[*Spikey*]

Many of you would know that I have three lovely dogs and a cat, who is in charge of everyone.

On Sunday, DH and I decided it was time to empty the wading/splashing pool as the holidays were over and we're not playing in it (well, the dogs were, but that's another story).

As with anything that has denied oxygen to the grass underneath, the rotting stench when we lifted to pool and the tarps underneath was eye-watering. It was raining though, so we figured it would be de-stunk fairly quickly.

This is true. By Monday morning, the smell had all but disappated. Unfortunately, not before one of my dogs decided that this would be her new perfume of choice.

Unlike her furry partners, who merely sniffed and scratched at the offending place, my middle dog (the one who has the densest, furriest, most difficult coat to clean and groom) decided to roll in it.

When she came indoors, no human would allow her within 10 feet - it was vile. Poor dog looked quite offended and sad - but no way was I touching her fur with THAT on it. She got sprayed with doggy deo, but even that wasn't sufficient to kill off the smell.

You know its bad when she went to her crate (sad and sorry for herself) and both the other dogs left their's, because she smelled so badly. Yes, the labrador (who is generally a fan of interesting smells) couldn't stand her and chose to sleep elsewhere. Even junior Elkhound refused to annoy her, because she smelled so bad.

So, what was I doing at 6:00am on a dark cold and raining Monday morning? Yep - washing the dog.

She smells better now - and has chosen not to attempt to re-apply her perfume. And the rest of her family are very grateful...

Any one else had an encounter of the nose-pegging kind?

[la di dah]

My dog thought a skunk was a kitty (she likes cats...) and tried to give it a good friendly snuffle. It was dark and my brother who was walking her - on leash - really had thought it was a cat. It was not a cat at all. Fortunately the skunk was a bit dopey and when my brother realized what it was had time to back the stupid dog up and head off determinedly in another direction.

My mom had previously had to wash a skunked dog in tomato juice to get the smell out, and that dog did NOT like baths... she said it looked very much like a murder scene by the time she was done scrubbing a hyperventilating tomato-juiced little mongrel. He was an AGILE little beast too, and he could do backflips when upset.

My mom never forgot the Skunk Incident.

[Foogle]

The Airedale is in love with rotting things and horse poo. I have never owned a dog so immune to the smell of dead things (and subsequently herself).

Dead spiders ie: big huntsman's - rolls in it

Dead lizards - the little skink type - rolls in it

Dead lizards - the larger ones ie: blue-tongues - rolls in it

The neighbours horses - leaves the horses alone, goes hell for leather to the poo pile - rolls in it

We have fixed the horse poo issue with new gates. The other roll in things we can't do much about. She finds them on the acreage.

Needless to say, she finds herself in the shower recess quite a lot. I've never had this issue with any other dog I've owned and the Springer spaniel - he just thinks she's vile.

[*Spikey*]

Can I just say how glad I am that we don't have skunks out here? I know they can become quite tame and friendly (like some of our possums), but I am in awe and terror of the potential smell factor. And I'd hate to try to wash Ursa with tomato juice - that would be all kind of bad.

[*Spikey*]

I think we all would have been happier with horse poo as the choice of fragrance....

[countrymel]

My sister's dog was very partial to 'Eau de Festering Penguin Carcass' - she would also compliment this delightful scent by drinking some sea water and vomiting it up again on the way home.

[la di dah]

I really like skunks. I've known pet skunks who were friendly little things. But they were de-scented and they STILL smelled like smellier-than-normal ferrets - who don't smell like roses themselves.

And temperment-wise skunks remind me of placid cats, and placid cats don't generally smell like stank-ass ferret.

My other dog found a dead squirrel and not only wanted to play with it but another dog barking at him and he tried to offer it some squirrel as a peaceful gesture. It was REVOLTING but the thing was so freshly road-killed it didn't reek. It was like the worst pinata. But no smell.

I wasn't feeling lucky that day though, I must say.

[*Spikey*]

I have visions of Pepe Le Pew running around in my head now.



Mel, I think festering penguin carcass, with that subtle dead fish thing going on, may possibly be the vilest stench anyone is likely to encounter in Australia. Eeeeew, doggy, eeeeew.

[Romeo Void]

My Australian Terrier was let off leash at a park. He disappeared into some long grass and after about a minute came bouncing out with what looked like clay/mud chunks mashed into the shaggy fur around his neck. Not mud. Human feces. Someone had shat in the grass and dear Basil had decorated himself with brown baubles. DH had to re attach the lead and walk him home and wash him, I just couldn't bring myself to go anywhere near him.

[Paddlepop]

I've dealt with human excrement on a dog too. Absolutely disgusting. Strange how my father and brother were too busy to wash the dog and it was left to me. I was about 12yo.

The blue stumpy tailed cattle dog had gone for his usual roam across the highway to the rest area opposite our house (I know, naughty owners for letting him roam. 20+ yrs ago, country area, standard dog practice). Overnight camping is allowed there. Clearly someone had been too lazy to walk to the toilets and had instead used the long grass at the edge of the rest area.

It was all over his back and he had clearly rolled in it because it was matted in. I had to wash him two or three times to get it off and get rid of any smell. He was very unimpressed with being bathed and having his new perfume removed. Thankfully he didn't attempt to reapply it. I think that he realised that it wasn't worth it.