Dog Owners - Crate Odor, etc

[amanda6035]

Fellow dog owners.... need some advice.

We have 2 dogs, a beagle and a bagel (beagle/basset hound mix). Until about 6 months ago, we did not crate them - they had free reign of the house. Problem was, they were rough-housing with one another and we were coming home to puddles even when they hadn't been left alone for a very long period of time. Upon some advice, we decided to start crating them.

We have a spare room, and we ordered a 4 * 4 crate that they share now. This crate is in this room. We keep the room clean, we wash their blanket weekly, we have air fresheners, vaccuum regularly, have a ceiling fan running, we keep the door open for air circulation and for whatever reason the room stinks to gawd-awful high heavens and we cannot figure out how to keep the smell down to a reasonable level. Our dogs don't "stink." We bath them regularly. When they roamed the house freely, the house didn't stink. The rest of the house still doesn't stink. It's just that one room, and I feel like I have tried everything. I guess it's because they are closed up in tighter quarters now than they once were. They don't have accidents in the crate, so that's not it. I feel like I've tried everything and I'm not sure what else to do.

Anyone else have similar experiences? Any advice?

[WhiteRose1912]

What is the smell like, exactly? Wet dog? Waste?

My older dog has bad teeth, and consequently, really REALLY bad breath. When she naps in her crate and drools in her sleep, that awful, rancid smell really lingers. The stench generally stays in the area of the room by the crates, and my dogs are also both clean-smelling. I wipe up the wet spots with Clorox wipes and it helps. I can't imagine if it soaked into fabric like a blanket... bleargh.

If you need tips to get the smell out of the room, I can offer some, but I get the feeling you're more interested in eliminating the source of the odor.

[AZTheta]

OK this is something I have a lot of experience with, both my dogs have their own crates as well as their own beds out in the open. I do not have any problems whatsoever with dog accidents or odors or smells. And I don't bathe my dogs a lot, I just brush daily (they are Belgian Shepherds, double-coated, if I don't stay on top of it, it's out of control).

What kind of crate? Plastic? or metal? Are you using a crate pad? If you are, you need to have two of them and wash one every day. Sorry! Don't yell at me. If they're sharing a crate and it's big enough to pee in, they'll pee in it.

What type of floor is the crate sitting on? Carpet, wood, tile?

Males? Females? Neutered/spayed? Or intact?

Reason you are crating them together? My dogs each have their own crate. It is important to have a small enough crate that the dog will not urinate in it.

How old are the dogs?

Can you put up baby gates (keep them in a kitchen) or an x-pen in your house instead of a crate?

Answer (or not) as you see fit. Those are the questions that popped into my head when I read what you wrote.

[thetalady]

I am seriously into big dogs. I run a Labrador rescue and have at least a dozen crates. I have never seen a 4'x4' crate. Are you sure on the size? And I agree that the dogs really really need to be crated separately. Lots of reasons.... mostly safety issues.

[amanda6035]

Actually, it is an X-pen, I just called it a crate because have it secured in one corner of the room because these two play so much that if it weren't secured, they'd move it all over the place and who knows where it would be when we got home.

The beagle is a 3 year old girl and the bagel is a 7 year old male.

Flooring - laminate, but we have an area rug under the crate/pen to keep it from getting too cold.

No crate pad, just the area rug and a big blanket that they share. I think the blanket may be the problem.... but we wash it very regularly. I wonder if we should get something different to put in there with them. Maybe this is the same concepts as the 2 crate pads and washing one every day.... ugh. I'll do that if that's what it takes to get rid of the gawd awful smell though!

We're crating them together because the Freckles (the male) doesn't do well by himself. That's why we got Sadie.

They haven't urinated in there. It's "sort of" a wet dog smell, but something a little more that I cannot quite put my finger on. I just don't get it.

Thanks, everyone!

[AZTheta]

X pens are not crates. That's a starter. You still have a problem.

I wash crate pads regularly, same as I wash my sheets. Same concept. Dogs have a higher body temp than we do, so unless it's like a meat locker in that room, they probably aren't as cold as you think.

They are urinating somewhwere. That large a space - it's a given. My bet is the beagle is lifting his leg and peeing on the wall. The smell may also be from the rug. You need to get info on crate training and go back to the drawing board.

Can you get a dog trainer to help you for a few visits? Sounds like that's in order.

If you really want to see if there's urine, get a black light.

[Maman]

Agree. The dogs should be crated separately. Do not just buy a second x-pen.

[andthen]

I agree with the advice of the others regarding use of x-pen vs. crate.

I adopted a dog from the pound, she was about 3 when I got her. I didn't know a whole lot about her history but I ended up buying a crate since I knew I'd be away at work. Thankfully it looked like she was crate trained by her previous owners as she willingly got into the crate. With all that said, I had a padded bed in the crate for her and that would stink to high hell if I didn't wash it weekly. Under the padded bed there was a plastic floor liner which I'd also wipe down with Nature's Miracle. As over time plastic can retain smells. I didn't have issues with the dog going to the bathroom in the crate except for maybe once or twice when she had a stomach issue.

Good luck with the dog training!

[thetalady]

There is a good chance that the dogs are still wrestling & playing hard if they are crated together. That is a lot of hot doggie breath and dog slobber on both of them. That will be stinky.

Try crating them separately and see if that doesn't solve the problem. I strongly advocate wire crates over plastic. You can get crates at very good prices on Ebay. Don't buy the cheapest ones listed, though. They can be very flimsy.

[AZTheta]

^^^Lsten to thetalady, she knows what she's talking about.

ETA: sorry but I just bite the bullet on laundry. Two Belgian Shepherds = a helluva lotta hair which can trap odors (esp. the female). Yes it's a hassle but I choose to do it. That's me.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by thetalady

That is a lot of hot doggie breath and dog slobber on both of them..

This is the most disgusting sentence on the internet all day.