Question about English Cocker Spaniels and that 'doggy' smell

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Delphine627 Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone. For a while now, we've been visiting breeders with a view to getting a Cocker puppy. We’ve never had a dog before, only cats.

We’ve also been to see some Staffy and Frenchie breeders, so we haven’t quite made our minds up on the breed yet.

However, I do have a question: we’ve found that Cockers, even as puppies, have a very strong smell—much more so than other dogs. The scent seems to cling to your clothes and hands. We also dog-sat a neighbour's Cocker recently and he smelled really strong too, whereas we didn't notice any smell at all with the Staffies.

Is this normal? Are they a breed that's just prone to smelling quite a bit?

Thanks in advance for your replies. We’d really appreciate some more insight into the breed!

Translated from French
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    • D
    Delphine627 Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi, some dogs just have a stronger smell, but I suppose it also depends on their metabolism, their environment (space and climate) and how often they’re bathed, for example... I’m no expert, but you shouldn’t choose a puppy if the smell is going to bother you. You’d be tempted to bathe them far too often, and that’s not good for dogs... Thank you so much for your message :) Yes, you’re right, it’s not a good idea to get a puppy that’s already putting us off. When we looked after our neighbour’s dog, the house smelled really strong after just two days, as did every corner the dog went into, even though he was adorable. It’s a shame because Cockers really do have the sweetest little faces.
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    Julie-Cocker
    Julie-cocker Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there! Personally, I’ve raised English Cocker Spaniels and I’ve never had an issue with odour. However, hygiene can sometimes be a problem with some breeders, and the smell can get into their coat. Keep a close eye on their ears too, as in some kennels they don't always have the time to clean them, which can cause a really pungent smell. Most importantly, for the puppies' well-being, try to leave them with their mum until they are 3 months old.

    My pups left at 13 weeks and never pined for their littermates; they adapted to everything very quickly.

    You really need to be careful about the environment they’re living in—check if the mum is socialising them well and if they have plenty to see and do to get them off to a good start.

    Good luck with your search!

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    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there, Some dogs just have a stronger smell than others, but I suppose it also depends on their activity levels, their environment (space and climate), and how often they’re bathed, for instance... I’m no expert, but I wouldn’t pick a puppy if their smell bothers you. You’d be tempted to give them a bath far too often, and that’s really not good for dogs...
    Translated from French

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