Help W/My Stinky Yorkie - YorkieTalk.com Forums

Jnice123 · 11-15-2008, 09:38 PM

I have a 5yr old male. He is a good dog most of the time, rarely barks, doesn't bite is great with my kids. He Does have accidents quite frequently. But no matter how often we wash him, he always stinks. I can bathe him and 1hr later he stinks.Please help between the funk and the accidents I have been considering putting him up for adoption. I read somewhere that it could be that his anal glands need to be drained is that possible. he has never been professionally groomed my husband is a barber so he grooms him. Please help. Training tips would be great also. Is it too late at 5.tia

RLC12345678 · 11-16-2008, 02:38 PM

Is he neutered?

Bathing too often can strip their skin of natural oils that neutralize odors. I would recommend not bathing him so often.

If he smells like fish, it could indeed be his anal glands. You can either search on the internet on how to drain them yourself to take him to the vet to have it done.

As for the potty training issue, you should start with the basics. I would recommend crate training him (if you haven't done so already) and following this schedule to a T until he is fully potty trained: http://www.darnfar.com/Dog%20Trainin...ng_a_puppy.htm

It's important that you get a crate that is small enough. He should only be able to get up, turn around, and lay down in the crate. If you buy the smallest crate and it's still big enough for him to lay down in one end and not touch the other end, put a cardboard box or tupperware in the back of it.

Please really try and think long and hard before rehoming this little baby. It's not his fault he's not potty trained and doesn't smell good.

krisknr · 11-16-2008, 04:04 PM

What food and treats do you give him?
Here is a thread on potty training that might be helpful too read.

romeos mommy · 11-16-2008, 04:10 PM

is the odor everywhere is just in the anal area???

Jnice123 · 11-16-2008, 04:27 PM

Thanks for responding, its not a fishy smell. It just funk.. Hard to describe. It kinda smells like funky feet but its all over and if he lays near me i get nauseous. Where ever he is the smell lingers. We feed him Iams mini chunks and various beef treats but the dog food is always the same one. He is crate trained but his crate is big enough to fit a rockweiler it could fit 30 yorkies. I honestly think he does it out of spite sometimes, I have a 7mn old baby and I think he might be feeling neglected so when he has free reign of the house he will usually go and pee in my sons room. I feel bad confining him to a certain area. I am just clueless. He goes out like 20 times a day at all hrs of the night I am exhausted and at my wits end. i don't know if i should try taking him to a trainer , using a clicker w/treats I don't know I need the lady from it's me or the dog to come to the rescue.

QuickSilver · 11-17-2008, 12:20 AM

Hm, I've never met a stinky Yorkie... has he always been stinky, or is this relatively recent?

Is it possible that it's his breath?

I would check his teeth, then his anal glands, and then maybe take him to a vet. If it's new it could always be a health issue. I would also second trying not to wash him so frequently. Do your hands smell after you pet him?

You mention that you have a new baby - is it possible that your sense of smell has changed?

Also, you said he goes out all the time - is he unsupervised? Maybe he's rolling in something stinky outside?

You should be able to potty train a 5 yr old yorkie. If you can afford a trainer, maybe you should try that. I love Victoria Stilwell also, but she would have your head if she knew you wanted to give your dog away because of potty problems!

Your Yorkie might be stressed, but I doubt he is trying to spite you. You don't know why he's peeing and he probably doesn't know it's upsetting you so much. You sound like you are very tired and stressed with a newborn. I hope you have someone nearby who can help with either the baby or the dog.

This experience is not the same as the constant stress you are having, but maybe it will help a bit. My Yorkie used to bark at anything with rattle-y wheels - shopping carts, people in wheel chairs, bicycles, and especially skate boarders. I worked with him for several weeks with distract and reward, and he got much better about barking at objects.

HOWEVER, as he improved in this area, he just started barking at strangers generally. He had been very friendly before and would run up to meet new people, but now he would growl at people who were literally two blocks away. One day, I had just gotten a hot cup of tea and was walking back to my place. I was unlocking the front door, and my back was turned, so I didn't notice that a couple men were walking by. Well, Mr. Yorkie not only barked, but lunged at them a little bit, jerking my hand and spilling scalding hot tea all over my had. In that moment, I really wanted to throttle him.

I looked down at him, and he looked back up at me. In that moment, I realized that I'd always assumed that he knew I didn't want him to bark at strangers - I had my special stern voice that I only used in that situation. From my perspective, I had told him ONE MILLION TIMES not to bark, and now not only had he persisted in disregarding me, but he'd actually scalded my hand because he hadn't listend to m.

However, it occurred to me that maybe he didn't know, and in fact was proud of what a great job he'd done to protect the two of us.

