Oh dear, you're reading this because your dog is in the garage, smelling to high heaven, and you need to know what to do - fast. Your poor dog is suffering more than you, remember that first.

Start by washing your dog thoroughly, and do it outside or you'll smell it in your house for weeks. Wear gloves for your hands and scrub him completely, twice, using pet shampoo. Dry him thoroughly. Yes, I know, he still stinks horribly.

Now that you've done that, it is time for good old tomato juice. Yes, what you heard is true. Tomato juice works, even if we don't totally understand why.

You may need several large cans, depending on the size of your dog. Make sure the juice completely saturates his coat, and leave it on for up to twenty minutes if he will tolerate it. Now it's time to shampoo him again! Isn't this fun!

If, after all this, your dog still reeks of skunk, you can do the tomato juice spa treatment a second time. The second time usually takes care of the smell, at least enough that everyone can stand it. If your dog is white, he is definitely going to be a little orange or pink for a time from the tomato juice. I hope you are speaking calmly and reassuringly to your dog while he endures all this. He is so sorry he went after that skunk! Some breeds will even learn not to do it after they have experienced the whole cycle of skunk-shampoo-tomato juice.

Another miracle sure for skunk smell is Massengill. An over-the-counter medicated douche, it is popular in salons. You can mix two ounces with one gallon of water for smaller dogs, doubling that for bigger ones. Pour it over your dog until he is soaked, and wait fifteen minutes. Then back to his pet shampoo again.

You can also use vanilla extract to sweeten your pooch. Really!

If you are reading this and you have not yet had the Big Skunk Encounter, all the better. Go to your pet store, and look over the thinks they stock for cleaning skunk smell. These are usually deodorant rinses and sprays, and they seem to work pretty well. They are easier to use, because they are all prepared and ready to spray on. Keep a stock of these handy and you may be able to avoid the special tomato juice rinse your dog is so fond of.