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Why Do Dogs Smell People’s Crotches?


Our dogs can do a lot of weird and embarrassing stuff, like d**gging their bottoms and pulling unmentionables out of the bathroom garbage can, but there’s one behavior that outranks them all on the mortification scale: greeting your guests with a dog nose to the crotch.



While it might seem like an unpardonable breach to us, in the dog world, it’s totally normal to go to a scent-rich source to learn more information about newcomers.



According to Stanley Coren, Professor Emeritus at the University of British Columbia and author of “Do Dogs Dream?,” there’s a very good reason why dogs smell the human groin region. The groin area has sweat glands called apocrine glands, which produce chemicals called pheromones that convey social information.



Coren states, “In humans, the apocrine glands are found only in certain areas of the body, with the highest concentrations in the armpits and groin area, so dogs try to sniff these areas for the same reasons that they sniff the g*****l regions of dogs.”



Because a dog smelling a crotch is a means to gain information about other dogs and people, this inappropriate sniffing typically occurs during the “nice to meet you” phase of greeting. And this can result in embarrassment for all parties involved—except for the one doing the sniffing.


Dealing With Canine Crotch Sniffing: Managing the Behavior



Pet parents who need to offer their pup a sniff-fix in a hurry can easily manage the behavior with a dog leash and a treat-stuffable activity toy.



When you’re expecting guests, put your dog on his leash and anchor him to a sturdy piece of furniture near the door. Welcome your guest in and let them know that your dog is a “curious” greeter and that they should keep their midsection out of sniffing reach. (Use wh**ever euphemism works for you to convey your dog’s habit to your guests.)



Then allow your guest to meet your dog while he’s tethered on leash so that they can move away from him if he starts to dive for the no-sniff zone. Once the initial greeting is complete, immediately give him one of his dog treat toys that’s stuffed with something delicious, like peanut butter or freeze-dried dog treats, so that he has something to focus on other than your guest.



When greeting people outside the home, you can step on your dog’s leash at the midpoint so that he’s able to stand or sit comfortably beside you but doesn’t have enough slack to reach the other person’s groin area.


Training Your Dog to Skip the Sniff



One of the best ways to get rid of an unwanted canine behavior is to train an incompatible behavior. In this scenario, you can teach your dog to focus his nose on something other than strangers’ nether regions when he meets them. The goal is to redirect your dog’s desire to sniff to a more appropriate body part, like a fist held away from the body.



The core of this behavior is “targeting,” or teaching your dog to place a part of his body on a specific location or object. Teaching your dog to target a fist is helpful in this situation because you or your guest can hold a fist in a variety of positions around the body that keep him away from the groin.



Targeting is one of the easiest tricks to teach because it uses a dog’s natural inclination to explore with his nose.



Simply present a fist to your dog at his level, and when he moves toward it, mark the behavior with a dog training clicker, or use a verbal marker word like “good!” Then give him a high-value reward from the other hand.



Work up to your dog actually touching his nose to your fist when you present it, and then attach a word to the behavior. You can use a word like “touch” or “target,” or get creative and use something like “bump it.”


Try Out the New Trick in a Variety of Situations



Practice the trick in a variety of locations in your home, and remember to train your dog to respond to the cue no matter where you present your fist, like in front of you and off to the left and right sides of your body.



Generalize the targeting behavior to a number of different people in casual, non-greeting situations, like during dinner cleanup or while watching TV. Doing so helps your dog become more “fluent” with the behavior, so that he’s comfortable doing it no matter the scenario.



Then, when your dog performs the behavior reliably, use it when introducing him to someone new. Ask your guest to present their fist to your dog when they walk in, and tell him to “bump it,” then give him a treat when he does it.



Repeat the process a few times, allowing your dog to sniff your guest’s fist to his heart’s content. You’ll be saved from embarrassment, your guest will appreciate the redirected sniffing, and your dog’s sense of smell will enable him to glean important facts about his new friend.



By: Victoria Schade