Do Bernedoodles Smell? 8 Reasons & Solutions

All dogs naturally give off a very distinctive smell. However, some dogs might smell more strongly than others which might make them unpleasant to be around.

If you’re a Bernedoodle owner, you might be wondering whether the thick nature of your dog’s coat might cause it to smell more strongly than other dogs.

So, do bernedoodles smell? Bernedoodles do smell if they lack a proper grooming routine that includes regular brushing and bathing as their thick coats tend to easily accumulate dirt, grease, food remains, and loose hair. They might also smell due to a poor diet that causes them to become gassy or due to other underlying health problems.

Keep reading to learn more about the reasons why bernedoodles smell and what you can do to keep them smelling good most of the time.

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Why Do bernedoodles Smell?

bernedoodle in a creek to answer do bernedoodles smell

Bernedoodles, like most other dog breeds, have a distinctive natural smell.

That smell might start to become more noticeable or unpleasant due to various reasons including lack of a proper grooming routine, poor diet, and other health problems with the dog.

To solve the issue and prevent your dog from smelling bad, you first need to identify the reasons behind it.

So, let’s take a look at the main reasons why bernedoodles might smell bad in more detail.

8 Reasons Why Your bernedoodle Smells Bad

Lacking a Proper Grooming Routine

The main cause of bad smell in any dog breed is simply having poor hygiene. If the dog doesn’t have a proper grooming routine that involves regular brushing and bathing, its coat will start to accumulate dirt, grease, food remains, and loose hair.

This will cause it to smell bad as well as put it at risk of developing various conditions that will cause its skin to become dry or irritated.

Getting Wet

You might have heard of the phrase “smells like a wet dog” when referring to something that smells bad.

That is because the yeast or bacteria accumulated on the dog’s coat becomes activated when it comes in contact with water which causes it to have a strong distinctive smell.

In order to prevent this kind of smell, you need to thoroughly dry your dog after bathing it or whenever it gets wet.

Having a Poor Diet

It’s perfectly natural for dogs to be gassy and to fart from time to time. However, if your dog has a poor diet, its farts will become too frequent and will have an extremely bad smell.

It’s recommended to consult a vet or a nutritionist to learn what kind of diet is best for your dog. It’s also recommended to avoid making any sudden changes to the dog’s diet as this might upset its stomach and make it become even gassier.

Having Bad Breath

It’s also perfectly natural for dogs to have bad breath. However, that bad smell might be an indicator of a more severe health problem.

Your dog might be suffering from a dental disease that will cause it to have bad breath such as periodontal disease which is caused by an accumulation of plaque and tartar on the dog’s gums and teeth.

This disease will lead to more bacteria growing inside the dog’s mouth which will ruin the dog’s gum and teeth as well as cause it to have bad breath.

In order to prevent plaque and tartar from accumulating on the dog’s gum and teeth, you need to take care of its dental health by brushing its teeth and regularly and providing it with high-quality chew toys.

Your dog might also be suffering from other health problems that will cause it to have bad breath such as kidney and liver diseases.

You can easily tell if your dog is suffering from any of these diseases as they have distinctive symptoms and cause different smells.

So, you can tell your dog has kidney disease if its breath has a pungent smell that’s very similar to urine. On the other hand, you can tell your dog has liver diseases, if its breath smells rotten and its gums turn yellow.

If you notice any symptoms of kidney and liver disease in your dog, make sure to take it to a vet immediately to get the required treatment.

Ear Infections

Dogs have highly sensitive ears which are prone to various kinds of infections such as yeast infections, bacterial infections, or a combination of both.

These infections could as a bad smell in the dog along with other symptoms such as redness, soreness, and discharge release.

In order to prevent your dog from developing ear infections, you need to clean its ears regularly and avoid getting any water in them when bathing it.

If you notice any symptoms of an ear infection in your dog, make sure to take it to a vet immediately to get the required treatment.

Skin Conditions

Dogs can have sensitive skin that makes them prone to developing certain conditions which will often cause them to smell bad.

One of the common skin conditions that dogs might develop is canine seborrhea which causes them to have a strong must smell that’s very similar to that of cheese. It will cause other symptoms such as extremely dry skin, excessive itchiness, and yeast accumulation in some parts of the dog’s body

Other conditions that affect the dog’s skin include allergic reactions, insect bites, infections. All of these conditions will cause the dog’s skin to become severely irritated which will lead to excessive scratching to the point of breaking the skin.

The accumulation of bacteria in any open wounds caused by the dog’s excessive scratching will cause its skin to have a bad smell.

