As of: March 15, 2024, 9:58 a.m
By: Sophie Kluß
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The fact that dogs like to smell people's crotch has a simple biological reason.
You can read here what this behavior means and how you as the owner can deal with it.
Many people have probably already experienced a similar situation: you meet a strange dog - and before you even understand what is happening, the four-legged friend smells your crotch enthusiastically and cannot be dissuaded from it so quickly.
Unpleasant!
Not just for you, but also for the owner.
Simple biological background as an explanation
If a dog smells a person's crotch, it may become unpleasant.
From the four-legged friend's point of view, however, sniffing should be interpreted as pure interest.
(Symbolic image) © imagebroker/Imago
Let's look at the situation from the dog's point of view: Sniffing the crotch is part of the common greeting ritual among other dogs.
Exploring the other person's intimate area with his nose simply means that the dog wants to find out more about the other person.
Knowledgeable dog owners know that sniffing strangers' crotch is a part of dog language and has no suggestive background.
Although the greeting ritual differs from dog to dog, a friendly sniff is part of the standard repertoire for particularly curious four-legged friends.
You should therefore only interpret a surprise attack on the intimate area as a greeting or introduction.
A sensitive sensory organ: the dog’s nose
A dog's nose is very sensitive and its most powerful sensory organ.
The furry friends can perceive and distinguish more than a million smells.
With around 220 million olfactory cells, they have ten times as many olfactory cells as a human.
Dogs are also able to orient themselves in their environment using scent tags.
Because of their keen sense of smell, they even communicate largely through scents.
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Fragrance: Pheromones determine communication
For the purpose of communication, dogs secrete certain messenger substances called pheromones.
Pheromones are also of particular importance in the case of humans.
Using these messenger substances, dogs can sniff out the gender, age and health status of their human counterpart, among other things.
And the pheromone-producing glands in animals and humans are located - that's right, in the genital area.
But also under the armpits.
However, the fragrance is easiest to identify in the crotch.
Because the dog's nose is usually - how practical - at exactly this height.
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Each individual has their own unique scent cocktail.
So if you soon smell a dog under your belt again, you now know: The four-legged friend simply wants to know more about you.
Why do dogs smell each other's rear ends?
The reason why dogs usually smell each other's crotch when they first meet or greet each other is the same as why they smell people's crotch: the pheromones are particularly easy to sniff from the anal glands or anal pouches of dogs.
For us, this process is comparable to a nice small talk with an interesting person.
Importance of sniffing in dog training
Don't worry: If a dog sniffs a human's crotch, it's not a sign of poor upbringing.
Rather, it is a completely natural behavior that can lead to embarrassing encounters, but there is nothing wrong with it.
For dog owners, this means one thing when raising your four-legged friends: never punish your dog if it sniffs people's intimate areas.
Such a consequence for what he sees as normal behavior would be more than incomprehensible for the dog.
After all, extensive sniffing is considered good form in the dog world.
To wean him off his curious nose, you should teach your furry friend - ideally in the presence of a dog trainer - a behavior that seems worlds more exciting to him than exploring unfamiliar genital regions.
You can get tips and tricks from your trusted veterinarian, dog trainer or dog school.
If you are aware of your dog's intrusive behavior, you can help yourself by putting the Bello on a leash, for example when visitors come.
Another option is to train an appropriate signal such as “Stop” in your upbringing.
If your four-legged friend is familiar with the basic commands, it is up to you what the dog sniffs and for how long.