If you’re a proud owner of a German shorthaired pointer, you may have experienced a bad smell emanating from your furry friend. While German shorthaired pointers do have a distinct doggy smell, several factors can worsen this odor.
Dirty coats, poor diets, anal gland issues, ear and dental problems, infections, and wounds can all contribute to a bad smell in German shorthaired pointers. However, these issues can be avoided with proper dental and ear care, regular grooming and bathing, and frequent brushing of the coat.
While it’s true that all dogs have a natural odor to some extent, it’s not pleasant to have a smelly furry friend. In our upcoming discussion, we’ll explore the factors that contribute to bad smells in German shorthaired pointers and provide you with tips for keeping your furry friend smelling fresh and clean. Don’t miss out on this informative conversation that can help you and your furry friend enjoy a happy and healthy life together.
Why Do Some German Shorthaired Pointers Smell Bad?
Are you curious to know why do your German shorthaired pointers smell bad? There are lots of reasons that cause your dog to smell worse than normal.
These reasons are similar to other dog breeds. So the dirtiness & smell depends on the individual dog, not just the breed itself.
Here are some reasons why your four-legged friend smells very bad.
- Dirty coat of fur
- Poor diet
- Anal glands
- Ear issues
- Dental problems
- Infections/wounds in body parts
Dirty coat of fur
GSP has a thick, short, smooth, liver-colored double coat.
Some can be soft and short, while others can be a bit longer. So this type of coat of hair will get easily dirty when playing, cuddling with you outside, and rolling around in the grass on something sticky.
German shorthaired pointers which are not well-groomed, the coat may begin to increase the stinky smell.
Recommended Reading: German Shorthaired Pointer Diggers? [Vet Advice]
Poor diet
This is one of the major reasons for stinky dogs. Not only my GSP, but any dog can get allergies due to eating unhealthy food.
Flatulence and tummy problems can be formed from spicy foods, high-fat foods, beans, and dairy products. So, these food items can make German shorthaired pointers smell bad.
Anal glands
Have you checked or clean the anal glands of your pet?
If the anal glands of the dog become impacted and full, they can develop a strong odor. It is vital to chat with your vet because impacted anal glands may be a severe health issue.
Ear issues
Excess wax and ear infections can also cause a bad smell from their ear area, making them smell.
Dogs who have ear infections shake the head, do vigorous scratching, and show redness of the ear canal. If you notice these signs in your GSP definitely you should check his ears.
Dental problems
Did you feel a solid lousy odor coming from your dog’s mouth?
Infections and dental issues can easily make up in a dog’s mouth. Overgrowth of gum can produce a very rotten smell from the dog’s mouth.
Infections/wounds in body part
If there is some open wound, injured skin or body tissue can cause your dog to smell worse than average.
Recommended Reading: Are German Shorthaired Pointers Good For First Time owners? [Vet Advice]
Let’s get rid of the smell of your German shorthaired pointer
Don’t you know what you can do to reduce the bad smell of the GSP? We can do several things to get rid of or minimize the doggy smell of the German shorthaired pointer.
The most important step is we should keep their coat of hair clean & healthy. To do that, you need to do several important things
- Grooming
- Bathing
- Frequent brushing
- Give good diet
- Perfect dental care
- Ear care
Grooming
Grooming is essential to prevent doggy odor. When you groom, brush and comb his coat and remove ticks, debris, and loose hair.
You can also try a spray/ ticks spray or a bit of baby powder a couple of times a week.
Bathing
The pretty much straightforward method to get rid of the smell of shorthaired pointer is to bathe regularly.
Regular baths are essential to keep the dog’s coat clean, good hygiene and help to keep him free from parasites. Then we will look into the step-by-step guide to bath a GSP in a proper way.
By the way, How to bathe your German shorthaired pointer?
GSP is a shorthaired breed with a smooth coat, just fine with a less frequent bath.
- Firstly you have to choose a suitable place, ensure you have enough space whether GSP is a medium to large dog breed. In my opinion, the best place to bathe the dog is outside.
- Then consider about water temperature & pressure that you use. Make sure water pressure is low, and water is lukewarm.
- After that, be prepared with all needs to bathe your dog, ex, dogs’ shampoo, brush, towel.
- Before the bath, use some clean cotton balls in the dog’s ears; not to enter water into the ears.
- Then bathe your dog by adding water to the body, thoroughly saturate the dog’s coat.
- Next, shampoo your dog, taking care to avoid eyes and face.
- Let the shampoo be on the dog’s coat for several minutes and massage your dog.
- Then thoroughly wash out shampoo by using clean water.
- Using a towel, dry your GSP to keep him comfortable and healthy.
Frequent Brushing
Since they are not heavy shedder, your doggy GSP needs to be brushed once a week by using a firm bristle brush.
Start brushing slowly on your pet’s coat. Be sure not to rush. Otherwise, this may hurt the dog’s skin.
Regular brushing is excellent for reducing the bad smell coming from your German shorthaired pointers and making a good bond with your pet.
