[Cass]

Why do white people smell like wet dogs when they come out of the rain?
Original Code R189. Click here to see responses from the original archives. Click “to respond” below to reply.

User Detail :  

Name : Cass, Gender : F, City : Detroit, State : MI, Country : United States, 

[Bob23124]

I haven’t noticed that all white people smell like dogs when wet. Maybe you’re hanging out with the wrong kind of white people, or maybe your white friends are sleeping with their wet dogs?

User Detail :  

Name : Bob23124, Gender : M, City : Denver, State : CO, Country : United States, 

[Greg]

White people smell like wet dogs when they come out of the rain because they are more likely to be wearing wool in cold, wet weather than black people. Black people are more likely to be wearing polyester clothing, which has no smell when wet. When wet, wool exudes the smell of lanolin, the natural oil from the sheep. It does smell somewhat like wet dogs.

User Detail :  

Name : Greg, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Santa Rosa, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

[Rob]

To my knowledge, blacks’ hair doesn’t produce the grease that a white person’s does, and perhaps the lamb’s wool explanation is partly correct. Maybe it’s not really the hair but the grease that produces the smell, in ‘reaction’ to the water.

User Detail :  

Name : Rob, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Age : 29, City : Royal Oak, State : MI, Country : United States, Occupation : Architect, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[R. Martin]

I don’t make it a habit to go around smelling people, but I suppose you do. Perhaps you should travel the world, and smell every person you can and come up with an answer. I’ll bet, though, it’s probably the fact that some people smell and some don’t. But until you have hard evidence that it is ‘all white people,’ perhaps you shouldn’t be so quick to make such a general accusation. Here’s a question for you just to maybe make you think about yours: Do all woman from Detroit, Michigan have nothing better to do than smell people?

User Detail :  

Name : R. Martin, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Atheist, Age : 26, City : Jacksonville, State : IL, Country : United States, Occupation : press operator, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Lower middle class, 

[Tda]

As a black parent, I’ve noticed that when my child comes in from playing outside, she sometimes smells like a ‘wet dog,’ too. I’ve also noticed that if you smell tap water, it smells like a wet dog. So the wet dog smell comes from the fresh air and the smell of the water, not because of the race of the person.

User Detail :  

Name : Tda, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 31, City : Los Angeles, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

[Becky]

I think the smell that people may be referring to is just common, ordinary dandruff. Some white people tend to have natually oily hair and therefore are more prone to developing dandruff. White people who wash their hair daily should not have this odor unless they have some sort of medical problem – seborrhia, etc Some white people have dry skin and smell like salt rising toast to me when they sweat. Some Latin and Native people smell like corn to me when they sweat. I have never been able to smell a black person’s sweat at all – unless the dude is just really funky and hasn’t washed in days and days. Once when I was four, I commented that black people’s hair when it’s dry smells like urine. My mother told me this was rude and to keep those things to myself. She said, “Be quiet, someone could think that about you someday.’ I haven’t thought of it since, until today.

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Name : Becky, Gender : F, Race : Native Hawaiian, Religion : Pagan, Age : 24, City : Tucson, State : AZ, Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Lower class, 

[Michelle]

I don’t think wool and polyester clothing has anything to do with this. I have spoken with members of minority groups, and they shared the opinion that Caucasian hair has an odor similar to a wet dog’s. As for the little monkey slur, that is totally unacceptable and very offensive. I can only pray for you people.

User Detail :  

Name : Michelle, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Christian, Age : 34, City : Winston Salem, State : NC, Country : United States, Occupation : Paralegal, Education level : 2 Years of College, 

[Greg H.]

The odor that is being smelled is wet lanolin, as in sheep wool. Dog fur has lanolin varying by breed. My Sheltie with its long water-resistant hair had the strongest odor. Perhaps fair people have a higher lanolin content than dark-haired people or those of African descent. Check with a hair preparations chemist or company.

User Detail :  

Name : Greg H., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Catholic, Age : 52, City : Ann Arbor, State : MI, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 

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