There’s nothing quite as embarrassing as a dog running up and shoving its nose directly into your downstairs. Maybe it’s their way of greeting, but it feels downright invasive. Have you ever wondered what the real reason dogs do this is?
Of course, they have a terrific sense of smell. But it’s making you a little self-conscious, wondering what aromas they’re picking up—here are five reasons dogs take a deep whiff of your goods.
Dogs Have an Amazing Sense of Smell
Dogs Have an Amazing Sense of SmellDogs trump us hand over fist in the smell department. A canine can pick up scent like a real champ. Scientists guess that a dog’s sense of smell is roughly 10,000 to 100,000 times better than a human. For every scent receptor we have, dogs have 50—if that tells you anything.
Ultimately, dogs have a sense of smell that is 40 times greater than ours. So, when dogs start sniffing down yonder, here’s what they’re doing.
The 5 Reasons the Dogs Sniff Crotches
1. Seeking Information
Taking a deep breath near the downstairs can tell your dog a lot about you—and others around you. Thanks to chemical compounds made by our bodies, our smell can tell a dog our age, gender, mood, and more.
You might notice that your dog is more doting on days when you’re feeling a little blue. It’s no coincidence. Your dog can even tell if you’re unhappy—or if you’re sick. So, consider your root chakra a communication house between you and your canine.
2. Olfactory Detection
It’s normal for your dog to gravitate towards your crotch region because of all the signals your body is giving off. They will naturally sniff the areas that have a lot of information.
Did you know that dogs have such a superb sense of smell they can even detect some cancers? For women, dogs can even sniff out ovarian cancer.
So, if this is a new habit and you have recently started displaying other questionable symptoms, you might want to make an appointment with your gynecologist. But try not to let that scare you if you have no reason to suspect that you’re suffering from this kind of illness.
3. Greeting Company
The inhalation of private parts can be a big hello from your dog. Since this is the way they meet each other, it isn’t a far stretch to think this behavior also extends toward their human friends—both new and old.
Really what this says is, “Hello, I’d like to get to know you.” Is this the most mannerly way to request an in-depth relationship with a person? Probably not for you, but for them—it’s another story.
4. Natural Instincts
Crotch sniffing is almost second nature to most canines. They sniff each other—and every other species they encounter. Not only can your dog sniff crotches, but they use this to uncover information about anything they encounter.
Think about it. What’s the first thing you let your dog do when they are around or come in contact with something new? You let them sniff it out, of course. This is how they familiarize themselves with the unknown—and it’s perfectly okay.
5. Picking Up on Pheromones
Even though we don’t pick up on each other’s pheromones from sniffing—that doesn’t mean we don’t emit a ton of them. We have what is called apocrine glands that excrete all sorts of pheromones.
Plus, your dog can tell if you’re getting ready to menstruate or if you’ve just had sexual intercourse. Your dog can even tell that you recently had a baby just from a simple hormone detection. You might be able to fool the household—but there’s no sneaking it past your dog.
Preventing Crotch Sniffing
Ultimately, if the sniffing is causing more hardship than good, you can channel this behavior. Here are a few tips.
- Tell your company at home to offer your dog their hand first. This way, they will be distracted and not aim straight for the goodies.
- Teach your dog to sit on command. We all know dogs are food-driven—use this to your advantage; teach your dog to sit down on command and create a strong history of big rewards associated to this behavior. Then you can use this command in scenarios or situations when you can predict the undesired behavior. The dog should respond by sitting before even thinking to start to sniff.
- Teach a one-word command for resistance. Teach your dog to obey a simple, one-word response like “enough,” or a standard “no” would even suffice.
- Related Read: Why do dogs sniff butts? 6 Reasons for This Behavior
Summing Up
At the end of the day, it’s all about information. Your dog uses their heightened sense of smell to gather knowledge about their surroundings. Consider it fair, since we have many capabilities our canine friends don’t possess.
But if a nose up the middle isn’t how you want your furry buddy to say hello, you can prevent the behavior with proper training.
Featured Image Credit: Jumpstory
