This makes some people afraid of animals because if they are fearful of an animal, the animal can smell this and reacts long before the person even gets close. The smell of is very close to the smell a person gives off if they are aggressive or antagonizing. So a frightened person may get the same response from an animal as a very dangerous person would. Our sense of smell as humans has deteriorated because it is not considered proper to notice certain smell that are around us. We are so bombarded with scents and smells that we have taught our minds to disregard most smells.
Animals use their noses as their internet.
As they go for a walk they smell all around and can tell you who, why, where and when others have been on that path. They know how they were feeling and what they were about. Taste is another important method of learning about the world. Humans think of taste as a food related sense, but it is far more. If you notice, given the opportunity, most animals will taste you.