What smell do dogs hate? I These 10 help

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Dogs hate that smell

Dogs have an excellent sense of smell and set a wide variety of scent markers themselves. These, in turn, attract other dogs. But there are also various scents that make the four-legged friends run away. Dogs hate that smell.

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In a nutshell

  • Dogs very sensitive to smell
  • Herbs with a high essential oil content suitable for expelling
  • also various spices and citrus fruits are not popular
  • Use home remedies like vinegar or coffee grounds
  • Caution: various agents also harmful to dogs

Table of contents

  • sense of smell important
  • Various herbs
  • citrus fruits
  • Spices
  • Vinegar
  • baking powder
  • ammonia
  • mothballs/moth strips
  • coffee grounds
  • Piss off plant
  • horse manure
  • frequently asked Questions

sense of smell important

The sense of smell is particularly important for dogs to explore the world around them. By setting their scent markers, they mark their territory on the one hand and on the other hand strengthen the sense of belonging to each other. That can change because of that Always urinating in the same place to express. For property owners, this becomes quite annoying over time. However, since dogs detest some smells, these can be used to drive them away. But be careful, the animals must not be harmed. Such smells include:

Various herbs

Herbs with a high essential oil content in particular have a very pleasant scent for humans. Dogs "smell" it a little differently though. They perceive the smells of the plants as very unpleasant and then quickly take to their heels. Such fragrant herbs include

  • Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
  • Peppermint (Mentha x piperita)
  • Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
  • Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)
  • Rue (Ruta graveolens)
peppermint and basil
Herbs like peppermint (left) and basil have a deterrent effect on dogs.

The scents can be used in different ways:

  • Plant several herbs next to each other
  • Use of concentrated essential oils (even more intensive)
  • along property line or garden fence bring out
  • Drizzle oil on floor or wood

A notice: Tea tree oil, sweet cherry oil or ylang-ylang oil can also be used.

citrus fruits

The four-legged friends particularly hate the smells of the most diverse citrus fruits such as

  • Orange (Citrus sinensis)
  • Lemon (Citrus limon)
  • Lime (Citrus aurantifolia)
  • Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) or
  • Grapefruit (Citrus pradisi)
cut lemon

The application is quite simple

  • Crush the peels with a knife or in a blender
  • deploy at relevant locations

However, it should be noted that the smells irritate the mucous membranes of the animals. Intensive contact can cause permanent damage to the mucous membranes in the mouth and respiratory tract, as well as gastrointestinal problems. Accordingly, only use citrus scents with caution.

Spices

Spices are essential in the kitchen. For dogs, however, the smells are extremely unpleasant and they try to avoid them. are particularly effective

  • pepper
  • paprika
  • chili
  • clove
  • Cinammon
Three Ceylon cinnamon sticks on table
Cinnamon sticks give off an odor that dogs don't like.

It is applied in powder form to the affected areas. However, the use is not entirely free and should only be considered if other means fail. If the animals come into direct contact with the spices, it can even become life-threatening for them. In addition to irritation and inflammation of the nasal mucosa, sneezing fits or nasal discharge, pain and even poisoning can occur. Cinnamon also has a carcinogenic effect.

Vinegar

The all-rounder in the kitchen and household can also help here, because dogs hate the smell. Irritation of the mucous membranes can occur, but in most cases the animals are not harmed. However, use vinegar with caution. This can be done in different ways:

  • undiluted use of vinegar or vinegar essence (very effective) or
  • dilutes five parts water: one part vinegar
  • Lay out soaked cotton towels or cotton balls
  • Odor dissipates quickly, so reapply every day

A notice: Vinegar acidifies the soil and is a natural weed killer. Therefore do not spray on useful or ornamental plants or directly on the ground.

baking powder

baking powder on spoon

Baking soda itself won't repel the dogs, but it will neutralize their scents and reduce urine odors. It should therefore always be applied together with a deterrent:

  • apply dry or
  • Make a solution from 4 liters of water and 180 g of baking powder

ammonia

Like humans, dogs also hate this smell. The chemical compound of nitrogen and hydrogen can irritate the mucous membranes of the mouth and cause sneezing fits. The smell, while off-putting, is also very dangerous for dogs. Ammonia is found in fertilizers, among other things.

mothballs/moth strips

The smell is extremely disgusting to dogs. It goes back to the naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene it contains. These agents are harmful to health, hazardous to the environment and highly toxic to dogs.

  • Grind balls into powder
  • reapply every few weeks

A notice: Garlic or onion powder can also upset dogs. However, these drugs are poisonous to animals.

coffee grounds

Coffee grounds on plate

The smell of caffeine also has a deterrent effect on dogs. The application is quite simple:

  • coffee grounds dry
  • optimal coffee grounds from filter coffee or espresso
  • very intense odor with thick application
  • repeat at least once a week

Tip: Since coffee grounds, like vinegar, lower the acidity of the soil, you should never put them directly on the ground, but spread them out on a plate or similar container.

Piss off plant

The Piss-Off plant (Plectranthus caninus) can also do a good job of driving away dogs and cats. The 40 cm high plant with its fleshy, green-white and hairy leaves is odorless to humans. Dogs, however, experience an unpleasant odor:

  • exudes menthol aroma
  • Odor perceptible up to 2 m away
  • not poisonous
  • not hardy either
  • plant several plants
  • Planting distance 100 cm
Piss off plant (Plectranthus ornatus)
As inconspicuous as the Piss-You plant looks to us humans, its effect on cats and dogs is just as deterrent.

horse manure

Also freshly applied horse manure can keep dogs away. The smell is repulsive to them, although store-bought horse manure is odorless to humans. When used, not only can dogs be driven away, but the horse manure is also a good fertilizer at the same time.

A notice: Also various smells of perfumes, aftershave etc. are uncomfortable for dogs. Only scents with a woody-leather base are attractive because they associate them with something positive from their environment.

frequently asked Questions

Why are dogs able to perceive scents more intensively?

The dog nose has more than 250 million olfactory cells. In comparison, humans only have 20 to 30 million of these cells. This allows dogs to sniff out smells miles away, such as prey, avalanche victims, drugs or explosives. They are also able to detect diseases such as cancer, diabetes, epilepsy or upcoming asthma attacks with their nose.

How does contact with smells that you hate express yourself?

If the four-legged friend has had contact with such smells, it is clearly visible in his behavior. Signs may include: puckering of lips, squinting, sniffling and snorting, Occurrence of fits of sneezing, rubbing the muzzle on objects, the ground or the paws nasal discharge. The animal rolling on the ground can also be a clue.

How far away can dogs sniff things out?

The dog's sense of smell is very impressive in this regard. It can detect smells in the air up to 10 kilometers away. However, the intensity depends, among other things, on the wind direction and the weather. It can detect odors to a depth of three meters in normal soil and to a depth of eight meters under a blanket of snow.