Give good diet
Diet plays a significant role in a dog’s overall health & it can make a big difference to a doggy smell. You can try a grain-free diet for your German shorthaired pointer because he gets tummy problems with most grains.
Change the diet to high protein food by minimizing high carbohydrate food.
Same as make sure you give deworming medicine at regular time periods to keep the pet’s healthy digestive system.
Good dental care
To maintain dental hygiene, brush your dog’s teeth regularly, and you can give him certain dog chews. Also, bringing the doggy to the veterinary surgeon can prevent dental problems.
Check ears
Keep ears clean & dry by using ear washes. There are various types of ear washes in the market. You can try those. Check your pet’s ears regularly, and be sure to dry them after a bath.
If the smell does not appear to go away from your German shorthaired pointer after doing this schedule, the owner should take the doggy to a veterinary surgeon to examine internal health.
What can do if your German shorthaired pointer loves the dirt?
Well… All of us don’t like to smell a bad or stinky smell from our pets. They will become more stink if they love dirt.
Why does GSP loves the dirt? Most dogs like to roll around the ground, playing outside. Then these dogs get dirt easily.
Is there anything you can do to wipe out this bad behavior? Of course, there are some things to prevent it. Keeping your dog’s hair short is causing to stop him from picking much dirt.
Give some toys and games to play that they enjoy in-home/indoor. Most dogs hate bathing. However, you should bathe him whether if he doesn’t/does love to get washed after he gets dirt.
Are german shorthaired pointers smell than other dogs?
All dogs don’t have a strong odor, but some are worse than others.
Fortunately, German shorthaired pointers are not smelled bad more than other dogs, but a bit. Not only GSP, but any breed will also get stinky if they do not clean & groom properly.
How To Properly Groom & Clean Your German Shorthaired Pointer?
Regular and consistent grooming will help to keep your German shorthaired pointer clean & healthy. This breed is a mild shedder, so they are easy to groom and clean.
Let’s see how to groom. I give you step-by-step instructions to groom and clean your German shorthaired pointer to prevent a bad smell.
Here is the list of 8 steps.
- Gather all dog grooming tools.
- Remove any mats or tangles.
- Pre bath trimming or clipping.
- Brushing / Combing.
- Bathing.
- Drying.
- Trim toy nails.
- Clean the ears.
Step 01 – Gather all dog grooming tools
It is essential to have all equipment before you start grooming. You need,
- Strong leash
- a washbasin, tap, or water shower
- Dog shampoo
- brush
- Dry towels
- Dog nail clippers
- Good sprayer
- Dog powder
- Clean cotton wads
You should place all tools within reachable distance from where you groom the dog.
Step 02 – Remove any mats or tangles
Look for matted or tangled hair areas, then you can apply a detangle solution to quickly remove those tangles.
Step 03 – Pre bath trimming or clipping
After the entire matted and tangled are cleared, then you can do hair clipping or trim.
German shorthaired pointer doesn’t need much trimming or clipping because he is not a long-haired breed. When you trim the dog, you may use a dog-grooming sheer or a regular hair-cutting scissor.
Suggested Reading: Why won’t your clippers won’t cut the dog’s hair?
Step 04 – Brushing / Combing
You may give your dog a good brush-down before bath him.
When we consider brushes, there are various types of brushes in the market. GSP is a shorthaired dog, so you can use a soft-bristle brush that works well on the dog’s coat.
Step 05 – Bathing
Bathing is essential to keep your dog hygiene. I have mentioned above how to bath your GSP and what the benefits are from it.
By the way, here is why does your dog sleeps after baths?
Step 06 – Drying
After finishing the above step, dry the dog’s coat, hair, and skin using a dry towel.
Step 07 – Trim toy nails
As a dog owner, you should trim its nails before the nails become snag. In this process, you may need someone else to hold the dog while you trim the dog’s nails.
Step 08 – Clean the ears
The build-up of dirt and excess wax in the dogs’ ears cause them to smell bad. It is essential to clean the ears to keep them dry and free of wax.
Now you are ended with the grooming session.
More you groom your German shorthaired pointer, lower infections, and the doggy smell. Make grooming your dog an enjoyable & funny experience for you and your four-legged friend.
Additionally, you can have excellent leisure time when you grooming your German shorthaired pointer pet.
Things To Be Aware Of
Make a regular time period to bathe him. Frequent bathing can be harmful to their skin & coat. Over bathing, your GSP depletes natural oils in their coat; the dog can dry out their skin.
Don’t use human shampoo for bathing dogs. Human shampoo is too harsh for your German shorthaired pointer’s skin because dogs’ skin has a different thickness and pH than human skin.
Conclusion
All dog breeds have a natural doggy scent. Unfortunately, some people have an awful feeling about this, and they are trying to ignore dogs. That is really regrettable.
As a veterinary medical student, I am supposed to dog owners look after your pet well, give a healthy diet, and do proper grooming and bathing.
That will keep the German shorthaired pointer healthy coat and reduce the doggy smell. Hope you all enjoy my article & get an idea about to keep better care of your German shorthaired pointer dog in a proper way.
Good luck & stay safe.
