It's raining, it's raining shepherdess, let's get the dog in before it gets wet. This is a saying that is usually said in the towns where still they live off cattle. A saying that indicates that cattle must take cover.
What if, the weather turns rainy at this time of year and the walks in the rain are more and more frequent, unless your dog is a fan of puddles and bathing afterwards, we believe that walks in the rain they will be shorter. Either way and like all dog owners You know, after a walk in the rain your dog tends to smell bad.
Why does a wet dog smell bad?
It is a fact and it is normal, a wet dog has a strong odor, so don't take it the wrong way if your friends and family tell you that your dog sucks. But why that bad smell? Because the sebum from dog skin forms a waterproofing and greasy layer and is that due to its oily nature, the sebum retains bacteria and yeast.
On the other hand, the dog's hair will accumulate dust, contamination and other impurities. In the normal state, these are elements that practically they have no smell for humans. However, when they enter contact with water, certain odorous molecules (called organic acids) are volatile and dissolve.
That is why the smell of your dog gets louder, even unpleasant, being able to compare this phenomenon with sweating, for example.
Be careful when drying your dog's hair
There are some solutions for fight the unpleasant smell of wet dogs. Drying, for example, is an important step, since if the your dog's hair remains wet, it may smell bad.
Pay special attention to breeds with folds, such as the Shar-Pei, the Pug, etc., whose wrinkles, if they don't dry properly, can become nests of bacteria and fungi, generating infections. Remember to bring a towel when you go for a walk in the rain, so you can dry your dog quickly and counteract bad odors, also preventing your dog from getting cold.
Wash your dog at least once a month
The best solution to combat the smell of wet dogs is to bathe them every 2-3 weeks so make sure you use a proper shampoo and never use a shampoo that is for people as skin of dogs and humans they do not have the same pH, you would damage their skin and could make their problems worse.
Finally, if your dog is suffering from some kind of illness, such as a allergy, bacterial infections due to yeast or seborrhea, use suitable veterinary shampoos.
Walking in the rain: where is the dog's coat?
It's time to go for a walk, but the rain prevents you from going out, since you think that it is not worth it, since you will arrive totally wet and your dog will, but the bad thing about this is that it smells, it smells a lot.
You start to fear the exit before it has even put a paw out, knowing that your dog will not smell that smell when you get home ... Have you thought about dress him in a dog coatLike a nice raincoat or a down jacket?
If so, make sure the clothes fit the size of your dog and above all that it is comfortable, that it does not squeeze and suffocate the poor animal, since this type of clothing, apart from keeping warm, will make your dog come home completely dry and odorless.
We remind you finally, that also there are booties for dogs, which will ensure that your dog does not have to wet his paws while you walk and that he does not have wet pads, something that will surely thank you.