Do people have more body odour issues than other animals?

Question

This may be a stupid question, but what is the Internet for then?

It is both to pose inteligent questions, and questions which you would risk losing your face if you posed them in real life.

This was inspired by a question that someone else asked.

In our societies, and specially nowadays, it is indispensable to take a bath everyday. (And let me say I do observe this, and also that there have been times on which I even had 3 showers on the same day...)

But just out of curiosity, I've always had dogs, and we never wash them more than once a month (as a matter of fact, in Winter I wouldn't say we wash them that often).
My mother used to say that washing a dog too often damages their hair, and whether this is true or false, they don't seem to smell. (At least, I rarely realize that... and when they do, it's because of tartar in their mouths...)

So, does this mean that humans are more prone to develop bad odours if they don't take showers often, than other living things?

Let me add in my defense, "it doesn't hurt to ask".

Answer 1

We bathe often because we feel refreshed by that, and we think we smell. Other animals accept each other as they are and are not fashion conscious as humans.

Our obsession with cleanliness has deprived us of some good bacteria too and thus makes us more prone to infections in general.

This generation is so much obsessed that they use deos whether they really smell bad or not!

Answer 2

That depends on what exactly you mean by "body odor". Skunks, I'm sure you'll agree, emit an odor which is pretty offensive, but, many animals emit odors which are imperceptible to human beings. For example, many animals emit a certain odor imperceptible to humans when they are ready to mate. It also depends on whether you are an animal or a human. Some animals are very sensitive to odors while others are not. They would use this sensitivity to detect prey, while others would use it to avoid predators.
That being said, some people just stink because they don't practice proper hygiene.