My half-bred shih tzu is my smelliest dog. My other dogs who are of mixed breed doesn't have this problem. I give each a bath every 4 days (one dog a day) and the half shih tzu gets stinky quickly. Then I started feeding them leftovers because I forgot to get pet food and the shih tzu didn't stink as badly. Is it possible that it is the dog food?
Well, if you're feeding all of your dogs the same type of food, there's your control variable right there. It's probably NOT the food if they're all taking it and your shih tzu is the only one getting stinky. It probably has to do with its hair. Shih tzus are living mops. You might need to groom her more than your other dogs.
I think people underestimate the difference in dog and cat food brands. The cheapest cat food, brand (Meow Mix), for example, gave our cat the WORST GAS and the smelliest poop ever. I mean, far and away worst stink we've experienced with that cat. It wasn't even worth it to save the money for the stench he had all the time. So I actually think that yes, the dog food could be causing the stink. Think about how certain foods affect humans - our gas or our sweat.
It could be.. just like humans, dogs can absorb things differently, depending on many things. And just like humans, you can stink a lot more depending on what you eat.
I think you might have a point there, as I noticed the same thing with my puppy. When he is on Lamb and Rice dog food, he has this horrible smell in general, so I switch him back to chicken and rice now. He seems to have less odor about him.
It's either something your dog is eating or something your dog is getting into. It's strange if they're all eating the same food but there are other things dogs get into their mouth, as you every well know. You can try another food & see if that solves the problem. If not you may want to strap a GoPro on that guy & live a day in the life.
It's not so much on what they eat. What causes dogs to stink is probably lack of hygiene. If they're always rolling around on dirty surfaces or accidentally pee on their fur, then it's inevitable for them to smell bad. Compared to cats, dogs don't clean their furs that much. They don't even mind sleeping on their own waste. If you regularly bathe them, then your dogs will not smell as bad.
