
The differences largely boil down to one main aspect: perfumes for dogs or dog colognes mask odors, while dog deodorants eliminate the bacteria causing the bad smell.
In reality, most manufacturers use these terms interchangeably to describe the same items and lean towards one or the other primarily for marketing reasons. “Dog cologne” sounds less harsh than “dog perfume,” often signaling the presence of alcohol in the ingredient list. The term “deodorant” sounds vaguer.
More often than not, both terms imply the same thing: something that either neutralizes or masks unpleasant odors.
Now, the true meaning of these two terms should be as detailed below:
Dog Cologne and Dog Perfume
These are scented products used to mask unpleasant odors.
Dog Deodorant
This is a product used to break down and neutralize bad odors.
Ideally, there should be a genuine distinction between dog deodorant products and colognes or perfumes. However, most of the time, the distinction is blurry. It’s best to read the product description and pay attention to the phrasing used and the ingredients, of course.