Do Boston Terriers Smell & How To Stop It!

Boston Terriers are smart, sweet, and gentle… but there is a slight caveat. For some reason, they seem to have a reputation for being a little, well… stinky. So, is this a reputation that they deserve or bad press?

Do Boston Terriers smell?

Today we’re going to explore the subject of Boston Terriers and why they occasionally smell a bit less sweet than flowers. We’ll go over the various scents that you might encounter and give you some tips that you can use to remediate this. With a little attention and care, your Boston Terrier will smell fresh and fine.

You just need to know what those scents mean! Let’s get started, and you can find out.

Table of Contents

Do Boston Terriers Smell?

In general, no. Boston Terriers don’t naturally have a bad smell to them, but they can when they get a little sick. As these little guys are can get sick easily, those smells are actually doing you a favor so that you know that you’ll need to take action so that your Terrier can get back to feeling 100%.

Why Does Your Boston Terrier Smell So Bad?

Typically, if your Boston Terrier is smelling a bit ripe, then it boils down to a handful of reasons. We’ll list them out for you and then give you a little more information on each. If your Boston Terrier smells bad, then it is likely due to one of the following:

It could be an ear infection
Your dog might have leaky anal glands
A Yeast infection is possible
Oral infection could be the culprit
Your Boston Terrier might just need a bath

It Could Be An Ear Infection

Your Boston Terrier can get an ear infection quite easily, especially if they like to play in the water. If your dog likes water, always be sure to dry out its ears after play, and it can help to prevent this in the future. Now, to test if the smell might be from an ear infection, just take a quick whiff of your dog’s ears, and you’ll know right away.

There are also some symptoms which you can watch for:

Redness inside the ear and/or swelling on the outside
Bloody, yellow, or brown discharge leaking from the ear
Lots of aggressive ear scratching and head shaking
Your dog seems to have lost their balance

Your Dog Might Have Leaky Anal Glands

Sometimes your Terrier’s anal glands can get impacted, and the pressure leads to leakage. You can clean these yourself if you have the stomach for it, and there are numerous YouTube that can show you how; otherwise, your vet can do it in a jiffy. It’s quite painful for your dog, however, so you’ll want to get it taken care of quickly.

As far as symptoms, you’ll likely notice the fishy smell first. You’ll also typically see your dog dragging its behind on the ground, and they will lick their anus a lot. Closer examination will likely reveal telltale-swelling as well.

A Yeast Infection Is Possible

Have you ever given your dog a bath and then noticed that they smell like tortilla chips afterward? It sounds strange, but it happens, and that smell on your dog is usually indicative of one thing.

A yeast infection.

This could be on their feet or actually on their coat, and there are a number of symptoms that your dog will likely be exhibiting as well. They include:

Scaly or greasy skin
Lots of scratching and licking
Swelling may be present in the infected areas
Occasional hair loss
Drooling
Discoloration of the skin is sometimes present

Oral Infection Could Be The Culprit

Sometimes your dog is smelly due to oral infection-related halitosis. It makes sense, after all. If your dog has bad breath and they are licking themselves, then that smell just gets distributed. To check this out, you’ll want to first get your dog to stay still and to examine the inside of their mouth for any signs of sores or infection.

You should also check their teeth, as well, especially with older dogs. While all the chewing that they do normally keep a dog’s teeth fairly pristine, those teeth aren’t invulnerable, so give it a check to see. During this, you’ll certainly notice if your dog has less-than-pristine breath, and that might well be the culprit.

Now, if your dog has smelly breath, but you aren’t a sign of infection, it might potentially be something more serious. Bad breath may also be symptoms of the following:

Diabetes
Sinusitis
Kidney problems
Liver disease
Gastrointestinal issues

It could also just be your dog’s diet, but you know what you feed them, so you should be able to rule that one out with a little common sense, or if you aren’t sure, switch to kibble for a day or two and see if you notice a change.

Your Boston Terrier Might Just Need A Bath

As a general rule, it’s okay to give your dog a bath a minimum of once every 4 to 6 weeks, unless they manage to get themselves very dirty every time that they play. So, if you only wait until your dog is stinky to give them a bath, then try adopting an every 4 – 6-week schedule.

Use a good doggy shampoo, and your furry friend will smell fresh for a long time!

If Your Dog Is Displaying These Symptoms Then A Vet Visit Might Be In Order:

Aside from needing a bath, if your dog shows any of our other listed conditions, it’s time for a vet checkup. Infections are not something that you want to leave unchecked, so why not play it safe? Take your Boston Terrier in for a checkup and see what the vet says.

They’ll get it sorted out for you, and your Boston Terrier will be back to bouncing happily around the living room in record time.

