Dog Sniffing Behavior: Natural Instinct or Something More?

So, why the crot ch?

Well, dogs sticking their noses in our crotches is rather awkward, but they’re not trying to embarrass us. On the contrary, it’s all about dogs being super-powered sniffers and having instincts they can’t turn off, no matter how much we want them to.

One of the reasons why dogs tend to sniff our crotch is because of sweat glands, specifically, apocrine glands. These glands release pheromones, which carry information about age, sex, mood, and even reproductive status. While dogs have these glands all over, the strongest signals come from the genitals and anus, which is why butt-sniffing is considered to be a canine handshake.

Humans also have apocrine glands, mainly in the armpits and groin, and since armpits are hard to reach, the crotch is the next best information hub for the dogs.

For breeds such as Beagles, Bloodhounds, and Basset Hounds, resisting to smell humans’ crotches is nearly impossible.