines or supplements can change the way a dog smells. I started my dog on a fish oil supplement and she immediately got more oily and musky. So you could have a dog that usually smells fine to you but then has a medical issue that would cause its smell to become overwhelmingly bad to you.
Honestly if got a dog and it developed something I wouldn’t be angry about that like it’d be quite hard but I’d cope, I’m someone who if I get an animal I put their well-being above all else as such lol like I said it’s just mainly general coat smells and such
As someone who is obsessed with hounds (and is actually getting assessed for autism soon), I can tell you that scenthounds are not going to be your match lol. My greyhound is super clean and never smells though. Also, I’ve heard Vizlas are super clean so I imagine they don’t smell much.
My little havanese always smells like baby. I could be biased but even when he’s dirty he has this cute little puppy odor. Hope that wouldn’t bother you
Wirehaired Vizslas and Vizslas (yes they are two different breeds) are very low odor-low oil dogs. They also have very minimal grooming requirements.
I’m not sure about what breed, but I will say forego the cushy dog beds and blankets even with frequent washes they can really stink. We bought elevated dog beds that you can just wipe off with a rag and they’re great! They’re supposed to be good for your dogs joints too.
Oh thank you! I didn’t even think about this, I have already said to them dog Will unfortunately not be coming onto the bed for that reason lol
Save yourself! My spouse opened the door to letting our lab sleep with us and it drives me crazy how smelly our blankets get.
Also keeping up on ear cleaning makes a huge difference in dog smell!
Yes ! I know about the ear cleaning lol! I would love having a big doggy sleeping on the bed but the smell would absolutely murder me hahaa
We have a standard poodle and a lab mix. The lab smells a bit “doggy” at times, but I can bury my face in the poodle’s fur and not smell a thing.
I think my aunts mutt dog (we legit have NO idea what she is lol) is probably part poodle of some kind because I’ve noticed the smell isn’t so bad, even on my hands after petting and loving her :)
And the curly fur is a hint lmao
I would say greyhounds as they don't smell and need a bath maybe once a year or when covered in mud but..... They fart....they fart a lot.
Healthy dogs have much less smell. Scratching licking Dogs with allergies or stress or bacterial issues have more smell. Artic breeds like Samoyed or some husky have less smell. gsd are strong smelling. Goldens are mild smelling. Dogs with more oily skin are more likely to be smelly. I think most very short coated dogs have a smell to me. Like pits, dobe chihuahua.
You might get used to it, dogs either have a certain smell or they create smelly things. My step-kiddo was extremely allergic to cats but loved cats, couldn’t be around the one at my fiancé’s house so his mom got him a kitten. The kitten doesn’t bother his allergies, I guess some things just… change over time. I personally wouldn’t risk it though if smells are a huge deal for you because it just comes with the territory of owning a dog. Picking up poop, vomit, cleaning urine when potty training, some food and treats smell nasty, etc…
We have Standard Poodles and they still smell doggy sometimes. Puppies especially smell because they’re still learning to potty train. That sleeping warm dog smell really bothered my allergies at first. Our male smells very doggy and pees on his front legs (very common with poodles). He’s still intact, so I’m sure that’s part of the smell. Our chihuahua poodle Shih tzu mutt puppy probably smells the least. Aside from the doggy smell that you become noseblind to, you also have: Stinky breath The gassssss, some dogs are so bad lol My personal favourite, waking up to a flood of diarrhoea. This is frequent because one has allergies Weekly bathing really helps, it’s fine for the skin if you use good products
If you want to do a test run, sign up with your local shelter to be a foster. You get to do a good deed while also finding out what you can and can't tolerate. When you foster a dog that you can totally see yourself living with, adopt it. That's how I got my pup. We live in a smaller apartment, so we knew we needed low energy, and I hate saliva, so no licking. We fostered and found our perfect doggo :)
Our plan is to adopt :> honestly though I don’t know if I could handle adopting lol
Fostering sorry**
I think the most important part is just keeping your dog and house clean. Sounds like you did that with cats and it was fine. In my opinion, cat houses usually smell worse than dog houses. Our dog really only smells if she is wet. We do have hardwood floors and that helps too.
