Doghouse

00112984

Right, did a little test today- I have a very, very keen sense of smell.

Went out for an hour leaving my pets (a dog and a rabbit) in the livingroom. Came back and had a sniff and tried to be as unbiased as possible.

In chronological order, the smells that hit me were:
Bolognese sauce (made earlier today and sitting on the hob to cool before freezing)
Smell from the rabbit cage. Actually, this was bad enough. There's some broccoli in there that I gave her last night and she didn't finish so it smells stale, combined with a litter tray that needs to be cleaned.
An unlit lemon-scented candle
General hot/electric smell (TV was left on and the window was closed)
Toast (there's always a smell of toast in my house)
A Dentastix chew-type thing.

I genuinely could not smell dog. I tried. I even sniffed the cushion where the dog was sitting but nothing except the stench of a lingering doggy fart. Now, I have to say, I have a small dog and she hates getting wet so don't have to worry about the wet dog aroma and she's very prissy so doesn't go digging in mud or anything an she's groomed regularly and her toys and dishes are washed often too.

I guess the main acid(-tongued) test would be my critical mother who wouldn't be able to stop herself remarking on the place smelling of dog when she visits but she never has and that's not through politeness.

So, OP, in reponse to your first post, I can guarantee you that my home smells of various things, most of them pleasant but the dog isn't one of them.

QED.

cotton

I'm a smoker with 4 large dogs & 10 indoor only cats (who's litter trays or poo haven't caused us blindness yet :rolleyes:) so according to you, my house must reek. It doesn't.
My dogs are happy, my cats are happy, our friends don't complain so we're happy.
We're not disgusting, what I do think is disgusting is people that leave their dogs outside, apart from the family in case they might smell.

hblock21

cotton wrote: »

I'm a smoker with 4 large dogs & 10 indoor only cats (who's litter trays or poo haven't caused us blindness yet :rolleyes:) so according to you, my house must reek. It doesn't.
My dogs are happy, my cats are happy, our friends don't complain so we're happy.
We're not disgusting, what I do think is disgusting is people that leave their dogs outside, apart from the family in case they might smell.

Just to reiterate in case people don't know,

Dog poo can (in the unluckiest of family's) cause a form of blindness in children. It does so each year mainly picked up in parks, gardens etc. But as I said above a dog could roll in his poo or something then go into the house, rub off the couch, roll on the carpet.

Then your (or friends/sisters/brothers) baby crawls over to you crossing over the now stained carpet, then pawing at the now stained couch wanting to be picked up by mammy or daddy.

Then he/she sucks his thumb.

Saying all that I'm sure if you do live with your dog you worm it regularly, so then you won't have such tragedy. Only the stained carpet and couch which isn't a tragedy per say just an inconvenience?.

Read the following link http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/ate/childrenshealth/200336.html

overmantle

I love dogs. Was thinking of getting one but after reading this, I'm thinking again!

overmantle

I HAD BEEN THINKING ALL ABAOUT THE WALKING, THE FEEDING, THE POSSIBLE BARKING THAT MAY DISTURB NEIGHBOURS, THE SHEDDING OF HAIR BUT DIDN'T THINK OF THE SMELL.

wexford202

cotton wrote: »

I'm a smoker with 4 large dogs & 10 indoor only cats (who's litter trays or poo haven't caused us blindness yet :rolleyes:) so according to you, my house must reek. It doesn't.
My dogs are happy, my cats are happy, our friends don't complain so we're happy.
We're not disgusting, what I do think is disgusting is people that leave their dogs outside, apart from the family in case they might smell.

You see it's the litter trays that really get to me.

I hate them with a passion. Why can't the cat go outside to poo.

I have to go in the front door of my sisters house as whenever I see the litter tray at the back door I start to heave.

I am a believer in letting your pet into the house though as there is no point in having something and shutting it out in the cold or the rain like we have at the minute.

10 Cats is a massive amount of cats. I am sure you are a very clean person with a well kept house but unfortunately the reality is they would be throwing bacteria all over your house. It's something you can't see and unless you bleach and mop everywhere every single day your house would be full of bacteria.

Blueprint

It's a well known and scientifically proven fact that children who grow up with pets are healthier and have a better immune system. Whereas children who grow up in overly clean sterile "don't let the child out in case it gets its hands dirty" type houses often end up with chronic health problems like asthma because their immune systems turn in on themselves due to a lack of exercise.

hblock21

overmantle wrote: »

I love dogs. Was thinking of getting one but after reading this, I'm thinking again!

