If you have experienced this situation recently, it is very likely that you wonder why my dog sniffs my crotch and you want to know the meaning of this behavior, so common in dogs. To begin with, it is important to note that is not a negative behavior or that we should repress Dogs constantly seek information from the environment, mainly through the nose, so it is completely normal that they sniff everything that is interesting to them, including our crotch.
Now, this behavior can have various meanings, so in this article on our site we will detail the reasons that explain why dogs smell their crotchesIf you also wonder why this behavior, read on and find out everything about dogs.
The dog's nose
Before explaining why dogs sniff their crotches, we must talk about canine sense of smell, which is extremely powerful. Unlike us humans, who have 5 million olfactory receptors, dogs have between 200 and 300 million This makes the sense of smell one of the most important to the dog. In fact, dogs constantly communicate with each other using chemical signals, known as pheromones
Some of them, such as appeasement pheromones, are secreted by lactating females to calm their pups. But in addition, due to their effectiveness, synthetic pheromones are currently marketed to complement behavior modification in the event of behavioral problems such as anxiety or stress. But there are many other types of pheromones, such as those that are released through urine, feces, anal sacs, or paw marking
Why do dogs smell each other?
The language of dogs is complex and extensive, more than many guardians believe. For this reason, it is necessary to spend time learning about canine behavior, calm signals and many other curiosities about the species, only in this way will we be able to correctly interpret our dog's behavior.
Thanks to chemical communication, dogs are able to perceive when an individual is stressed, happy, sad or nervous. This explains, for example, why dogs sniff each other's anus: they are looking for important information from the other dog, in this case through the anal sacs. They can also discover their sex, age or variations in sexuality, such as heat in female dogs.
Once again it should be noted that this is a completely normal and behaviour in canine communication. In no case should we prevent our dog from sniffing another's anus or prevent him from sniffing the feces of other dogsif he doesn't get to eat them. For domestic dogs, who spend most of their time at home, sniffing the environment is a source of enrichment that helps them entertain themselves, while locating themselves, getting to know their peers and much more.
Why do dogs smell private parts?
When a dog sniffs our private parts he seeks information from us, just like he does with other dogs. The problem is that it misses us. However, dogs communicate with humans in canine language and it is unrealistic to expect another, more humanized type of communication.
Human beings also have apocrine sweat glands, but they are not distributed throughout the body but are present in the armpits and groinTherefore, a dog that wants to get information from us will approach these areas. This explains why dogs smell the private parts of people.
This behavior is very common when the dog doesn't know a human being, but it is also highly common when he already knows him, already that what he is looking for simply by sniffing our crotch is to know how we are. With a known person, this behavior could well be interpreted as an affectionate greeting, since seeing it this way is much more understandable to us.
The behavior of sniffing the private parts of humans is noticeably accentuated in the following situations, which explain why dogs sniff their crotches:
- People who have recently had sex.
- Menstruating women.
- Women who have recently given birth and are lactating.
- Women who ovulate (here the accentuation of this behavior is very noticeable).
- People who are experiencing illness.
What to do when dogs smell the genitals?
Although this behavior may be somewhat uncomfortable for you, the truth is that the ideal for your dog is to do absolutely nothing, since intervening It means preventing your dog from using the language of the species. A good relationship between owner and dog should be based on trust, therefore, allowing him to sniff your private parts without shame will show him that you understand his greeting and respect him
However, if our dog tries to carry out this behavior with strange people or who are not trusted and we want to avoid it, It would be better to use basic obedience to call our dog and ask him to stay by our side. Although this behavior is not negative, not all people will be willing to let themselves be sniffed, so we will avoid a situation that could be unpleasant for third parties.
Now you know why dogs sniff their crotches and what to do about it! Does your dog do it too?Share your experience with us and explain why you think he does this behavior.