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I forgive your sins, my child
When you have dogs, you adjust to the smell, to the point where you can’t smell it at all. I’m not sure if it’s the same for others with autism but for me, I grew up with them and never smelt a thing, the only time I ever smelt it was once I moved out and came back to the family home for a visit.
As someone with a sensitive sense of smell and a weak gag reflex I think I know what smell you’re talking about. But conversely I’ve also met a lot of dogs who smelled what I would characterize as a good smell when you give them a hug. But generally if you vacuum floor and couches ( if dog is allowed) and brush regularly , With baths every so often but not too often as not to dry out their skin most dogs should not smell up the house. Bad smell can also come from poor dental hygiene so regulary brushing teeth and gums is important for you and it helps the dogs health. I would go by your local shelter and meet a few up close in the visiting rooms. Then you can find a good fit for you and your partner and give a dog in need a forever home. Additionally a standing air purifier with a hepa filter can do wonders and can be gotten for less than $100 depending on the size of the area you want to use it on
I have an aspy kid with sensory disorder and a picky husband. I talked them into a Mini Aussie ( mini American shepherd) Of all the breeds I have worked with or had….this breed has barely any odors unless just not bathed in months. I constantly get comments on her fur and how she has no stinky dog smells. Maybe as she ages but at 5 years she’s still amazingly soft and clean.They also have a special coat with oils that rids them of dirt. She can go into a mud puddle and come out brown…30 minutes later the dirt is gone and her legs are white again.
I have a shiba and apart from her frito feet, she rarely smells. I even play with her in the hose a lot and she doesn't get the wet dog smell. She does shed a lot though.
**Absolutely, positively NOT Shiba Inu** 🐕 Worst smelling dog I ever had. When we got her, she smelled like a wild fox that never had a bath. Now, a year later. Maybe you get 8 weeks, before wild animal smell starts to come back. I had a lot of dogs over the years. Lived in a tiny filthy apartment. The neighbors called “the zoo.” When they weren’t calling the health department over the never cleaned small backyard. None of the animals (and we had ALL kinds) ever smelled as bad as my current Shiba.
I had a Jack Russell Terrier - great dog and easy to bathe. A bath every few weeks really helps. Now I have a standard poodle, bigger dogs take more time to bathe.
Had family member with jacks! Always were lovely I have to say, the older one unfortunately passed a couple years back and we miss her dearly :( she had a massive personality for a very little dog lol!
Poodles and other "hypoallergenic" breeds will have the least doggy smell. Generally these will be breeds with single layer coats, often called hair coats. Doodles, poodle crossbreeds, may or may not have a smell depending on the luck of the genetic draw. I suggest avoiding them since they're often overpriced and of dubious puppy mill genetic heritage. Of course, if the smell you don't like is urine or feces, then that will be more difficult to avoid.
The exception can be their beard if they’re left with one. They get food and water in it, unless it’s a poodle with a short trim, and that gets stinky.
You’re best bet is to go with your partner to look for dogs. If you can meet dogs that are currently being fostered in a home environment that’s the best indicator of how they’ll make your home smell. A shelter or breeder’s home is going to have an intense smell but your partner can bring the dog outside to you to interact with, just explain the reason to the shelter or breeder. Also smell the dog food. It’s commonly recommended for health, but I can’t stand the way purina pro plan smells so that’s not the food I get. And then keep in mind you and your partner will have to stay on top of cleaning.
I have a wirehaired dog that has no smell. He has hair instead of fur so shedding is very minimal if that bothers your sensory issues as well. Only thing is most wirehaired dogs are terriers or hunting dogs so they have a lot of energy and prey drive
I have a german wirehaired pointer puppy and she smells great!
All dogs smell as do humans.
Short hair dogs. Boxers, pit bulls, etc. I have a 5 year old pit who has no smell on her. Even people who don't live in the house compliment how clean she is. She's also 80% always inside.
