One of the most common complaints people have after visiting the home of loved ones with pets is generally the smell of dog odors. As a lifelong dog mom, I can attest that admitting to having dog odors is embarrassing: We all have the world’s greatest dog. No way can my dog emit a smell that visitors can detect. Is it that or perhaps we dog parents are “noseblind?” Heck, I live around my dog and when someone tells me his bully stick scent is enough to knock them over, it’s barely noticeable to me.
So I decided to go to the source: My dog, and ask him what he thinks. Dexter is our 7-years-young Cocker Spaniel. Could it really be that he stinks and I cannot detect it? He blames his stunt double for any dog odors in our household, see?
Since my wife is a former school teacher (with more degrees than a thermometer), I decided to send Dexter back to school…. the Febreze™School of Petiquette, that is. Here’s Darlene giving Dexter his first lesson:
According to a recent survey by Atomick, Darlene taught Dexter that:
• 49 percent of Americans say that they dread visiting homes with pets because of the smell
• 48 percent of Americans say that they could make out someone’s home simply by the odor
alone – particularly if that person has a pet
• 24 percent of Americans feel that pet smells are the most offensive within a home (second only
to the scent of garbage and coming in above the scent of smoke)
• When it comes to their own pet’s smells, the majority (60%) do say that they would hate it if
they thought their guests were thinking their homes smelled of animals
The Test Drive
Dexter loves car rides and he goes everywhere we go, from cross country road trips to local errands and down to the park and back. Car rides can be kept fresh by attaching a Febreze Car Vent Clip to the air vent for continuous odor removal. I have allergies and sensitivities to certain scents, but the Febreze linen and sky scent was aromatically pleasing and did not flare any sneezing fits. Dexter, of course, says his stunt double is the source of all hair and odors detected. And here’s hidden camera evidence to support his case:
Bedding Smells
One of Dexter’s favorite places to hang out is his doggie bed, which in between washes can accumulate a certain distinct “scent.” For an instant odor removal that leaves behind a light, fresh scent and is safe for dogs and cats, we tried the Febreze Air Effects spray. Again, the linen and sky scent did not cause me or the dog to sneeze. Yet, Dexter insists his stunt double is the culprit here. Again, more evidence:
Bathroom Bombs
Some odors are impossible to blame on the dog…and that means the bathroom. When company visits, especially with the busy holiday season approaching, be sure to keep a can of Febreze Air Effects handy where they can find it. Great to use in any room, and especially great to store readily available in rooms like the kitchen and bathroom, where odors tend to appear frequently. Dexter was fed up at this point, and he firmly stands his ground. He says the stunt double STINKS, see?
Recap
- Febreze is safe around dogs and cats.
- Febreze has a variety of products to keep handy as company visits your abode.
- Whether in the car, on bedding, or in the kitchen or bathroom, Febreze has a product to suit your family’s needs.
- Febreze knows that family includes pets! We applaud that and wag our tails!
Stars Shine for Stink
It’s not just Dexter and his stunt double who are trying to eliminate dog odors. Actress Rumer Willis, television personality and entrepreneur Bethenny Frankel, American Etiquette Expert Thomas P. Farley, and @ToastMeetsWorld were all in attendance recently at the Febreze School of Petiquette. As much as we we all love our pets, we love fresh air. As the school of Petiquette illustrates, the two don’t have to be exclusive of one another. There is plenty of room for comfort and unconditional love.
Honorary Dog-torate
The School of Petiquette merited Dexter an A++ and he was selected as Teacher’s Pet.
Want the scoop on how to keep your house, car, and other areas of living clean and fresh? Check out the Febreze website.
Are household odors something you need help with?
M. K. Clinton says
As perfect as I think Bentley is, he sometimes gets the notorious Hound Dog. We ALWAYS have Febreze in our home. It is a nose-saver.
JeanneP of bichonpawz says
This is brilliant Darlene! Standing Ovation! Awesome lessons to be learned from the School of Petiquette. Great job!