That shouldn't stop you from getting a dog. As long as your able to look after one / have the space / worm it / and be aware of want it brings into the house, a dog can be a great companion.

Whispered

hblock21 wrote: »

That shouldn't stop you from getting a dog. As long as your able to look after one / have the space / worm it / and be aware of want it brings into the house, a dog can be a great companion.

Ah but in all fairness, if this thread made that poster decide not to get a dog, it's probably for the best.

cotton

wexford202 wrote: »

10 Cats is a massive amount of cats. I am sure you are a very clean person with a well kept house but unfortunately the reality is they would be throwing bacteria all over your house. It's something you can't see and unless you bleach and mop everywhere every single day your house would be full of bacteria.

What sort of bacteria?
If I was to bleach my house everyday, none of us would have an immune system left.

OP, we don't have carpet anywhere in the house as that would be unhygenic. Plus we don't have kids, nor do our friends.
All our pets are wormed regularly.

Alun

wexford202 wrote: »

It's something you can't see and unless you bleach and mop everywhere every single day your house would be full of bacteria.

So what?

Did you know that there are more bacteria in the average human body than there are normal human cells by a factor of approx. 10 to 1? Our bodies rely on bacteria in may complex ways to survive, if we didn't have them we'd die.

wexford202

All I am saying is the quantity of poo from 10 cats would be a large amount by any standards. It contains campylobacteriosis, streptococci, and staphylococci. The amount of bacteria from ten cats therefore would be a very great amount and would need to be killed properly using cleaning agents.

Exposure to the stools of one or two animals wouldn't require as much cleaning but ten is definitely a very large amount of aminals to have in a house at any given time.

I allow my pet in the house. A dog who rules the roost and I do believe that pets should be let in the house.

I am not saying to have the place clincally clean but you cannot deny that having ten or twelve animal in your house would mean that you would clean the same amount as having just one!

hblock21

cotton wrote: »

What sort of bacteria?
If I was to bleach my house everyday, none of us would have an immune system left.

OP, we don't have carpet anywhere in the house as that would be unhygenic. Plus we don't have kids, nor do our friends.
All our pets are wormed regularly.

I think in all honesty 14(!) pets in the one house is a tad on the unmanageable side. You cannot (in all [FONT=&quot]candidness[/FONT]) say a house with that many animals running around would not be tipping over the edge (to put it one way) hygienically wise. Ofcourse if you like it that way...

overmantle

hblock21 wrote: »

That shouldn't stop you from getting a dog. As long as your able to look after one / have the space / worm it / and be aware of want it brings into the house, a dog can be a great companion.

I know, thanks. But I suppose it reminded me of friends of mine when I was a child who always kept dogs in their house. There was always an awful smell around.

star-pants

overmantle wrote: »

I know, thanks. But I suppose it reminded me of friends of mine when I was a child who always kept dogs in their house. There was always an awful smell around.

Doesn't mean there'll be an awful smell in your house. Depends on the dogs/ the owners / how they keep their house.

FunkyMissMonkey

I must admit I am very confused by some of the posts in this thread.

Why bother having a dog at all, if it is left outside, never allowed in the house, and the only contact you have with it is when you go out to visit it? Dogs are sociable animals, they like to be around their pack (which means you, and your family).

Do you go and sit outside with the dog of an evening when it's pouring with rain? Do you spend quality time with your dog every day, playing with it, entertaining it, or is it a quick 5 minutes to see the dog then in to watch the tv.

If I got a pet, I'd want it indoors with me, as part of the family. I would get an animal as a companion, not a lawn ornament to take out on walks occasionally.

cotton

wexford202 wrote: »

All I am saying is the quantity of poo from 10 cats would be a large amount by any standards. It contains campylobacteriosis, streptococci, and staphylococci. The amount of bacteria from ten cats therefore would be a very great amount and would need to be killed properly using cleaning agents.

Exposure to the stools of one or two animals wouldn't require as much cleaning but ten is definitely a very large amount of aminals to have in a house at any given time.

I allow my pet in the house. A dog who rules the roost and I do believe that pets should be let in the house.

I am not saying to have the place clincally clean but you cannot deny that having ten or twelve animal in your house would mean that you would clean the same amount as having just one!

