The smell of the wild

At the edge of the woods, my friend the lifelong woodsman spots "droppings."

Friend: Could be a bear.
Me: Nah.
Friend: Absolutely . . .
Me: Right.
Friend: That or a dog.
Me: You can't tell the difference?
Friend: (contemplating the situation) Looks a bit messed up because of the rain. But there is one way to tell.
Me: What's that?
Friend: Get up close and smell it.
Me: If you say it's bear, that's good enough for me.