#these two also take good care of their hygiene so their fur doesn't accumulate the culture of bacteria and yeast that is responsible

[canisalbus]

Odd question, but since they're both dogs and I imagine smell is important to them, what do Machete and Vasco smell like?

Smells are indeed important to them. I think their sense of smell is definitely more keen than ours but not nearly as extreme as that of real dogs. It would be kind of world/society/behavior breaking if one of their senses was that much above what we as humans can even imagine.

Fur absorbs smells more efficiently than skin, so the environment each person spends most of their time in affects the way they smell (the same way your clothes tend to hold scents from the places you've recently been to).

Machete tends to smell mainly of frankincense, the primary ingredient of the sacred incense burned during worship. Smells are hard to describe but to me frankincense smells sweet, smoky, earthy, citrusy, piney, resinous and woody. Evokes the feeling of sanctity. There's also traces of ink, paper and old books. If he had been treated recently and you got really close and knew to look for it, you might be able to detect the cuts where he was bled.

Vasco uses perfumes skillfully, his favorites contain iris root and damask rose. The mellow scent of his high quality soaps often lingers for quite a while as well. If he's been outdoors, there's a more noticeable hint of leather, as well as moisture, earth, greenery, animals and various other nature smells. Since he's characterized by his vitality, I can't escape the feeling that if you were to put your nose on him, he'd smell like a warm, healthy, living thing even more strongly than people usually do, even if you didn't consciously realize it.