Why do dogs sniff people’s crotches and butts?

It can be quite embarrassing to have a dog sniff your crotch or stick their snout on your rear. Dogs do really have a few strange habits but this one definitely takes the biscuit or should I say bone. A friend comes over to visit you and wham! Your pet zeroes in on their prohibited zones! Why do they do it?

Well, dogs do not understand that humans find their way of greeting downright annoying and even offensive. But dogs see nothing wrong in it as they treat humans the same way they treat other dogs. They sniff a human’s crotch and butt as a way of greeting and to also find out more about them in a form of chemical communication. Just by sniffing other dog’s butt they get details about their age, gender, diet and even their emotional state.

There is a sweat gland called the apocrine glands. This produces scents that give out the required social information. These chemicals are called pheromones. In dogs and most of the mammals the apocrine glands are widely spread over their body with higher concentrations particularly in their genital and anal region. The pheromone scents can identify the gender, age, state of health and mood of an individual, it can also give out sexual information as well. For instance, it can tell if the female is menstruating or if she is pregnant.

In humans, the apocrine glands are found in certain areas of the body such as the armpits and groin area. So, a dog will sniff these areas for the same reason they sniff the genital region of other dogs. Certain people will receive more attention when they come in contact with other dogs, especially if they carry a trace of sexual scent. So, people who have indulged in sexual intercourse, women who are menstruating or have recently given birth and nursing their child will be subjected to impolite sniffing at their genital area.

Also, when a female ovulates there will be a change in their pheromones that will attract the attention of dogs. A couple of Australian researchers noticed that the frequency of crotch sniffing shot up during ovulation and decided to experiment.

So, for this purpose they trained a few Australian shepherd dogs to pick cows that had ovulated. Thereby, allowing farmers and ranchers to breed their cows at the right time of their fertile period. So, a dog’s ‘sniff test’ therefore became an easier and a more reliable method of predicting ovulation. This could also mean that humans can benefit from a dog’s sniffing ability. Once they are specially trained, they will be able to tell a woman’s fertile period to either plan a family or to exercise effective birth control.