Mary Allen
Of course, it’s weird that dogs smell like that just because they’re wet. But now an English chemistry teacher has figured out what they smell – and why!
Summer and swimming are wonderful. Until you put the wet dog in the car to go home again. There, if anywhere, it becomes extra clear what happens to the dog when it bathes. Because it does not just get wet. It starts to smell too.
Chemistry teacher Andy Brunning from Borunemouth in England has in his blog Compound interest straightened out what is happening. And according to Andy, it’s not really the dog that smells bad, but rather all the microorganisms that live in the dog’s fur, such as bacteria and yeast. When the coat gets wet, substances are released from the coat and then the smell of them reaches the rest of us around. It is especially bad in the car where the humid air is concentrated. Moist air carries scents better than dry air…
When you look at what it smells like, there are actually a lot of good things like fruit, almonds, and honey. But together with the smell of feces and sulfur, the end result is not as wonderful…