My dog smells like many different things from moment to moment.
When we play with the hose or sprinkler, he smells like the quintessential wet dog. Itβs a similar smell after a bath, but less dirty smelling.
After a run or a bike ride, he smells like heat and sweat and fur.
At night, when heβs snuggled up sleeping in my bed, he emits horrific room-clearing smells.
But my favorite is something I call the happy smell.
He greets me at back door when I get home from work. His tail wags so hard that he knocks things off the fridge. Once, his butt wiggled so hard that he fell over sideways. I kiss Jane, give him a quick scratch on the head, and walk into the hallway to put down my bags.
He follows me into the hallway and then, when I crouch down to drop my stuff, the face-licking begins. Heβs all over me and he exudes this smell that I can only describe as pure happiness.
I donβt know how it works but itβs so calming and soothing, kind of like the new-baby smell. Whatever chemical heβs putting out goes straight to the happy-center in my brain.
No matter whatβs happening, heβs always excited Iβm home.