There is a very good case that as my cats don't get out, pick up allsorts, kill other animals etc, they have far less bacteria than outdoor cats.
Also, as I feed them designated indoor food, their stools have 60% less odour & the amount of stools is far less. We don't have overflowing litter trays here, they are cleaned out 3 times a day. They don't smell.
If you heave at your sisters cats tray, then mabey it's something she's not doing, but don't assume everyone elses trays are going to be like that. Having this amount of cats, we've researched both food & litter throughly & applied what we feel is the best option to make our cats & us happy.
I have never said nor denied that having this amount of animals "would mean that you would clean the same amount as having just one!" That was you, not me.
Yes, I clean more than the average person, but I'm happy to, I would never have my cats or dogs living in conditions that weren't good for them.

I think in all honesty 14(!) pets in the one house is a tad on the unmanageable side. You cannot (in all candidness) say a house with that many animals running around would not be tipping over the edge (to put it one way) hygienically wise. Ofcourse if you like it that way...

Mabey the standards you have might not be able to deal with it, but mine can. We manage perfectly thanks. As can everyone else I know with more animals than I have.
And yes, we do like it this way, clean.
Trick is this, (it's not rocket science, just good husbandry.) We have someone home all day to care for the animals, over 2,500 sq.ft indoors, they're not exactly cramped in, a bloody good routine & 2 even better dysons, plus a massive catrun & a half an acre for the dogs to wander in. If you don't believe me, come visit.
Ask yourself this - how do people in rescue cope? Are they all not managing too?

Sigma Force

Can vouch for Cottons gaf her pets are gorgeous you could eat yer dinner off the floor put me to shame and I've less pets lol.

We had a lot of garlic tonight my pets smell like a field of flowers compared to us lot at the moment.

wexford202

Cotton

You said this in one of your posts
'What sort of bacteria?
If I was to bleach my house everyday, none of us would have an immune system left.

OP, we don't have carpet anywhere in the house as that would be unhygenic. Plus we don't have kids, nor do our friends.
All our pets are wormed regularly. '

You then go on to say in your next post that you have two dysons. Yes the dyson is great for getting rid of pet hair. I wouldn't live without mine but how does a dyson kill bacteria that has hit the floor from the thousands of falling hair.

Yes your house is tidy but tidy doesn't mean clean. There is no point in putting up a defence for the fact that you hoover more and that someone.

The size of the house is fairly irrelevant too. I have a house which is very large and I have one dog who is restricted on which rooms he goes into as unless he will let me attach a dyson to his backside to pick up the hairs everywhere he goes I am not going to spend my life hoovering and cleaning after him.

Rosie13

Actually some toy breeds are suppossed to live indoors!! for e.g the maltese has only one layer of silky fur with no undercoat. one of these would not survive if left outside at all times, same with most toy breeds. I have a small maltese and my house doesnt smell any different to before I got her. she is washed very regularly and hence always smells of baby powder.

flahers

Have two Samoyed's who are very loved family pets and crave adult company and I am an extremely house proud person. My house doesn't stink and I have to admit I have to hoover every day and wash the floors with bleach but my dogs mean the world to me and I couldn't have it any other way. Some of us can overlook the little problems

wexford202

flahers wrote: »

Have two Samoyed's who are very loved family pets and crave adult company and I am an extremely house proud person. My house doesn't stink and I have to admit I have to hoover every day and wash the floors with bleach but my dogs mean the world to me and I couldn't have it any other way. Some of us can overlook the little problems

I agree with you 100%

Yes it is great to have them inside but hygiene needs to be upped just like you do by washing your floors every day.:)

patmac

I have two dogs one has a cancerous growth that is not causing her too much trouble at the moment, but from time to time she doesn’t make it outside to the toilet so we have to clean up afterwards, but I would be more concerned about the welfare of the dogs than what anyone thought of our house.
As for the OP’s comments I stopped reading when he/she became all Howard Hughes like when talking about parasites etc, dogs or any animals are not for you.

hblock21

patmac wrote: »

I have two dogs one has a cancerous growth that is not causing her too much trouble at the moment, but from time to time she doesn’t make it outside to the toilet so we have to clean up afterwards, but I would be more concerned about the welfare of the dogs than what anyone thought of our house.
As for the OP’s comments I stopped reading when he/she became all Howard Hughes like when talking about parasites etc, dogs or any animals are not for you.

I grew up on a farm. My posts are not entirely about parasites and the like maybe you should have read on...

annefitzy

Hello Cotton
You keep up the good work you are a true ambassador for our feline friends and I for one think very highly of you. I have used a few of your ideas here in cork. Dont let anyone get you down girl....Us in animal welfare have a long way to go before we can educate the ignorant.
Hold your head high and stick with the people living in the real world

Love Anne aka Nessa