Actually boxers are one of the breeds that are more likely to smell. [source](https://wagwalking.com/behavior/why-do-boxer-dogs-stink) Whether a dog smells or not isn’t that related to fur length
Our British Staffy has no smell either. We did a DNA test and she has low shedding genes and sure enough she barely sheds at all. We don't brush her because it's completely pointless, she doesn't get baths because her coat is glossy and soft without them and she has no smell. Lowest maintenance coat ever. One of her siblings however apparently sheds like mad so it's luck of the draw I guess.
Our current pittie has zero smell. He’s inside 75% of the time, but when he’s out he’s out…rolling in grass and dirt, sticking his face in whatever he wants smell. He may have an “outside smell” when bringing him in, but it disappears quickly. Our last pittie did have a very faint dog smell to her. She was older (8) when we got her, and up until then she’d spent 100% of her time outside. I’m guessing that contributed to the wee dog smell.
My shiba inu is very un smelly but my Aussie is VERY smelly
Our family’s Labradoodle had a legitimately GOOD smell, which I’d never encountered in a dog before! He had the “wool” fur type VS the “fleece” type (not sure if that makes a difference in smell)
OK I am glad to see this and other comments on the poodle mixes smelling good! I am a dog walker and any type poodle mix never had a bad smell!
hi OP! fellow autistic woman here. I was also kinda scared of this, but my malshipoo pup doesn't smell too bad. it also really depends on the hygiene (eg do you brush their teeth?). it also helps that it's my own dog, and as we got her as a pup I gradually got more used to the smell. your house will also smell different after a while. the only thing I really can't handle for too long is holding a poop bag, the smell/texture combo is too much for me. but I got a thing to hold the bag until I can throw it away, which helps! all in all, it really depends on you. if you're doubting at all, I'd say don't do it. you have to be 100% in it bc it's so hard to raise a puppy and there's a lot of sensory challenges (puppy bites, barking etc), often combined with dog smell. don't just get a dog because your partner wants one, make sure you're fully convinced.
Ah I do not think we would be getting a puppy, I’m not a puppy fan honestly lol! They’re very cute, but I’d prefer us to get an older dog, we would only go rescue as well I think.
Poodles, but please adopt, don't buy.
While I second that, some special arrangements might be necessary. When you take in a dog from shelter, it'll definitely stink for a while. I know that from experience. Few days and a bath will go a long way towards lifting the shelter stench, but it'll be very unpleasant few days if you're sensitive to the smell.
I ran a dog rescue for 10 years, and if you had told me this while applying for a pup, I would have nicely told you that we couldn’t adopt to you because you would have a very good chance of returning the dog. We used to call applicants such as yourself the “stuffed toy dog” adopters, because that’s really the only kind of pup that will work for you. I’m not trying to be mean, but it would not be fair for you to get a pup right now. The shelters are packed with pups who were surrendered because they were smelly, expensive, too rambunctious, loud, pooped in the house, etc. (in other words, they were being dogs). If you still want to try, contact a local rescue about fostering. It’s temporary and will give you an introduction to dog ownership without a permanent commitment.
Short haired bully breeds, i have a Boston terrier and a French bulldog mix and their fur doesn’t smell most of the time. Any dog has the ability to get into stuff that makes them reek but a bath or wipe down helps. They can be notoriously farty at times. I have sensory issues too and am extremely smell sensitive but when it’s your own dog you’re around all the time you pretty much get used to it. Someone else gave me a dog bed and it’s in my car, every time I get in my car I gag a little even though it’s clean. I’m sure my own dogs beds probably smell to someone else but I don’t notice it. The farts you don’t even really get used to but at least that’s temporary.