You can prevent your dog from developing any skin conditions by establishing a proper grooming routine that involves bathing the dog regularly using natural shampoos as well as avoiding any irritant that might trigger the dog’s allergies.

If you notice any symptoms of any skin conditions in your dog, make sure to take it to a vet immediately to get the required treatment.

Urinary Tract Infection

Dogs are prone to developing Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) which is a medical condition that occurs due to bacteria entering the dog’s urethra and reaching its bladder.

Symptoms of UTI include having a bad smell similar to that of urine as well as experiencing severe pain when urinating.

If you notice any symptoms of UTI in your dog, make sure to take it to a vet immediately to get the required treatment.

An*l Sacs Infection

Dogs have two glands on either side of their an*s known as An*l sacs. The purpose of these glands is to release liquid secretion with a distinctive smell that dogs use to identify and mark each other.

The smell released by the sacs can’t be detected by humans, so if you start noticing a fishy smell coming from your dog’s sacs, then there’s likely a problem with them.

Your dog might have an infection that might be caused by an accumulation of the gland’s secretions or feces around the An*l area. This infection will cause the sacs to become swollen along with other symptoms including severe pain, inflammation, and difficulties with defecating.

You need to treat the infection immediately by draining the dog’s sacs yourself or asking a professional for help.

If your dog suffers frequently from infected sacs, you need to consult a vet about how to properly prevent them.

How to Make Your Bernedoodle Smell Good?

There are various measures you can take to make your bernedoodle smell good most of the time. So, let’s break down these measures in more detail:

Establish a Proper Grooming Routine for Your Dog

You need to establish and maintain a proper grooming routine for your dog that involves regular brushing and bathing in order to prevent any dirt, grease, and food remains from accumulating on the dog’s skin as well as reduce the risk of it developing any skin conditions.

It’s generally recommended to brush your bernedoodle once or twice a week and to bathe it once every month. The frequency will mostly depend on the kind of coat your dog has as dogs with thicker coats required to be brushed and bathed more often.

Make sure you’re using the right kind of brushes and check the ingredients of the dog’s shampoo to avoid irritating the dog’s skin or triggering any allergic reactions.

Regularly Clean Your Dog’s Ears

You need to clean your dog’s ears frequently to prevent them from becoming infected.

When cleaning the dog’s ears, avoid using water as this will cause more problems for the dog. Instead, you should use medical cleaning solutions that are specifically made for the dog’s sensitive ears.

These solutions contain natural ingredients that will help remove dirt and break down accumulated earwax without irritating the dog’s ears. All you need to do is apply the cleaning solution on a cotton ball and gently wipe the inside of the dog’s ear.

Take Care of Your Dog’s Dental Hygiene

You need to take care of your dog’s dental hygiene to prevent it from having bad breath or developing any dental diseases.

To do that, make sure to brush your Bernndoodle’s teeth as regularly as it will let you and to provide your dog with high-quality chew toys to strengthen its teeth and prevent the accumulation of plaque and tartar.

Also, try to take your dog to a vet for regular dental check-ups to make sure its teeth are in perfectly good health.

Improve Your Dog’s Diet

You need to improve your dog’s diet to keep it healthy and prevent it from becoming too gassy.

To do that, make sure that your dog’s food contains high amounts of healthy nutrients such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, proteins, and fibers.

Also, make sure to avoid canned foods that contain too many preservatives or byproducts as they don’t have any nutritional value and could be very harmful to the dog’s health.

Regularly Wash Your Dog’s Bedding

You need to wash your dog’s bedding clearly as it has a big impact on how your dog smells most of the time.

Having a clean bed to sleep or rest in will help keep your dog smelling good longer and reduce the risk of it developing various skin conditions.

Home Remedies to Keep Your bernedoodle Smelling Good

There are some home remedies with natural ingredients that you can use to keep your bernedoodle smelling good. So, let’s take a closer look at these remedies:

Coconut Oil

You can massage the dog with coconut oil to moisturize its skin and prevent it from developing any infections

You can add a few drops of coconut oil to the dog’s shampoo to make its coat softer and easier to brush.

Baking Soda

You can mix baking soda with water, then rub the mix over the dog’s body before rinsing it off completely to remove any dirt or grease accumulated on the dog’s coat.

You can also sprinkle dry baking soda on the dog’s coat daily as it acts as a deodorant and masks any unpleasant smells.

White Vinegar

You can wipe down your dog with a cloth soaked in diluted white vinegar to remove any dirt or grease accumulated on the dog’s skin.

White vinegar also has a strong smell that’s will help mask any other unpleasant smells your dog might have.