Anyway, that's a long story to illustrate that dogs are just like anyone else - from their perspective, their actions make perfect sense. In terms of the barking, I now praise him effusively every time we approach people, and for whatever reason, that keeps him focused and quiet. He's definitely still not perfect. To be honest, I think he's kind of dumb by yorkie standards. And he's still not perfectly house broken. He's still adorable though, and I have hope that with yet more work, he'll be the perfect pet!

Jnice123 · 11-17-2008, 06:45 AM

It's not my sense of smell because he smelled before I was pregnant even though while pregnant it was intensified. But everyone else in the house complains about it and yes after I pet him my hand stinks. He isn't neutered but I am going to look into that. Can someone tell me how much food and water you give your yorkies. I only feed him twice a day but I wonder if we are giving him too much water. I don't walk him ( i know its bad) but we have a big yard. I wonder if that may help. THanks

krisknr · 11-17-2008, 07:51 AM

Hhttp://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/training/151403-loss-don-t-know-what-do-about-get-rid-our-dog.html
here is the thread I hope! It didn't post last time.
The Iams is most likely causing the stink. Dogs don't digest grain very well and some less than others. Go to this web site and look up your food, then look at the 4,5,&6 star foods and pick one that has different ingredients from what you feed now, different kinds of meat. No wheat, corn, soy, beet pulp.
I would guess in a week you will smell a difference.
Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost

bellasmomok · 11-17-2008, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jnice123

Can someone tell me how much food and water you give your yorkies. I only feed him twice a day but I wonder if we are giving him too much water.

Unless you are in the midst of some type of strict potty training program (which sometimes limits access to water in an attempt to potty train), puppies and adult dogs should be given access to an unlimited supply of water ALL THE TIME! Water is very good for us and them. The only example of truly over-drinking I can think of is if there are urinary tract issues....otherwise, he will drink what he needs and that's it! Of course, activity will increase his water intake as will eating sometimes.

Probably the best way to potty train "difficult to potty train" dogs is by adhering to a very strict schedule as far as food/water and free time (time out of the crate) goes. I'm sure there is very good information on the internet about it, but I bought a book about potty training in just 7 days. I'd be happy to PM you with the schedules it suggest for an adult dog if you'd like.

I don't know if the food would be causing his odor, BUT I would think it would be worth a try to switch him to a better food. Sometimes changing diet cures a lot of things..... Iams is not a great food at all, so that is where I would start. (Note: If you had told me that he has always eaten Iams and hasn't ever had any problems at all, I would say it's probably fine to stick with it. BUT, since you're concerned about his odor, enough to be thinking of possibly re-homing, I think it's time for a switch! It couldn't hurt to just try it....) I would also consider taking him to the vet for this (I may try changing his diet first, but if after 4 weeks or so he still had a foul odor, I would go.) Sometimes odor is the first clue that something is going on.

TLC · 11-17-2008, 10:19 AM

Sounds like you may need to change a few things, working slowly and go from there.

#1 - Marking ~ This can easily be helped/avoided by getting him neutered. You would be doing Him and Your Family a wonderful thing by getting him neutered.

#2 - Food ~ As stated above Iams really isn't the greatest food. There are so many 'other' foods that are better for him and they don't cost much more. Some ex: Wellness, Natural Balance, Canidae, Merrick, Solid Gold

#3 - Shampoo ~ Minksheen (online ordering) has a really nice smell. It has antibacterial features as well as aroma that is suppose to repel insects. It makes there hair really soft and smelling fresh. (no need for conditioner either, as it has it in the mixture)

Jnice123 · 11-17-2008, 11:33 AM

Thank you all for your advice. As you can probably tell I have never owned a dog prior to this one. I didn't know not neutering could cause a problem. And I always thought Iams was good food, I will definitely switch especially because it just went up $5. at walmart. I am going to work with him, he really is a great dog. Yes I would love for you to pm me with that info. Thanks again.

krisknr · 11-17-2008, 01:28 PM

I thought of diet first because my lab used to be really stinky, I would have to wash my hands after I pet him. Then I switched him to grain free food and he smells %100 better! I can put my face by his and hug him now!!! I didn't get that close to him before unless it was within 3 days of a bath!! The change in diet made a huge difference!!

RLC12345678 · 11-17-2008, 06:12 PM

After reading your responses, here's what i would do:

- GET HIM NEUTERED ASAP
- Start him on a strict potty training program. If he doesn't potty in the large crate that he has now, use that to help potty train him. If he does potty in the large crate, get a smaller one. Block off rooms so he does not have access to them. The key is to make sure he's never out of your site. That way, if he DOES potty in the house, you can catch him, tell him NO and put him outside. (do not spank him....a stern NO will more than suffice.) It's perfectly fine to confine him to certain areas of the house so you can keep an eye on him at all times. It's perfectly fine to put him in his crate sometimes when you cannot watch him to make sure he isn't pottying in the house. When you leave the house, put him in his crate. Follow the schedule in the link i posted above.
- Change his food. I like California Natural. You'll have to get a good brand of food at a pet store....no good dog foods are sold at grocery stores or walmart.
- Bathe him once a week AT THE MOST! Get a GENTLE shampoo. I like Avoderm.

