Labrador "hound" Odor

 What food is she on?  What shampoo are you using? Are you fully drying her after those baths?

Also make sure ears are cleaned as some Labstink is usually due to to ears.Giving her a bone to chew should help reduce mouth odor.My Lab mix is twelve and she smells better now than she did as a youngster.A better quality food makes all the differenceA cheaper grain heavy food may have been the cause of her bloated belly and greasy coat as well.I find it takes several weeks on a new food to start seeing a real difference in coat quality.

mehpenn

It seems like, however, that she's got a really strong, hound-ish, odor.

I have no idea what she was eating before hubby brought her home... I'm guessing it wasn't a good quality food.

My other two eat Nature's Recipe and are doing fabulous on it. Lexie (the lab/acd mix) has a very sensitive stomach and this works great for her.

So that's what Greta is eating now too.

The shampoo I'm using on her is one prescribed by my vet for Sadie. She has some skin issues and so I'm careful what I bathe her in. It's an aloe/oatmeal formula that is "fresh scent".

I've also cleaned her ears with an ear cleansing solution the vet had prescibed for one of the dogs one time. Her ears were dirty but I didn't notice any abmornal amount of odor coming from them.

I do expect *some* odor... but this is almost like a not bathed at all odor, more like a hunting hound that hasn't been bathed, if that makes sense... she smells just like my grandfather's beagles used to.

I spoke with a friend who used to groom, years ago, and she suggested Dawn dish detergent?

 Could it just be a 'hot' odor?

When I take my crew outside for a while, they come back in and smell a bit until their fur cools off.

Is this a strong smell we're talking about??

Have you taken her to see a vet?  That would be my first stop with any new dog even if the dog was already seen recently by someone else.  Developing that connection with the vet right off the back is so important. It's also important you hear first hand what the vet has to say about your new dog so you can be prepared.  The smell is something I would certainly ask about.

Xebby

Have you taken her to see a vet?  That would be my first stop with any new dog

I would not bathe her too much, as you can remove too much of the protective oils in the coat.  It seems counter-intuitive, but that can actually increase the likelihood that she will smell "doggy."  If the smell isn't as much doggy as it is "yeasty" then it may have to do with food, allergies, ear infection, or something else.  So, speak to the vet about that.  I used to use oatmeal shampoos on the Labs because it didn't seem to dry them so much.  But, I've also heard that Selsun Blue shampoo can help with yeast dermatitis.  I'd want to check on its suitability for use on dogs before trying it.  If he does smell yeasty (musty, sort of, and a bit greasy feeling) on the off chance that he is allergic to grain, you could always try a grain-free dog food, but I find that many more times dogs are allergic to an environmental allergen. 

 I concur with the others - I would definitely NOT wash her with Dawn. 

Keep brushing her, check the ears, give her fish oil (probably 2 capsules plus 200 iu of Vitamin E) and give her time to adjust to the new food (for her) and her new home. 

IMO labs have a doggy smell often when wet but not otherwise.  Their coat is naturally oily and needs to be.

Give her a kiss for me too

Well, the others pretty much covered what I was going to say.  I definitely wouldn't use Dawn dish detergent to bath her with-it's a degreaser, and Labs coats are supposed to be oily.  I'm guessing with the better quality food and regular grooming, the smell will go away.  To hold you over until it does, you could mix some conditioner made for dogs 50/50 with water in a spritz bottle and mist her every once in awhile.  I wouldn't do it more than maybe twice a week, tho.

We just got her on Friday. The vet is scheduled to be out to check one of the horses next week, so he's going to check her then.

I did tell him about her when I called him on Monday to make sure he'd be able to check her out. He's the one who suggested using the ear wash. It's not medicated, it's just an ear wash solution he likes and recommends.

mehpenn

...He's the one who suggested using the ear wash. It's not medicated, it's just an ear wash solution he likes and recommends.

As long as it's not medicated, there's no reason why you can;t use it on her.  Especially since your vet said it was OK.    Don't use it every day, tho, even if there is an infection there.  My vet recommended using ear wash every 3 days the last time Caleb had an infection (medicating every day, tho).  For the days inbetween cleanings, you can wipe the underside of the ear flap with a damp, not wet, washcloth to get any "crud" off.

I would say try changing her food. Somtimes labs get that odor b/c of a food allergie.