Why does my dog like to smell everyone's butt?

Man's best friend can sometimes get a little too intimate when it comes to strangers. Why does he insist on sniffing other dogs’, and other people’s butts? Is it normal for him to want to sniff everywhere? Petstory has sniffed out the answer to the question for you.

Your dog's nose, a massive source of information

Your nose has around 5 million olfactory receptors? Cool right? But your dog's has 220 million. This means your brain can process up to 10,000 smells, while your dog can deal with more than 100,000! That’s an olfactory system not to be sniffed at. In addition to his nose, your dog's nasal system is lined with epithelium and a nervous system that connects these special cells to the brain. This is what allows him to recognize odors. But your dog has another peculiarity, Jacobson's organ, located behind his incisors, which lets him identify pheromones, odorous secretions produced by both animals and humans.

Why does my dog like to smell other dogs' bottoms?

It’s time for another outing to the dog park, which necessarily means watching your dog and his canine buddies sniffing each other’s behinds. But there is method to their (apparent) madness. Dogs do this mainly to recognize each other. It is a natural and even vital reflex. By identifying pheromones, they glean information about the pack. By sniffing, your dog can work out, among other things, whether he is dealing with a male or a female, and he can tell the emotional state, health status, age and diet of his doggy friends.

Sniffing a human’s private parts: awkward, but normal

So, like it or not, your dog’s natural reflex is to smell the rear-end of other dogs. Guess what happens when he meets a human? That’s right, rather than shake hands he has a good sniff. And since medium and large dogs have noses that are at just the right height, they often put their muzzle where a human may not welcome it. But they’re just being friendly. Your dog is simply attracted to the pheromones secreted by the sweat glands located near the groin. When your dog makes you feel uncomfortable because he smells people’s private parts, explain that that it's like he’s saying, "Hey, who are you? ". He may also be doing it to protect you because dogs can tell a lot about a newcomer by the way they smell.

Sniffing while out walking, annoying, but essential

Imagine that you had to walk through the world blindfolded: you would miss out on a lot of information. If your pooch sniffs while out on a walk, he’s simply finding out what's around him. Which dog passed by here? Is there a female in heat nearby or a dangerous animal in the vicinity? Sniffing is healthy and normal. It is good for your dog’s well-being and sense of freedom.

So, next time you see your dog smelling another dog's or your neighbor's butt, don’t freak out. Apologize to your neighbor and explain that it’s good that everybody has got to know each other. And if your neighbour is still annoyed? Well, then they’re obviously not a dog person, so avoid them on your dog walks in the future.