GOOD LUCK! I'm sure your little guy would be MUCH happier if he didn't have to be rehomed.

11-16-2008, 04:10 PM	#4
romeos mommy YT 3000 Club Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Pennsauken , NJ Posts: 4,068	is the odor everywhere is just in the anal area??? __________________ Bernadette & Romeo

11-17-2008, 10:19 AM	#10
TLC Slave to My Rug-Rats Donating Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: Long Island Posts: 7,247	Sounds like you may need to change a few things, working slowly and go from there. #1 - Marking ~ This can easily be helped/avoided by getting him neutered. You would be doing Him and Your Family a wonderful thing by getting him neutered. #2 - Food ~ As stated above Iams really isn't the greatest food. There are so many 'other' foods that are better for him and they don't cost much more. Some ex: Wellness, Natural Balance, Canidae, Merrick, Solid Gold #3 - Shampoo ~ Minksheen (online ordering) has a really nice smell. It has antibacterial features as well as aroma that is suppose to repel insects. It makes there hair really soft and smelling fresh. (no need for conditioner either, as it has it in the mixture) __________________ Adopt Donate Foster www.yorkie911rescue.com

11-15-2008, 09:38 PM	#1
Jnice123 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Baltimore Posts: 3	Help W/My Stinky Yorkie I have a 5yr old male. He is a good dog most of the time, rarely barks, doesn't bite is great with my kids. He Does have accidents quite frequently. But no matter how often we wash him, he always stinks. I can bathe him and 1hr later he stinks.Please help between the funk and the accidents I have been considering putting him up for adoption. I read somewhere that it could be that his anal glands need to be drained is that possible. he has never been professionally groomed my husband is a barber so he grooms him. Please help. Training tips would be great also. Is it too late at 5.tia

11-16-2008, 02:38 PM	#2
RLC12345678 I heart Hootie & Hobbs Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 7,149	Is he neutered? Bathing too often can strip their skin of natural oils that neutralize odors. I would recommend not bathing him so often. If he smells like fish, it could indeed be his anal glands. You can either search on the internet on how to drain them yourself to take him to the vet to have it done. As for the potty training issue, you should start with the basics. I would recommend crate training him (if you haven't done so already) and following this schedule to a T until he is fully potty trained: http://www.darnfar.com/Dog%20Trainin...ng_a_puppy.htm It's important that you get a crate that is small enough. He should only be able to get up, turn around, and lay down in the crate. If you buy the smallest crate and it's still big enough for him to lay down in one end and not touch the other end, put a cardboard box or tupperware in the back of it. Please really try and think long and hard before rehoming this little baby. It's not his fault he's not potty trained and doesn't smell good.

11-16-2008, 04:04 PM	#3
krisknr Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: WI Posts: 186	What food and treats do you give him? Here is a thread on potty training that might be helpful too read.

11-16-2008, 04:27 PM	#5
Jnice123 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Baltimore Posts: 3	Thanks for responding, its not a fishy smell. It just funk.. Hard to describe. It kinda smells like funky feet but its all over and if he lays near me i get nauseous. Where ever he is the smell lingers. We feed him Iams mini chunks and various beef treats but the dog food is always the same one. He is crate trained but his crate is big enough to fit a rockweiler it could fit 30 yorkies. I honestly think he does it out of spite sometimes, I have a 7mn old baby and I think he might be feeling neglected so when he has free reign of the house he will usually go and pee in my sons room. I feel bad confining him to a certain area. I am just clueless. He goes out like 20 times a day at all hrs of the night I am exhausted and at my wits end. i don't know if i should try taking him to a trainer , using a clicker w/treats I don't know I need the lady from it's me or the dog to come to the rescue.

