Dog Instinctive Behavior - Don't Sniff My Crotch!

Okay, let's be honest. Nobody likes a dog that's smelling a crotch! Most people don't want anything to do with "that thing" after it's done "that."

There's a common misconception that a dog is being perverse by smelling that area in a human. Our crotch is like a dog's anal glands to them - like calling cards. It's like reading our personal history in seconds.

That's why dogs smell each other's anal glands - To learn as much about each other as they can. It's dog instinctive behavior, but unacceptable bad dog behavior to us. Again, most humans don't find that kind of behavior pleasant or desirable.

So here's what you do.

Take the dog by the scruff of the neck and sit him down in one place. Do not allow him to return to contact with people for at least 5 minutes, possibly 10. What works even better is to make the dog sit down right where he made the mistake, and then he is surrendering the situation.

If you don't calm his brain down first, all you are doing is creating a dog that will go right back to the situation and do it again - because he is still just as fixated as when you started the exercise.

You also should not shut the dog away, because that just escalates the frustration. Anywhere.

No more sniffing crotches!

Rena

P.S. By the way, guys. I agree with you. I hate that!