Dog Perfume & Cologne

There are two different products sold under this heading and it is worth knowing which one you are buying. A cologne or perfume adds a scent on top of whatever the coat already smells like. A deodoriser works on the odour itself, neutralising the compounds rather than covering them. If your dog smells because it rolled in something, a deodoriser is the honest answer; if it is clean and you simply like the finish, a cologne does the job.

Use less than you think. A dog's sense of smell is orders of magnitude better than ours, and a scent that reads as light to you can be overwhelming at nose height. Spray onto the coat from a distance, or onto your hands and then through the coat, and keep it well away from the face, ears and eyes. Avoid it entirely on puppies, on any dog with broken or irritated skin, and around cats in the household, since cats metabolise some essential oils poorly.

A persistent smell that comes back within a day or two is usually not a fragrance problem. Yeasty or musty odour on the skin, a smell coming from the ears, or breath that has changed all point at something a vet should look at, and no spray will fix it.

• Dog shampoo
• Dog conditioner
• All dog grooming supplies
• Plush Puppy