Dog Guy Josh says
Febreze is a lifesaver in my three dog house. Definitely a must have for every pet parent!
Cathy Armato says
Sorry Dexter, at some point you must take accountability for your smells! I know it’s hard, but thankfully Febreze is there to save the day. Fun post Carol! Oh and Darlene looks awesome all cartooned out!!
Carol Bryant says
Dex sez no way – he smells like a garden of flowers, Catht! hahahaha. Dar says thanks for the kind words.
Spencer the Goldendoodle says
I love reading everyone’s post for this Febreze campaign! I also love your stuffed animal! At first I thought it was a really dog and he looks just like you! 😉
Carol Bryant says
Yes, Dex sez the stunt double causes the issues 😉
Beth Larrabee says
My dog stinks to high heaven! Febreeze is a necessity!
Nichole says
We are so happy that Febreeze is pet friendly … and so easy to use!
Little Sophia Loren says
Great article! Learning that certain smells are not good is very important. My mom is very fastidious about keeping the dog and cat cove…the human’s apartment sweet smelling. Fe breeze is her go to as a plugin and spray…plus the little stand up deodorizer are nice as well in a corner or hard to reach place. The kitty crew loves Febreeze since their noses are SUPER sensitive…especially Mary Claire. She runs and hides if it is anything but Febreeze.
Carol Bryant says
We sometimes get nose blind around the holidays, especially in the kitchen where I burn things and we are so used to the scent of that LOL
Emma says
We’ve been enjoying our Febreze products around the house, but we are still adjusting in the car as it doesn’t smell like our car, but it takes a few days and we will be nose blind to the new odor.
Carol Bryant says
LOL yes it does take a paw-iod of adjustment, Emma.
Heather lawrence says
I totally agree with those stats… I am allergic to dog and it makes it so much worse when it smells like dog.
The dander is hard enough to minimize but when it smells like wet dog.. yuck!
Great tips!
Carol Bryant says
Darn that you are allergic to dogs!
Jeannette says
I use Febreeze anytime I’m going to have visitors so that they don’t smell our pets! It’s so easy and such a quick fix!
Carol Bryant says
Smart idea – it freshens the house up nicely.
Robin (Masshole Mommy) says
My dog definitely can get smelly sometimes. I hate when my car smells like wet dog LOL.
Carol Bryant says
Oh yes and our trips to the park mean we get that sometimes – this is a non-annoying scent, which is good because I have allergies.
Dana says
My 3 pups cause a real stink some days, especially rainy days and back and forth in the car from their daycare. I never knew Febreeze was safe for pups, so good to know for so many reasons.
Carol Bryant says
Oh boy, we know that stink eye for sure. Yes having the fabric spray is good for bedding, too, in between washes.
Rebecca Bryant says
For the records cats stick to. thank goodness for febreze.
Carol Bryant says
Hhahahahah yes that is true – cats stink, too.
Rosey says
Well I think they’re too cute to be stinky. If that’s not the case though, you definitely want to have Febreze. 😉
Carol Bryant says
Dex sez he agrees – he is too cute to stink, Rosey.
Amy Shojai, CABC says
I’m a fan of Febreze and actually just used it (and a bunch!) when we performed in Mary Poppins. Nothing says “stinky’ like a big cast of actors under hot lights with the same clothes for upteen performances. *s*
Carol Bryant says
Oh boy supercalfraga – well you know the rest LOL
Robin says
I love Febreze! It is really helpful for getting rid of those pet odors quickly. What is really nice is that it doesn’t have any weird chemical smells to it. My cats walk right up and sniff the canister without batting an eye. It’s like the smell is neutral to their powerful noses!
Carol Bryant says
Yes, right? I am so sensitive to certain things and hesitated at first with Febreze. Thank goodness I stuck with it because I have an odor eliminating solution!
