Stinky beagles? Smell it and weep, it might be true

Quick, grab your beagle and take a whiff!

Tell me, how does he or she smell?

This isn't the start to a joke. What does your beagle smell like?

"If I have baths, how can I be stinky?"

While asking for suggestions for the recent Beagle Myths story I did, one of the suggestions I got was that beagles smell.

I had not heard this before until I started researching this. Beagles smell! I asked what they smelled like. People couldn't tell me exactly why beagles were such smelly doggies. They all say their beagles smell fine.

Was it a case of we've all lived with the stench so long that we don't notice it?

Well here's the deal -- we don't necessarily wash beagles as much. In my unscientific survey of beagle parents, I discovered most maybe wash their beagle once a month, if that. Some wash them every couple of months unless they roll in something!

Thundershirt means I can roll in the grass more!

 Now, every dog does have a certain smell. Ever see dogs sniff each others' butts? They secrete that smell in their anal glands. That's where the smell is strongest.

But that smell can also be found in fur follicles. It's a chemical ID, like a fingerprint. For beagles, some experts say that smell is stronger because beagles developed it to help identify other members of their pack while hunting.

I do notice that if the dogs are running around and get dirty Lulu will have a stronger smell than other dogs, but it's nothing to worry about.

So what about bathing? Well, if you bathe a beagle too much you can strip their skin of natural oils. That can lead to irritation and itchiness. I leave it up to you how long you go between baths. Lulu gets bathed once a month. I don't want to go too long because I don't want too much oil and dirt to build up on her skin either.

You should use a good sensitive skin shampoo that doesn't have a lot of harsh chemicals. EarthBath makes good shampoos. I also like Organic Oscar.

When bathing, I use this rubber bathing brush.

I got it at Petco. It massages the soap deeper into the skin. The dogs love the feel of it. Then, it's really important to rinse and dry well.

In between baths, makes sure to brush your dog to keep the coat nice and soft and shiny. I use a Furminator. It does an amazing job of grooming and de-shedding (yes, beagles do shed).

My doggies don't smell! At least no one's told me they do. :)

PS: Ever smelled your dog's feet? Do they smell like Fritos?

So tell me... what does your doggy smell like?