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. It’s 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 he’s 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. He’s all over me and he exudes this smell that I can only describe as pure happiness.

I don’t know how it works but it’s so calming and soothing, kind of like the new-baby smell. Whatever chemical he’s putting out goes straight to the happy-center in my brain.

No matter what’s happening, he’s always excited I’m home.