11-17-2008, 12:20 AM	#6
QuickSilver Thor's Human Donating Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 5,929 Blog Entries: 31	Hm, I've never met a stinky Yorkie... has he always been stinky, or is this relatively recent? Is it possible that it's his breath? I would check his teeth, then his anal glands, and then maybe take him to a vet. If it's new it could always be a health issue. I would also second trying not to wash him so frequently. Do your hands smell after you pet him? You mention that you have a new baby - is it possible that your sense of smell has changed? Also, you said he goes out all the time - is he unsupervised? Maybe he's rolling in something stinky outside? You should be able to potty train a 5 yr old yorkie. If you can afford a trainer, maybe you should try that. I love Victoria Stilwell also, but she would have your head if she knew you wanted to give your dog away because of potty problems! Your Yorkie might be stressed, but I doubt he is trying to spite you. You don't know why he's peeing and he probably doesn't know it's upsetting you so much. You sound like you are very tired and stressed with a newborn. I hope you have someone nearby who can help with either the baby or the dog. This experience is not the same as the constant stress you are having, but maybe it will help a bit. My Yorkie used to bark at anything with rattle-y wheels - shopping carts, people in wheel chairs, bicycles, and especially skate boarders. I worked with him for several weeks with distract and reward, and he got much better about barking at objects. HOWEVER, as he improved in this area, he just started barking at strangers generally. He had been very friendly before and would run up to meet new people, but now he would growl at people who were literally two blocks away. One day, I had just gotten a hot cup of tea and was walking back to my place. I was unlocking the front door, and my back was turned, so I didn't notice that a couple men were walking by. Well, Mr. Yorkie not only barked, but lunged at them a little bit, jerking my hand and spilling scalding hot tea all over my had. In that moment, I really wanted to throttle him. I looked down at him, and he looked back up at me. In that moment, I realized that I'd always assumed that he knew I didn't want him to bark at strangers - I had my special stern voice that I only used in that situation. From my perspective, I had told him ONE MILLION TIMES not to bark, and now not only had he persisted in disregarding me, but he'd actually scalded my hand because he hadn't listend to m. However, it occurred to me that maybe he didn't know, and in fact was proud of what a great job he'd done to protect the two of us. Anyway, that's a long story to illustrate that dogs are just like anyone else - from their perspective, their actions make perfect sense. In terms of the barking, I now praise him effusively every time we approach people, and for whatever reason, that keeps him focused and quiet. He's definitely still not perfect. To be honest, I think he's kind of dumb by yorkie standards. And he's still not perfectly house broken. He's still adorable though, and I have hope that with yet more work, he'll be the perfect pet!

11-17-2008, 06:45 AM	#7
Jnice123 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Baltimore Posts: 3	It's not my sense of smell because he smelled before I was pregnant even though while pregnant it was intensified. But everyone else in the house complains about it and yes after I pet him my hand stinks. He isn't neutered but I am going to look into that. Can someone tell me how much food and water you give your yorkies. I only feed him twice a day but I wonder if we are giving him too much water. I don't walk him ( i know its bad) but we have a big yard. I wonder if that may help. THanks

11-17-2008, 07:51 AM	#8
krisknr Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: WI Posts: 186	Hhttp://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/training/151403-loss-don-t-know-what-do-about-get-rid-our-dog.html here is the thread I hope! It didn't post last time. The Iams is most likely causing the stink. Dogs don't digest grain very well and some less than others. Go to this web site and look up your food, then look at the 4,5,&6 star foods and pick one that has different ingredients from what you feed now, different kinds of meat. No wheat, corn, soy, beet pulp. I would guess in a week you will smell a difference. Dog Food Reviews - Main Index - Powered by ReviewPost

11-17-2008, 11:33 AM	#11
Jnice123 YorkieTalk Newbie! Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Baltimore Posts: 3	Thank you all for your advice. As you can probably tell I have never owned a dog prior to this one. I didn't know not neutering could cause a problem. And I always thought Iams was good food, I will definitely switch especially because it just went up $5. at walmart. I am going to work with him, he really is a great dog. Yes I would love for you to pm me with that info. Thanks again.

11-17-2008, 01:28 PM	#12
krisknr Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: May 2008 Location: WI Posts: 186	I thought of diet first because my lab used to be really stinky, I would have to wash my hands after I pet him. Then I switched him to grain free food and he smells %100 better! I can put my face by his and hug him now!!! I didn't get that close to him before unless it was within 3 days of a bath!! The change in diet made a huge difference!!

11-17-2008, 06:12 PM	#13
RLC12345678 I heart Hootie & Hobbs Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: USA Posts: 7,149	After reading your responses, here's what i would do: - GET HIM NEUTERED ASAP - Start him on a strict potty training program. If he doesn't potty in the large crate that he has now, use that to help potty train him. If he does potty in the large crate, get a smaller one. Block off rooms so he does not have access to them. The key is to make sure he's never out of your site. That way, if he DOES potty in the house, you can catch him, tell him NO and put him outside. (do not spank him....a stern NO will more than suffice.) It's perfectly fine to confine him to certain areas of the house so you can keep an eye on him at all times. It's perfectly fine to put him in his crate sometimes when you cannot watch him to make sure he isn't pottying in the house. When you leave the house, put him in his crate. Follow the schedule in the link i posted above. - Change his food. I like California Natural. You'll have to get a good brand of food at a pet store....no good dog foods are sold at grocery stores or walmart. - Bathe him once a week AT THE MOST! Get a GENTLE shampoo. I like Avoderm. GOOD LUCK! I'm sure your little guy would be MUCH happier if he didn't have to be rehomed.