How To Stop Your Boston Terrier Smelling

If the vet has declared your dog healthy and the smell seems to persist, then there are a few strategies that you can use to turn the tables to make your Boston Terrier smell much, much better. Try one of the following to ‘hack’ your dog into a new, pleasant freshness:

Diet hack – Try taking corn, soy, and wheat out of your dog’s diet. These foodstuffs all fuel yeast and if your dog keeps getting yeast infections then this might be exactly what the doctor ordered. You can also cut down on your dog’s carbs to make an impact, as well.
2 beds are better than 1 – When your dog only has 1 bed it doesn’t always get cleaned as regularly, so smells, germs, and bacteria can build up on that bed something fierce! Invest in a second bed so that you can swap them out and get in the habit of cleaning them often. This might just do the trick.
Make sure you are drying them thoroughly – Moisture in your Terrier’s ears can cause ear infections and moisture in their coat can cause ‘hot spots’, a skin infection that you don’t want your doggy to suffer. Combat this by drying your dog thoroughly with after playing in water and after baths so that bacteria doesn’t’ stand a chance.
Coconut oil makes for coconut doggies – Rubbing coconut oil in your dog’s skin weekly makes them smell amazing and you can even use it to combat a yeast infection. Coconut oil helps to stop the spread of a yeast infection and can help as a preventative measure against candida fungus too! Give it a try, there’s nothing quite like having a cute coconut dog in the house!
Teeth cleaning treats can freshen your dog’s breath – There are a number of chew toys and treats out there that double as dental hygiene aids, so don’t hesitate to give some of these a try. They brush your dog’s teeth and many of them are designed to aid with breath as well. You can also brush your dogs’ teeth from time to time just to hedge your bets.
Wash their bed in baking soda and oils – A little insider tip is to wash your Boston Terrier’s bed in baking soda, adding a dash of scented oil in the process. The baking soda will absorb all of the bad odors, leaving only the nice scent that you have selected for your dog’s bed. This is a great way to give your dog a signature smell that you and everyone else will love!
Waterless dog shampoos for the win – When it comes to keeping odors at bay, waterless dog shampoos are a great thing to have. These shampoos typically have antifungal and antimicrobial qualities to them and typically come in different scents so that you can see which one strikes your fancy. It doesn’t require an actual bath, think of it as antimicrobial hand-gel but for dogs.
Doggy wipes – Doggy wipes can help to keep your dog’s behind clean and they are handy to have just in case you need to clean your dog during anal leakage. It’s an unpleasant thought, but sometimes you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. Be prepared by having doggie wipes on hand and if it doesn’t bother you, clean these areas from time to time as a preventative measure. A clean Terrier is a happy Terrier!

Do Boston Terriers Smell More Than Other Dogs?

They actually smell better than most dogs. They have a thin layer of fur, so you don’t get that ‘wet dog’ smell often, and they generally smell quite nice. If your dog is smelly and they’ve had a bath, then it’s time to check our symptoms list because something might be going on with your dog’s health.

Want To Train Your Boston Terrier With Peace Of Mind?

If you haven’t trained your Boston Terrier properly, then this is the perfect time to start. Whatever bad behavior your shepherd has, whether it’s barking at night or other bad behaviors, using the right training program is the key to having an obedient and happy pup.

The training program I love and highly recommend is Brain Training For Dogs.

With Brain Training For Dogs, you’ll save yourself a ton of time and effort. Instead of banging your head against the wall trying to figure out why your dog won’t listen, you’ll follow a path that has been tried, tested, and most importantly, that’s given proven results. Not to mention the fact, you’ll be able to fit the course around your schedule, not fit your schedule around a trainer or obedience class.

So instead of worrying about whether they’re going to be well-behaved or not, you’ll only have to worry about how much fun you’ll have with them!

And in most cases, it’s still going to be:

Cheaper than hiring a professional.
Cheaper than replacing everything they might break.
And definitely cheaper than a lawsuit against you, if they decide to bite someone.

Just imagine how great it will feel to finally be able to trust your Boston Terrier completely and never worry whether they’ll be naughty or not. Instead, you’ll have the peace of mind that you have a well-behaved pup, and the boundaries you set for them will always be there, EVEN IF YOU’RE NOT.

And the best part is it also has a 60-day money-back guarantee! So there’s no reason not to give Brain Training For Dogs a try!

So if you’re tired of your dog’s bad behavior or how they react around other people and pooches, then give it a try! You’ll be amazed by the results!

(You can also check out a full review here to learn exactly what the course has to offer!)

In conclusion

Today we’ve talked about whether or not Boston Terriers are smelly, and as it turns out, they’re really not bad at all. When they do smell, it’s not their fault and might even be blamed on their owner if the bathing schedule is lax! Beyond baths, we’ve explored the different smells and symptoms that can indicate a health problem so that you’ll be prepared on that front.

All in all, you should now be prepared to deal with any untoward scents that come from your Boston Terrier. So, if your dog is a little bit stinky, then check them out to make sure that they don’t need a vet visit, keep those baths regular, and your dog should come out smelling like… well, not a rose, but a very clean (or very coconut) little dog!