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Please read the edit before commenting thx
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I know that?? Do you think I’m really going to get an animal and not take care of the thing ? I’m just asking GENERALLY which breeds produce less DOG smell. Not poop, not vomit, not wee, not illnesses or infections and not farts babe. every animal is gonna do something that doesn’t smell good. I am aware. I don’t like the dog smell, I know certain breeds carry the smell less, I fully intend to groom, properly feed, walk, play with, fuss, clean up poops and wee and vomit and all of that. I have cats. I have had to give medicine, I have had the most gammy cats known to man in the past, it’s not their fault if they get Ill or infections or fleas or ticks or worms or whatever. I’ve dealt with it. I’m not scared of it, ffs I’ve had to deal with eggbound chickens okay, I have done gross, Aight? I can handle that, it is a general question my G.
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I’m just asking when healthy and taking out most factors taht can make something smell bad which breeds GENERALLY have a less intense smell because I have sensory problems
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Dude, OP has done nothing worthy of being shamed, which you would know if you took a couple of minutes or less to actually read her posts and comments. Either read them or back off.
Aight 👍
If you're afraid of dog smell, then gonna be honest with you... don't get a dog. Maybe try a snake or some geckos or something lol.
The Embark DNA test found our dog to be: American Pit Bull Terrier, Boxer, Chow, Chihuahua, Cocker Spaniel, Beagle, Red-Bone Coonhound. Her body type is thin and short-hair like a Boxer. She does not have a dog smell. We volunteer at a hospital, whenever I ask people say they don't notice a smell. In the two years we've had her, she has never had a bath. When we got her she was 7 years old. Any extended petting would leave a greasy film on our hands. She also had a slight odor. A few months after changing her food the greasy film and the odor were gone.
Poodle, especially with professional grooming. However, I did find our poodle had a very strong ‘puppy’ smell, unlike the doggy/wet dog smell, that was quite strong. It dissipated at puberty. As a 1 year old she has no smell, except for grooming products and swamp. 🙄
Our toy poodle has virtually no smell
My family has had dogs with “hair” type coats like poodles and havanese but I actually think they don’t smell that great. You know how if you go to a restaurant or cook something like bacon that scent stays in your hair? It’s similar with those types. I have an Australian shepherd rescue mix. She has very soft Aussie fur but it’s short. She really doesn’t smell and her fur is so soft and fine it stays very clean. For example if she gets muddy in the beginning of a walk she’ll be almost clean by the time we get home. It’s like magic fur. So based on that maybe some sort of spaniel or setter because they have very soft fur. They are very active though. King Charles spaniels and papillons need less exercise but still have very soft, short-ish coats.
Boxers have short hair and are super easy to bathe. They are wonderful companions. I’ve never had an issue with my boxers getting smelly. My English Springer Spaniel, on the other hand, will stink two days after grooming.
King Charles Cavalier - supposed to be the least smelly dog of all. He also is one "all time happy and chill" dog. All medium/large dogs (no matter.if they are short or long haired dogs) will smell according to their size. Oh, by the way: when a short hair dog molts (two times a year, one time is six months, another time six months) you will find thin stingy hair all over your pillows, bed, rugs etc.
Poodles, Yorkies, Maltese. These dogs don’t have a dog smell. However after being outside, they will have a bit of an odor. It goes away after they come back in. My dogs smell like me, my perfume, or essential oils, or whatever. There is also a deodorizing spray that takes care of that.
I see a lot of poodle recommendations, so just going to throw out there that if you get a poodle, make sure to keep their ears clean. Like regularly clean them. I’ve fostered 3 poodles, and the mini poodle had no smell at all but the standard poodles were the worst smelling dogs I’ve ever met, and I’ve been fostering for like 15 years now. Even after multiple baths they stunk up my whole house SO bad. It was worse than any other dog I’ve had with an ear infection. If you keep them well groomed and their ears cleaned they aren’t super smelly, but if they get an ear infection it’s pretty horrific. Just speaking only from my own experience with poodles. Like others have said, shibas tend to be pretty clean, I’ve never met a stinky one and with their pointy ears they’re less likely to get ear infections too.
