While there are breed variations and some seem to have a skin that's oilier than most, actual bad smell is a sign that something is wrong. As in humans, it is usually due to poor hygiene, with poor oral health being the biggest culprit (dogs use the mouth to scratch, remove things from fur, lick themselves, etc).
Skin conditions are rather common, some can smell really bad. Even if it is something as benign as whatever the dog acne equivalent is.
Localized smell usually means the dog found something interesting, to his sense of smell, and rubbed itself on it.
Of course, some owners are just too lazy to bathe their dogs, even once a month.
Not all dogs are like that, of course
but there's absolutely no way i would suggest, or insinuate, that someone with a fear of dogs (phobia or otherwise), get "help", or even have to worry about the remote possibility of dealing with dogs in any office environment that doesn't have "veterinarian" in the description.
it's just straight up ridiculous. i'm highly allergic to cats, even though i like them in general. if i had to deal with cats in an office i'd quit on the spot and probably not quietly.
Sure, they shouldn't be required to get help in order to keep their job. That would be ridiculous.
However, addressing the phobia would really be helpful. Better yet, learning how to handle dogs is a useful skill to have, even more so if you don't like them.
Now, can anyone give me tips on handling cats? I can't read their body language and I always feel I'm going to get scratched suddenly.
Cat purrs sound to a dog like growling. Meows sound to a dog like prey.
The easiest way to not get scratched by a cat is to leave it alone. If you want cat to like you more quickly, seriously get a recording of purring on your iphone and play it. Cats like to be scratched between the ears and eyes, and like to be petted on the nape of the neck. Anywhere else, you might get scratched.
In my case, I big component of my fear was due to just not understanding their behavior. After living with one for almost 3 years, I've basically lost whatever fear I had. I was fine(ish!) around small dogs, but got really scared of big ones. Now I just don't care what breed or size it is, I can just read their body language.