Did You Know There’s a Reason Dogs Sniff Certain Areas of Your Body? The Science Behind It May Surprise You

“From the dog’s perspective, sniffing a crotch is either rewarding or not rewarding. I use many ways to communicate to a dog that sniffing a crotch is not appropriate,” says Petersel. You don’t have to decide on a single method. In many cases, all the methods may work, depending on whether you’re at home or on a dog walk.

Use the “place” command

1. Set up a mat, dog bed or elevated cot so your dog has somewhere to go when you use the “place” dog command.
2. Lure your dog to the mat with a treat.
3. Say “place” as soon as your dog puts its paws on the mat, and mark the action with a click, or say “yes!” Immediately reward your pup with a treat placed on the mat to establish an association between the treat and the mat.
4. Say your release word—like “free” or “OK”—and lure your dog off the mat by tossing a treat or dog toy away from the mat.
5. When you know guests are coming over, do a trial run. Attach a 5-foot drag leash (a leash without a handle) to your dog’s collar so your pup can easily drag it around before your guests arrive. This allows your dog to still have some freedom.
6. When your dog tries to sniff inappropriately, use the “place” command. If your dog breaks the command, gently lead it back to its place with the leash.
7. Acknowledge appropriate behavior by saying “good place.” Continue saying “good place” or bringing treats to lengthen the amount of time your dog stays in its place. When your dog has calmed down, you can say “free” or “OK.” You can also give it something long lasting (like a bully stick) to gnaw on while it’s sitting or lying in its place.

Redirect your dog

1. When you see that your dog is sniffing the air or about to make direct contact with the crotch area, toss high-value treats onto the ground, away from the person.
2. Repeat until your dog makes a new association that it’s treat time—not sniffing time—when it’s looking at the crotch.
3. If treats aren’t doing the trick, give your pup a new yummy little something, like a fresh marrow bone or bully stick that it hasn’t already been chewing on. It’ll lure your dog away from the crotch area.

Try a sound distraction

1. Look for signs that your dog is about to sniff your crotch.
2. As your pup leans in, turn around abruptly while simultaneously making a hissing sound. (It should sound like compressed air in a can you spray your keyboard with.) You can also say “eh” or “nope.”
3. Reward your dog for responding to the sound. Repeat as necessary.

Keep it moving

1. Tell your guests to keep moving when they come in. Typically, guests freeze once they get through the doorway, but this may feel like an invitation for your furry pal to sniff.
2. If your guests are OK with it, ask them to present their hands, coats, hats, gloves or shoes to your dog—while they’re moving away from the entryway—so your pup can sniff those items instead of their crotches. This trick will teach your dog that sniffing everywhere except for the crotch area is rewarding.

At this point, you should be able to easily answer “Why do dogs sniff your crotch?” Ready for more dog-behavior info from experts? Learn why your dog licks your feet and other fascinating facts about dogs.

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About the experts

• Vernard Hodges, DVM, is a veterinarian and fish biologist who practices on all types of animals, from koi to camel, at Critter Fixer Veterinary Hospital in Bonaire, Georgia. He’s the star of Critter Fixers: Country Vets, a National Geographic Wild and Disney+ TV show that chronicles his veterinary life. Dr. Hodges is a proud dog dad to Bane, Koi and Ghost.
• Hilary Wheeler, DVM, is the medical director of The Street Dog Coalition in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she focuses on improving animal health-care options. Dr. Wheeler has two dogs, Posey and Tikka, and enjoys working with the rescue groups The Dancing Cat and Humane Society Silicon Valley.
• Deianira Smith, DVM, is a veterinarian at Rood and Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Kentucky. Her focus is client education, community outreach and small-animal emergency medicine and surgery. She lives with her golden retriever, Addison West.
• Heidi Meinzer is the interim chair for the Association of Professional Dog Trainers, a certified professional dog trainer, certified nose work instructor and animal law attorney in Alexandria, Virginia. She lives with her favorite canine companions, Hannah and Arwen.
• Bradley Phifer is a certified professional dog trainer and behavior consultant with 17 years of experience, owner of Bradley Phifer Dog Training and executive director of the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers. He lives in the Indianapolis area with his dogs Wren, Liv, Dharma and Harper.
• Ivan Petersel is a certified professional dog trainer, canine behavior consultant and founder of Dog Wizardry in New York City. He specializes in training service dogs for autism assistance, PTSD and seizure response, as well as diabetes alert dogs. He also trains in advanced obedience and dog sports.