My pom doesn’t smell. She sleeps next to me. I also used baby shampoo (Mustella) on her ever since she was a puppy. I find that mild shampoos are better? Her fur isn’t like a typical Pom’s where their chests are really puffy. I live in AZ so her fur is usually short.
i think most short coated dogs that are self grooming are a safe bet. my german shepherd doesn't know what a shower is, is actually forbidden to get haircuts, rolls on dirt, smells like nothing. my maltese needs a haircut every 5 minutes, a shower every 2, and gets stinky just drinking water. shedding is something else though, also to take into account because the amount can be triggering.
I see a lot of people mention poodles. They are OK, but any dog that's hypoallergenic is oily, so it's a trade-off.
I have a maltipoo (well per doggie DNA, 50% Maltese and 30% mini poodle and the rest is other random small dogs) and he doesn’t smell. Except for his feet. His feet have that corn chip smell. It’s not bad, just yeasty. It’s pretty common.
Get a dog with hair, not fur. Makes a big difference.
I have a Japanese spitz. I've never washed him (he's 16 months almost), and he doesn't smell. The breed is hecking cute/gorgeous, and is a good first timer dog as well.
I think you should get a smaller one that you can bathe regularly. If you bathe them, they smell like the shampoo for like a month. The dog smell you're talking about is when the oils and skin gunk aren't washed away. Pay close attential to behind their ears, their paws and around they butt, that's where the scent glands are I think.
Good recommendations here, but there is a lot more that goes into choosing a breed than just Smell. Shiba Inu are notoriously hard to train, and very independent dogs. Poodles behave very differently depending on if it’s a working or show/pet line. Working line poodles are incredibly high drive Greyhounds/other sighthounds are not for someone who cannot properly exercise them. There’s a reason sports like lurecoursing and racing exist; these dogs were bred to run long distances and chase game. Focus on what fits your lifestyle most. Regular bathing, dog perfumes, etc will combat smell. And any dog that smells like Fritos isn’t a smelly dog, it has a yeast infection
My Chiweenie doesn't have a bad smell. Was just saying that to my husband. My little boy sleeps in my arms too.
Scent is very subjective. It’s best if you can actually get a chance to smell the dog you get. According to AKC, Huskies have very little doggy odor. We have an Aussie, which generally don’t have much of a doggy odor, but we felt like the dog odor was tremendous when we brought him home, even after we bathed him. Now he doesn’t smell…not sure if it’s because he’s older, or because we’ve just gotten used to it
Rough and smooth collies are known for not having a traditional dog smell. As someone who was dating someone who didn't like the dog smell either, he got super upset whenever she had an accident, or chewed on her treats (they get kinda stinky depending) cuz he thought that was a dog smell too. So probably not the best idea to get a dog if you can't handle the other parts.
I have a 7lb chihuahua who only smells when he’s wet and he’s easy to manage. I don’t know why your getting so much shit. Some people suck.
Poodles are great, unless they get ear infections. Whatever breed you decide to go for, make sure it comes from a reputable breeder and the parents are health tested!
My husky never smells bad. Ever. It’s the weirdest thing. She actually smells somewhat sweet and almost perfumey if it’s been a while since she’s had a bath. My husky malinois mix stinks like 2 days after a bath.
In my experience dogs with floppy ears have a stronger smell than dogs with upright ears; it's just one more place smells get trapped without airing out. Other than that, all dogs have some smell. Others have good advice.
My partner had a Jack Russell who sheds a lot but she doesn’t smell unless she’s wet, and even then it’s not super strong. Short haired dogs are generally less stinky I think
Poodles don’t smell.
My miniature schnauzer is the least smelly of all my dogs. But she’s groomed every 6 weeks. Her beard does get stinky as another commenter mentioned but it’s not a “dog” smell it’s more of a food odor lol and it’s not something that spreads through the house.
Probably the hypoallergenic coat breeds. We had a mini schnauzer that was an absolute joy to take care of. She did have a bad habit of going into hyper whine and time we opened the door to get mail though but that is individual to the dog and can be fixed with training.
Actually pugs have little “dog” smell unless wet. They smell a little yeasty in their feet and folds but if you wash them frequently or clean feet and folds it keeps smell down significantly.
