It can happen in the middle of an ordinary visit: you are greeting a friend, standing in a park, or meeting someone’s dog for the first time when the animal suddenly walks closer and begins sniffing an unexpectedly personal part of your body. Your first reaction may be embarrassment. You might step away, laugh nervously, or wonder whether the dog is behaving strangely. But to the dog, this moment is usually far less awkward than it feels to you.

Dogs do not experience the world in the same way humans do. While people rely heavily on sight and language, dogs gather an extraordinary amount of information through scent. A smell that seems insignificant to us can tell a dog something about another person, an animal, or the environment. And certain areas of the human body naturally carry stronger, more distinctive scents than others.

That is why a dog may approach your lower body and sniff there. It is not necessarily displaying bad manners, trying to embarrass you, or behaving in a sexual way. In many situations, it is simply using its most powerful sense to investigate who you areRead more below.