DISCLAIMER/DISCLOSURE STATEMENT: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. The information contained in this site is for educational and informative purposes ONLY and is NOT advice. Also, this website and the information contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Please refer to our Disclaimer Policy for more information.
Last Updated on January 19, 2024 by Thee Puppypreneur
WHY DO DOGS SNIFF BUTTS
Dogs are far more sensitive to smell then you and me. In fact, dogs use scents as a way of gathering information about everything around them from their environment, other dogs and even you. 1Kokocińska-Kusiak A, Woszczyło M, Zybala M, Maciocha J, Barłowska K, Dzięcioł M. Canine Olfaction: Physiology, Behavior, and Possibilities for Practical Applications. Animals (Basel). 2021 Aug 21;11(8):2463. doi: 10.3390/ani11082463. PMID: 34438920; PMCID: PMC8388720. Canine Olfaction: Physiology, Behavior, and Possibilities for Practical Applications – PMC (nih.gov)
Dogs can use marking behavior such as peeing on things or when you see a dog sniff butts as a way of recognition. Located in your dog’s butt are anal glands and these contain a specific scent, unique to your furbaby.
WHY DO DOGS SMELL EACH OTHERS BUTTS
When dogs sniff each others butts this allows then to discern from one another. It can tell the other dog all sorts of things like what they eat and where they’ve been.
Also, if there is an issue back there such as impacted anal glands then the scent will be more potent to other dogs.
Another reason dogs sniff butts is a way of communicating with each other, since they can’t shake hands.
HOW TO STOP A DOG FROM SNIFFING ANOTHER DOGS BUTT
Keep in mind not all dogs will sniff butts and some dogs may not even like other dogs (or humans) back there.
This is also a way they establish dominance through their scent and body language. If a dog goes up to another dog, usually the one to commence the butt sniffing is the dominant of the two, unless the other dog reacts to the dog coming in from behind.
Then the dog that doesn’t want his butt being sniffed is saying “no way buddy” in essence establishing dominance.
If you are not fond of the dog butt sniffing behavior then you can teach your dog some manners such as distracting them from the behavior once you see it about to happen by giving a treat or using a harness such as this one.
Another thing you can do is teach your dog to sit when it sees another dog approaching or if you are about to approach another dog then sit and redirect the behavior with a leash or treat or toy and then proceed to walk past the dog.
These are all effective ways for how to stop a dog from sniffing another dogs butt. As sometimes this type of behavior could lead to aggression and fighting between dogs.
Being able to identify what dog is who and all the other scents they have picked up along the way is common behavior among dogs.
This is all perfectly natural behavior in the dog world and there is no need to be alarmed if your see this.
Some people prefer not to let this occur as it is considered “bad manners” to them and that is perfectly acceptable too. After all you don’t want your dog coming up behind you and sniffing your butt.
If you are interested in other dog behavior then check out our other articles like;
IS YOUR DOG BUTT LICKING CONSTANTLY? FIND OUT WHAT THE REASON COULD BE