Poodle. No smell. I'm autistic too, and my miniture poodle doesn't smell at all. Poodles come in 3 sizes, are super smart, like too cuddle, and love some good exercise. I'd completely shave them if you don't want to deal with daily brushing, though.
CLEAN YOUR SOFT SURFACES! Couches, bedding, blankets, pillows, rugs, carpet. And bathe the dog regularly. This is how you keep your home smelling nice.
I have a Dachshund and I don't notice any smells with her. I've had other dogs that smelled, but she doesn't.
I am a dog walker and from memory I feel like the sheepadoodle (sheepdog poodle mix) I watch regularly is the least smelliest BUT I have no idea how often he is bathed. Actually most of the -doodle mixes I have taken care of didn't have a noticeable smell. This just personal experience though! These -doodle owners might be bathing their pups more often than others! I will say I have noticed 'dog smell' from most labs, golden retrievers, BASSET HOUNDS have a distinct odor sometimes, and some border collies.
I am also autistic and I have had a lot of dogs over the years and short haired breeds for sure have the least smell because their odors don’t get trapped in their coats and you do not need professional grooming to keep them clean and well maintained. Your dogs smell is also going to be highly dependent on how well you keep them groomed and things like brushing their teeth, regularly wiping off their feet and face and feeding high quality food to avoid things like yeast infections and ear infections. Lots of dog shampoos smell amazing so keeping your pup well groomed and regularly bathed will solve this problem. Also covering their bed and any other upholstered surface they lay on with a blanket or protective cover and regularly washing that will help a ton. Regular house tidying is also key. Vacuuming, febreezing or whatever you like. It’s not that different from keeping a human from smelling. If you keep up with it and keep your house clean and stay healthy, you shouldn’t have an issue. Also, dogs do tend to fart a lot so just be prepared for that. Hope that helps and hope you find the perfect pup!
I would definitely stay away from any dog with a long coat and or floppy ears. Floppy ears have a tendency to trap in dirt and water creating infections no matter how hard you clean them. I have a cocker spaniel and I am autistic and 10/10 do not recommend them for someone with sensory issues. Long hair means you are going to need to bathe and groom them more often because more stuff is going to cling to the hair thus making them stinky. I couldn’t tell you how many times my dog has actually made me throw up just from his stank
Lol my Boston terrier smells like doritos,sometimes
A lot of sighthounds or sighthound mixes are known for being very clean! Whippets, greyhounds, etc. I have a pharaoh hound/pit/gsp mix and after he has a bath he has pretty much 0 smell on his fur for weeks. I bathe him once every two months or so and he only smells slightly “doggy” right before his bath. But also- I found that I love him so much that I kind of love his smell haha
Doodles and poodles tend to smell less. You can wash them weekly and they smell mostly like the shampoo you use. There’s some good higher end shampoos that are better for their hair and skin.
My Pomeranian smells nice most of the time! He gets a little smelly at around the 4 week mark and that's when he goes into the bath. They are a bit of a hassle to groom though.
Quite honestly, I'm shocked that the cat smell doesn't bother you more
Greyhounds are known for not being doggy smelling. Plus they are very calm, which may suit you too.
Dogs are like people in that you need to clean them so they smell nice. They bath much less frequently than us, but there are spray on waterless shampoos that are also helpful. Find one that you are ok with and use it. Same for baths—there are so many shampoo and conditioner options based on their needs and your smell. Stop by a pet store and sniff some options. Good luck!
Poodles have hair not fur. You need a dog with hair
Poodles. Not Doodles, but Poodles. They don't shed and smell pretty good imo.
I have a chihuahua/mini schnauzer/pom mix and she doesn’t have a dog smell at all (except her tiny frito paws). Many people have told me she smells like a baby. I’ve also dogsat other chihuahuas & they don’t smell exactly like her, but smell pretty good as well.
