Why Do Dogs Sniff Down There?
Let me ask you a question…
Have you ever been on an elevator and had a very friendly and/or curious dog come up to you? Not only do they seek your gracious attention but, things escalate and they begin to sniff you. And they’re not just sniffing your clothes, they are sniffing the same areas on you as they would another dog.
Excuse me Rover but can you back off? Like all the way off?!
From one human to another, don’t take it personally. Rover is just doing what Rover does…saying, “Hi,” and also picking up information about you; Rover wants to know everything. This is extremely off-putting for humans and fur parents may find themselves embarrassed. Click the link to find out more on how to curb this behavior.
So what does it all mean? How does this whole sniffing thing work?
According to noted psychologist and dog expert, Dr. Stanley Coren,
…Because our sense of smell is poorer than a dog’s, when we walk into a room and someone is cooking chili, we smell that mishmash smell of everything altogether, but dogs break it up; they smell the meat, the tomatoes, the spices, the peppers — each being separate. There is much more for them to process, so they spend more time sniffing things because they are trying to distinguish the components
Fascinating.
You always hear about how dogs have an insane sense of smell with upwards of 225 million olfactory receptors (smell sensors) compared to our 5 million (think the size of a postage stamp). On top of that, they have ANOTHER olfactory system named Jacobson’s organ. The contained nerves in the organ help to direct chemical information it detects straight to the brain. That way if there are unpleasant smells in the mix (use your imagination here), there is no interference. No wonder dogs gravitate towards anything that smells interesting- butts included.
A lot of communication is transmitted by scent for our furbabies. They’re able to tell, in other animals their gender, reproductive status, diet, health, and even their emotional state. If it were only that easy. Anyway, this is how they say hi. In humans, dogs have been trained to detect certain types of cancers, certain strains of infectious bacteria, and even when someone may go into diabetic shock. Talk about being a best friend; these creatures are amazing.
Should I let my dog sniff other dogs?
Sure, if they are both healthy and socialized, by all means let them have their meet-n-greet. Just be sure to watch behavior and body language. Much like humans, some dogs need their personal space. A word of note, the dominant dog typically takes the initiative to smell. A submissive dog may lay down and even roll over onto their back to let the smelling commence. However if there is no social order, both may attempt to nose around; be careful.
References
http://mentalfloss.com/article/60196/why-do-dogs-sniff-each-others-butts
https://www.rover.com/blog/why-dogs-smell-everything/
https://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/dogs-smell-others-privates-6549.html
