Humans weren’t normally allowed in the dog library. But Margaret, the head librarian, let them visit sometimes for special occasions, like the Scent Party.
The humans were supposed to come with new and unusual scents. They didn’t exactly know why, but they knew something was cooking.
New and unusual scents
One human brought bags of spices like cinnamon, mint, and lavender. Not that unusual. Scout, the head chef, frequently used them for his scent stories.
Someone else came with a bottle of bug cider. Perfect for a garden story. Another human brought scents from a bike seat. Just right for any of Scout’s exercise stories.
An older couple brought their dog. He had the scent of wet fur, which was a classic dog favorite. And a young girl brought scents from a birthday party. Scout was thrilled. He had never smelled frosting before.
Scents to share
Margaret sniffed all the humans as they arrived to make sure they had tempting scents to share. If not, she turned them away. There were always stray humans trying to get inside the dog library.
Two of the biggest dogs in the library stood guard. Margaret called one Snarl. The other she called Growl. They both looked mean. Normally they were in charge of stopping dog fights in the library.
How dogs read
Margaret took the humans on a tour of the library. First she led them to the kitchen so they could see where Scout’s scents were mixed and his stories created. Then she took them to different corners of the library where there were bowls of steaming scent stories.
The dogs thought the party was a success. It was the first time that visiting humans understood how dogs could read through their noses.