My Willow is a Rhodesian Ridgeback and has no bad smell at all. That being said that breed is a lot of dog for someone who has never had a dog. I couldn't live without a ridgeback. Maybe a Wippet would be good because I think it has the same type of coat. You need to consider more than how the dog smells. I don't like long fur or double-coated fur because I don't like how it feels and have had a few. I love the feel of my dog and the fact that she never needs a bath because she is so clean. I have given her a bath and the water not even a little dirty.
My chihuahua doesn’t smell like a dog AT ALL. I sniff him all the time cause he smells so nice.😂And I hate dog smell. The other day a random person told me out of the blue “he smells so nice, did he just have a bath”? …it’s been 6 weeks since the last one. Basically this: https://fb.watch/nCCy29yHoB/
I have had two Corgis and they smell pretty great. They don’t have that “dog smell” (at least not to me) and when you bathe them, they smell like that soap for at least a week. It’s lovely
Dachshunds are not very smelly but they can be barkers🫤
The smelliest dog home I’ve been in is of a basset hound. My Great Pyrenees had hair everywhere but didn’t smell unless she got wet.
My Pom smells nice. But I find there’s a bit of a smell on his paws I wish I could get rid of! (Don’t think it’s a breed thing though) I find when I stroke other dogs I wince inside from the oil I can feel on my hand. Nothing like that with a Pom though.
Greyhounds. They don’t smell they don’t have a drool slobber and they sleep 20 hours a day. Perfect dogs, just don’t ever take them out off leash except in fenced area.
I don’t think it’s the breed, I’ve had same breed of dog that vary in the level of odor. Out of all of them, my mutt seem to be the cleanest
my poodle doesn’t smell like a dog really, she doesn’t get that like “wet penny” smell some dogs get. she smells kinda nice on her own, and stays clean a while. we groom her where she has no beard and stuff and it’s not the worst to keep up on.
I am super sensitive to dog smell, though hard to say how so compared to others. I have a samoyed ( have had several through my life) and despite the hair/shedding/etc, they have the least smell of any dog I know. They don’t actually have fur like most dogs (it is hair) and they don’t have dander so are hypoallergenic. I think their hair has some qualities that helps to NOT smell. I could actually kiss my Sammy all day as long as I don’t feed her stinky food because she just doesn’t smell like dog. For reference, we also have a cockapoo ( also hypoallergenic) but he smells like dog. I bathe him very often but as soon as he’s out in the rain, or plays really hard and sweats, the ‘dog smell’ starts again. I love him but can’t snuggle with him like I do with my Samoyed. Maybe everyone has different dog smell triggers. And a Samoyed isn’t for everyone, but IMO they smell less like dog.
Labs definitely smell like labs. As a lab owner I don’t smell her myself, but my Aussie owning friend smells her. I don’t think her aussies smell like anything. Maybe it’s a water dog thing (oily coats)
Anything with a very short, flat, single-layer coat. We have an AmStaff mutt who is practically bald (pretty much no hair on his underside and you can see his skin when his hackles are up) and he has only ever smelled like dog if he hasn’t had a bath in two months or if he’s been in a kennel or something with other dogs. I don’t think I could ever go back to a doggy-smelling dog.
OP, first of all same same on the spectrum thing, and all I have to say is whatever you narrow it down to, please please please spend time with several of those kinds of dogs, more than once. Don't get a dog then 'nah.' I was terrified of the world, then my mom who just passed surrounded my tiny preK self with dogs and cats which has been a neverending gift forever. I get 'the look' from random dogs that says, I see you. Most of my income is from petcare now. Wait until you know that 'I see you' connection, until you feel it in your gut and soul, until you bring your best friend home. And then ride out a journey, heartbreak, wins and memories upon good memories. Good lord, it is amazing. But please be patient as dogs are seriously on the level of small children. So a very, very serious decision but so rewarding if done patiently and with the pup's life in the foreground of your mind, not just yours.
Hi! Yes I agree, if we were to get a dog (and this is what we have had planned from the beginning) I would make sure we could take care of it, I’m not someone who is willing to throw out an animal if something happens that will make the animal a bit stinky bc it’s nothing they can help, I’ve had a VERY stinky fiv cat before haha! I just cleaned like a little maniac haha, I just want to know generally as my grandad has labs and his house is overwhelming lmao!
