First dog in AS - how do you eliminate that dog smell?

[Whirlaway]

How do you eliminate the "dog" odor when you open the door?

Is there a routine to keep it in check?

What products do you use and how often?

Thanks

[Jim Clark]

Bathe the dog and be thankful it is not a cat.

[purman]

You can use fabreze, but Jim is right. wash your dog often and the smell will stay away.

[Jim Clark]

Originally Posted by purman

You can use fabreze, but Jim is right. wash your dog often and the smell will stay away.

I have used fabreze with a truck which had a smoke smell. I heated the interior up nice and warm and soaked down everything in the interior with fabreze. I let the truck run with the heat on for 2 hours and repeated worked great.

I also have a dog and he gets a good bath before any outing in the trailer and if for more than a week he get one on the road or as necessary.

[juel]

Always travel with two dogs in my Sovereign and if the dogs are clean, I notice no "odor". If your dogs live in your home, which I hope they do, how do you get the smell out of that? If they are "yard dogs", then you need to keep them clean before you travel. I don't think you're going to get too much sympathy from the dog loving Airstream bunch.

[Mikethefixit]

We dont have a problem wiff odor. Dogs are bathed. We also have a black lite and URINE GONE in case of accidents. Oh We have 3 Schnauzers that travel with us went we go.

[BamCamper]

Febreeze.
And more Febreeze.
Have the dog sleep on a doggie bed or blanket and wash it often.
Leave the windows open when possible.
And Febreeze.

[Jim Clark]

Originally Posted by Mikethefixit

We dont have a problem wiff odor. Dogs are bathed. We also have a black lite and URINE GONE in case of accidents. Oh We have 3 Schnauzers that travel with us went we go.

We are a one Schnauzer family best dog who has owned me, the tip on the black lite is a good one.

Thanks

[danalee]

I have found that if my dogs slept on a cedar bed they tended to smell better, longer. I agree though, frequent bathing in small quarters is a must. Longer fur needs brushing outside daily.

[GStephens]

Bathe your dog at least weekly.
GStephens

[cameront120]

I have two labs and the only bath they get is when they go swimming. For this breed, bathing frequently is not good for their coat and skin. I use covers on the seats in the trailer and I have no carpet, just lino. Carpet is a huge trapper of smeels, whether it be from pets or cooking. I wash the seat covers with my laundry each week and vacuum the floors regularly. This really helps keep the dog smell in check. I don't use febreeze, as I'm not a fan of chemicals or scents. Every now and then I'll dust the upholstery with baking soda and let it sit for a while, then vacuum it up. The baking soda will absorb odor.

[redstart]

My dog gets itchy eyes from Febreeze so i just spritz with a little vinegar diluted in water. Also, i keep the dog from getting wet b/c wet dog = mucho smelliness. Our pooch stays under the dinette for the most part (to keep out of the way of the 1 yr old). Our plan is to replace all carpet with laminate, once it gets good and stinky.

[purman]

Yep, we have a lab too. she loves to swim so soap baths only in the winter at home when she starts to smell up the house. other than that we have a spring fed pond on our property she spends plenty of time in. and lakes a streams when camping.

If your dog doesn't swim, you can also just give those little ones a toss in the lake. (kindly of course.)

[Mackhopp]

I find that no matter how clean the dogs are, if they go outside and it's the slightest bit damp or cold, they smell. I guess I just grin and bear it. It's just part and parcel with having dogs. But I think it helps that I don't have carpet in the AS. I may give the baking soda a try if it's bad in the future though...

[Whirlaway]

I had planned on a bath prior to our trips and I will take all the other suggestion to heart.

Thanks,

[willyd]

My daughter, a school teacher, could handle the dog "smell" very well. She was born with no sense of smell - which has been very helpful with some of the student's hygiene.

[kposey]

I even use the baking soda in the house. It works well to obsorb oders.

[ROBERTSUNRUS]

Hi, my dogs got a bath before leaving home and when necessary on the road; They fit [one at a time] in the shower/tub. We have what we call dog towels; Old towels for dogs to lay on, dry off from bath, and clean up messes. [mud, spills, Etc] But we are petless now, they all went to doggie heaven.

[FreshAir]

Good thread even though most of the posts are ommon sence solutions. Lynn and I are welcoming our new dog, first with our Airstream, tomorrow from a rescue agency. She is a mini pinscer and seems to be 'right' for us. Thanks for the 'common sense' posts. We appreciate the re-awaking of these tips.
Neil

[JulianneJ]

I travel with 3 dogs, a Great Dane, Rott/Lab & a Shiba Inu. I guess I must be use to the smell or my sniffer is not up to snuff. My dogs never get a bath except for the occasional swim. The only time I really notice an odor is if its been raining and I put them to bed wet. Then I say "wow smells like dog" but hello I have dogs what do you expect! Have never had an "accident" in the trailer. They love to camp and spend most their time outside when we are on the road. I put them to bed as soon as it gets dark. I cover the the areas where they sleep with lots of old blankets. Vacuum on a regular basis even without carpet to keep the dog hair to a controled level (ya right). Try simply burning a candle when you are in the trailer.
I am going to have to put my Rott/Lab "Shane" down in the next few weeks. It will be so hard to take that first trip without her. She so loves the adventure!