Two French Bulldogs says
We love that Febreze stuff
Snorts,
Lily & Edward
Carol Bryant says
Well we love your snorts, too, Lily and Edward.
Heather D. (@GirlGoneMom) says
I never minded dog smells, but my cats been urinating and that’s the worst smell!
Carol Bryant says
Oh yes, Heather, there is a distinct smell on cat urine for sure.
Marie says
Febreze is a wonderful product that works really well. Around here, Dallas blames the cats for any odor issues…
Carol Bryant says
Hahahahah Dallas blames the cats does he?
Cathy Keisha says
Nothing is worse than the smell of cancer sticks, er, cigarettes. TW had a vet tech friend who had 4 dogs and a dozen cats and she felt like she was gonna hurl every time she walked into that house. She avoided it at all costs. TW is still a bit leery about using anything with a scent or chemicals around me since we both have asthma and fake smells make us cough.
Carol Bryant says
Ughhhhh cigarette smoke absolutely kills me and my sinuses.
MattieDog says
Momma uses Febreze once during da week and once on da weekends. She sprays everything – even dadz! Dexter doesn’t stink – he”s just too danged cute!
Carol Bryant says
Dats wite MattieDog – Dex sez he is a garden of flowers!
Trisha says
My mom uses Febreze to help get rid of pet smells (she has a dog and a cat). When I go over there I honestly can’t even tell that she has pets!
Carol Bryant says
I love reading that, Trisha. My dog never smells like a dog and I don’t want to be noseblind 😉
Dawn says
We love using Febreze. We got some of the fall scents the other day!
Carol Bryant says
Yummy – must pick those up this weekend
Tamara says
We certainly use a lot of Febreze here! We have a dog and a cat and some smells are just too hard to get out of the house, no matter how we try.
Carol Bryant says
Oh how I can relate to that – Febreze makes it a breeze.
Liz Mays says
Oh no! Haha I’m glad you’ve got the solution now. I need to use febreze for the cat’s odors sometimes too.
Carol Bryant says
That is smart – one of the car fresheners actually doubled in the guest bedroom that doesn’t get used much.
Sadie says
I wonder if most people consider the ingredients in deodorizing products. Glad you pointed out that Febreze is pet-friendly. We use it at ‘Parker Place’ too and it doesn’t bother the ‘allergy’ sufferer either (hubby is sensitive to a number of products). Thanks for this product info.
Lorane says
Dexter looks like he is filled with so much personality. I also use Febreze to help with Pet Odor it does a great job of covering things up
Carol Bryant says
Gosh so nice of you to say that – he sure is – a spunk ball to the max and keeps us smiling and happy!
Dogvills says
My fur babies can get smelly at times. I’ve heard so much about Fabreze. I will check this out.
Mama to 5 BLessings says
Your dogs are so adorable! I do not have dogs but I use Febreeze all the time because we have 5 kids and they have their stinkies of their own! Definitely makes the home and car smells fresh!
Elizabeth says
This is the one of the best and creative articles I’ve ever read about a product. This makes me want to go out and buy Febreeze. As a matter of fact, it’s on my list for the weekend. Love this.
Amber Faith says
I definitely go through my fair share of Febreeze with three dogs and four cats (and two kittens)! It helps my house smell sooo much better!
Kristin says
I keep those in like every room…You never know when you’re going to need that fresh smell!
Sweet Purrfections says
I use Febreze around the house to help with litter box odors.
Kerri says
I love Febreeze! I bet it works wonders for pet smells. I have to let my neighbor know about this as she has 3 dogs.
Marilyn says
Oh goodness yes! I have 2 big dogs and febreeze is amazing. We use it everywhere.
Janeane Davis says
It ia great to fond something that helps get rid of pet odors. It helps is enjoy our pets even more.
Pink Tea Rose says
I know my cats smell but I’ve gotten used to it. I clean and spray my house so others don’t notice. I have to laugh at the hashtag Petiquette.