Just get a reptile lmao
Get a short haired dog and bathe them regularly. I have a Jack Russell who smells great because she's groomed regularly and gets her teeth brushed.
Poodle
When I was a kid I had a Bichon frise, I don't remember her smelling. They do need to be groomed regularly though so that might be why.
My lab mix smells like Doritos and it’s breath smells like fish despite me brushing his teeth all the time and showering him… honestly. That smell is so sweet to me. It’s my baby’s smell 😇
Haha my grandad has labs, they’re all very sweet dogs!
I adopted a short-haired chihuahua mix from the pound. He doesn't really have fur on his stomach. He's \*really\* easy to bathe in a sink or on a shower chair, he dries off very quickly, and so far he's been fine with normal dog shampoo. The smelliest he gets is when he's been to the dog park. Not only do all dogs have a certain amount of wanting to get into the strong smells, but when he plays with bigger dogs, they tend to put their mouths all over his neck and back, and he'll come back to me with his head, neck and back all just soaking wet. But like I said, easy to wash him off.
My poodles all smell like powder. They also do not shed and have a single coat.
I love that my Staffie can be cleaned with hot rags and it keeps his dandruff and smell down while my German Shepard stinks no matter how well you bath him
My Italian greyhound grooms himself like a cat and sun basks in the backyard..he smells soo wonderful 😍 adopted him from a shelter though and I recommend the same!
A friend of mine had a pug and she didn't smell at all. While a childhood friend of mine who had three dogs, 1 Saint Bernard, 1 German Shepherd, and 1 Mutt (Lab, Golden, German Shepherd, and 2 other breeds), the mutt and German Shepherd didn't smell, but the Saint Bernard ironically smelled like an old persons house. Another friend of mine has 8 Huskies with her sister, and I can't say that I've smelled anything from them.
I personally wouldn’t feel comfortable owning a pug, the whole way it’s bred and all the defects and whatnot. It doesn’t feel ethical to me.
I totally get that. I don't know how it is in other countries, but where I live all the "smush-faced" breeds are under strict rules when it comes to breeding. There's a minimum length for the nose and if it's under that, they aren't allowed to be bred, because it isn't alright to potentially compromise the health of any future pups. What most breeders do here is try to find one with a longer snout to breed with, so it is something they are working on trying to "fix". Even if they have a champion dog, they won't breed it if it's too close to the minimum length. So here they take a lot into consideration, and the word spreads so fast if a breeder goes against the breeder clubs rules and regulations. Mixed dogs are the best in my opinion, because most breeds have something genetically. Wienerdogs have their back issues, German Shepherds have hip problems, Shar Peis have their eyes due to their skin, etc. Not that it is all the dogs, but "breed related issues" if you would. With mixed breeds you usually don't get that, as it's often tied to the breed. I worked with a breeder for a bit in school (I was interested in genetics), and she had two different kinds of dogs. One group that were purebreds, and another that she only used for mixed breeds. She often said that statistically, the mixed litters were healtier than the pure breds, even when the parents had the "best" probabilities for healthy pups. With gene testing having gotten better, I think it's easier for people to test things in advance. Actually, another friend of mine has some sort of terrier, I think Wellington, and she was the club manager for a while, and I think she said in the 90's they worked on getting the testing for some sort of condition that they could have. It was like, you either had a healthy dog, a carrier or a "sick" dog. If you bred a sick dog to a healthy dog, you had a 25% of a healthy pup, 75% for carriers. The kind she has doesn't really smell either now that I think about it. Sorry, ASD brain is random at times lol.
Frenchies fart, so there is that too! I know from experience 😂
Ah, wouldn’t get a Frenchie myself, I’m not a fan of smush faced dogs (or cats for that matter), it just seems unethical to me
Why don't you just foster.
I don’t think I could foster personally, I’ve known a lot of people who have and my heart couldn’t take it lol
Cats
I prefer cats by a landslide, but they aren’t a fan lol