How To Keep Your House From Smelling Like Your Dog

If you own a dog, you probably understand how difficult it can be to keep your house clean and smelling fresh. Although dogs are extremely sweet and can become loved as much as any other member of your family, they can definitely still have a strong "dog" odor to them. There is no reason for despair though; by adding a couple of minor changes to your weekly routine, you can once again have a clean smelling house with not a hint of that "dog" smell around at all!

When we first brought home my dog, Molly, she was only eight weeks old, and such a sweet little puppy. Unfortunately, like all dogs, she was not born potty trained. It took several weeks to get her potty trained, and several more after that to get her to the point that she no longer had accidents. When you are in the middle of trying to potty train a puppy, you will have to deal with more puppy odor than normal, since their excrement's are all over your floors. When you see a mess on the floor, clean it up right away. You shouldn't just wipe it up and assume it is clean though, make sure you clean it with a cleanser to kill any germs and odors that could still be lingering.

Once your puppy is potty trained, maintaining your clean home will not require quite as much work on your part. I find that adding only a few minor chores significantly reduce the smell, and honestly, your home can smell nice enough that someone walking into your home would not even know a dog lived there by the aromas in the air. There are several things that I try to do to keep my home fresh and smelling great:

• Vacuum daily. I realize that this may seem a little extreme to some people, but it will really cut down on the dog smell in your home - especially if you have a dog that sheds any amount at all. If it would take too much time to vacuum your entire house every day, at least vacuum your living room and any other areas that your dog is in frequently. Sprinkling baking soda onto the floor before you vacuum can also help to reduce any odors in the carpet, and baking soda is completely natural and will not harm your dog at all, unlike some other carpet cleaners on the market.
• Wash your pets bedding and toys at least once a week. I recommend using hot water and a sensitive detergent, especially if your dog has any allergies. This will help to get rid of any bad odors or germs in the bedding, or on the toys that no doubt get drug all over your house!
• Mop your hardwood or tile floors at least a couple of times a week.
• If your puppy does have an accident, make sure to clean up after him right away.
• Give your puppy a bath as often as your veterinarian recommends for your particular dog. I bathe my dog about every week or two with a gentle shampoo and conditioner to avoid drying out her skin and hair. Not every dog can be bathed this often though. Some dogs only need to be bathed every couple of months. Honestly, it depends on how much your dog likes to play outside, and how easily they get dirty or begin to stink. Some dogs smell worse than others. Talk to your veterinarian to decide how often you should bathe your individual dog.
• Use puppy wipes, waterless shampoos, and sprays in between baths. It might not seem like they would do any good, but trust me, they really do help keep the smell down!
• Keep your dog groomed. If you have a long haired dog, brush him out daily. This will reduce the amount of hair that your dog sheds, so there will be less for you to have to clean up!

Hopefully this article was able to offer you some tips on how to keep your home smelling clean even when you have a dog or two around! It may seem difficult at first to keep up with everything, (especially during the potty training stages!) but I hope you can see that it is possible to keep your home clean and smelling fresh with only a little more effort every day!