Do you have a border collie at home?
Whether you have or planning to get one, it is essential to know as much as you can about the breed.
I will today answer one such question, which is, do border collies smell?
I will answer not only this question but also other relevant details as well.
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Do Border Collies Smell? – 6 Possible Reasons
Yes, border collies do smell. But when you compare it with other breeds having a similar odor, you will realize that they are more hygienic.
However, still, they do often smell.
By now, you might think, what are the reasons behind border collies smelling?
There are numerous reasons why border collies smell. Lets look at the six most common.
1. Excessive Bath
However, this reason is extremely true. Border collies need to be bathed only up to 4 times a year.
The reason for the same is that their skin consists of natural oils which take care of hygiene and odor elimination.
The problem is that when you bathe your border collies regularly, the shampoo or cleansing agents will eliminate the oils present in the skin.
Once the skin is devoid of natural oils, it tries to compensate. Due to the same, it produces a large amount of natural oil.
When that happens, the odor of the natural oils makes your dog smelly. Not only that, it results in greasy hair of your dog as well, which further adds to the odor.
Thus, no matter the quantity of shampoo, an excessive bath can make your border collies smell.
2. Yeast Infection
The next reason which I am highlighting now is common among various breeds.
Yeast infection can happen on the paws and skin of the dog. Often, it is in the paws because seldom do dog owners clean them.
Yeast infection certainly leads to bad odor among dogs. Thus, yeast infection is another reason why your border collies might smell.
3. Dental Problems
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One of the main reasons why border collies smell is because of bad breath. Bad breath can be due to dental problems in your dog.
The causes for the same be quite a few like:
- Gum disease
- Bad eating habits
- Improper dental hygiene
Even though border collies do not need a bath frequently, brushing is a necessity.
You need to buy [amazon link=”B00B5RFJB2″ title=”tooth brushing kit” link_icon=”amazon” /] for your dog and help them maintain proper dental hygiene by frequent brushing.
Doing so will ensure that your border collies will not smell due to bad breath.
4. Skin Infection
Yeast infection is not the only reason why your dog might smell. There are a few others as well, which include:
- Ringworm
- Folliculitis
Most of these infections result in a bad odor. These infections often result in dry skin as well. Due to the same, the dog will produce a high amount of oil which can result in a bad odor.
These infections often result in bacteria producing a foul odor.
As a result, when your dog is suffering from such infections, there are multiple reasons why your dog might smell when he/she is suffering from an infection.
5. Dirt In Fur
Do you take your dog around for walks frequently?
If so, your dog might get stuck in bushes. It is the normal behavior of border collies to rub against dirty walls or swim in the lake or river. All these results in the dirt getting stuck in the fur coat of your dog.
When that happens, over time, it can result in a foul odor as well.
While you need not bathe your border collies frequently, it is important to remove these foreign substances from your dog’s fur coat.
Doing so will ensure that the dog will not smell. If you aren’t able to remove these foreign substances, it is a good idea to wash him/her down.
Rather than using a shampoo, you have to use water. It will not eliminate the natural oils, and therefore odor will not occur due to excessive bathing.
You can do so up to 4 times a week.
With this simple tip, you can prevent your border collies from smelling.
6. Ear Infection
Another problem that can result in odor in border collies is an ear infection. The reason for the same is the moisture around the ears of border collies.
Due to this fact, this ear area can get infected. Once the ear infection occurs, it can result in a foul odor.
By observing the ear area, you can detect the infection.
In case you aren’t able to detect it, you can notice the behavior of the dog. If your border collie often scratches the ear area, it can indicate ear infection as well.
When it is coupled with a foul odor, you can conclude that the foul odor is due to an ear infection.
Thus, these are the reasons why border collies smell.
However, there are a few ways in which you can avoid your border collie from smelling as well. I will highlight these tips below.
How To Prevent Border Collies From Smelling?
Once you follow these few tips, it will become easier to prevent border collies from smelling.
Regular Supervision
The best way to prevent foul odor among border collies is to inspect the fur coat regularly. When you inspect the fur coat, you can detect the foreign substances in time. After that, you can easily remove those foreign substances.
Apart from regular supervision, it is a good idea to brush the fur coat regularly as well. While brushing, you will be able to inspect the fur coat easily.
You can do so up to 4 times a week. It will take 15 minutes in a single instance. By doing so, you can prevent foul odor in your dog.
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Doing so will also ensure that your dog does not suffer from an entangled fur coat that will benefit his/her skin and the fur coat.
Clean The Paws After Walking
As I have highlighted above, one of the main reasons why border collies might smell is because of the walking sessions outdoors.
Thus, if you prevent the same, you have to wash the paws after every walking session. Washing takes a couple of minutes.
Once again, you have to avoid soap and shampoo. You have to use normal lukewarm water.
You can eliminate the bacteria in no time. Once you eliminate the bacteria regularly, you won’t have to worry about odor as well.
After washing, you have to ensure that you are drying your dog’s feet and then letting him/her inside.
With this simple tip, maintaining proper hygiene for your dog is certainly possible.
Brush Your Border Collie Regularly
How often do you brush the teeth of your border collies?
Most dog owners do not do so at all. However, you need to do so if you want to eliminate foul odor due to bad breath.
Firstly, you have to get a [amazon link=”B00B5RFJB2″ title=”dog teeth brushing kit” link_icon=”amazon” /].
The kit will provide you with detailed instructions to brush the teeth of your dog. Not only that, it will let you know how to inspect the dental hygiene for your dog as well.
With such a kit, it will become easier to avoid foul odor due to bad breath.
Even then, if you notice swollen gums or other such problems, you might have no other alternative but to contact your vet.
Choose His/Her Diet Properly
The diet is very important for any dog. The diet can easily make your dog smell.
Wondering how?
Firstly, it can result in bad breath in your dogs.
Not only that, it can dry the skin of your dog. Once that happens, there will be excessive oil secretion.
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That is why; it is a good idea to buy dog food from premium brands. Only once you do so can you be certain that there will be no preservatives or chemicals in the diet of your dog. Consequently, your dog will remain healthy, and that will keep foul odor at bay as well.
With these four tips, you can prevent your border collies from smelling.
However, often, when the problem is severe, you might have to take your dog to the vet as well.
Wondering when to do so?
I will answer this below.
Should You See A Vet If Your Border Collie Smells?
In case you aren’t able to determine the cause of your border collies smelling, it is good to contact your vet.
The vet can diagnose the problem in a much better way. Not only that, the vet will help you solve the problem as well.
Conclusion
Thus, border collies do smell, but once you diagnose the problem and fix it, it will become easier for you to tackle it.
As a breed, border collies can smell, but you can certainly tackle this problem with the help of my guide above.
Not only that, but my guide above will also help you maintain proper hygiene for your border collie.
