Welcome To Our Second Doggie Blog!
In our blog, together we will cover many topics about our furry friends. Education is key to understanding our dog’s world and learning from a dog’s perspective in our human world.
Let’s begin!
We humans have learned that a friendly greeting with another human is by a handshake, face to face, with a smile and direct eye contact. This is the most natural form of greeting and welcoming another human being. So naturally, when we think of our dogs, we would view that same type of greetings to be expected of our dogs when they meet other dogs. Not so fast!
The natural order of senses for a dog are #1 Nose (Scent), #2 Eyes (Sight), and then #3 Ears (Hearing). The Nose is your dog’s superpower! Dogs have 100s of thousands of scent glands. More than 10% of your dog’s brain is connected to the canine olfactory system. Your dog’s nose! Your dog uses their nose to investigate and to gather information about someone or something.
The most natural greeting for dogs is butt to butt while their body is curved. Yes! I said it! Unlike humans, dogs LOVE to smell dog butts!! There are nose butts about it! Dogs literally gathering details and information about each other with their NOSE! There is a lot to say about the Butt!
Next time you are at a dog park or have a chance to watch dogs meet and interact, you will see a variety of dog communications through their tail, main body, ears, eyes, and more. Watch for it! The changes in dog body communication can happen within seconds! Dogs do not like confrontation, direct eye contact, nose to nose as this can be considered a threat and invasion of space. So, in essence a human greeting and a dog greeting are literally quite the opposite. And it’s important to note that a dog sniffing the ground is also a calming signal. It’s a form of communication to another dog. Well socialized dogs will listen and understand the communication being presented and should respond accordingly.
So, the next time your dog wants to smell another dog’s butt, please allow them to do so if the other dog is a willing participant. It should be of mutual consent.
It’s very important to allow your dog to naturally use their nose, this is part of their DNA. Some breeds even more so! It is the most natural form of dog behaviour and connects directly to the dog’s brain which is why positive reinforcers (treats) are used in positive reinforcement training techniques to engage the dog and shape their behaviour.
Do all dogs like each other? Just like humans, we don’t always like everyone we meet regardless real or imagined. Same with dogs! One of the common faux paws is humans like to believe that all dogs like all dogs and that is not always the case. It’s important to learn and understand about dog body language, interaction between dogs, and what constitutes an impolite approach in the dog world. Yes! Face to face and direct eye contact can be considered a threat to another dog. What is your dog telling you? What is the other dog telling you? How are the dog’s interacting? Is it mutual? It’s important to be situationally aware of the interaction between dogs. When a “friendly” dog races towards another dog with direct eye contact, this can be construed as a threat in the dog world and cause unnecessary fear or apprehension. Even an overly friendly dog can be overwhelming for another dog.
In conclusion, it’s ok for your dog to smell the butts of dogs. You are allowing your dog to perform the most natural behaviour. Whether it’s sniffing another dog’s butt, the ground or anything else
If you have a breed that is super stimulated by sniffing, you may want to enhance their sensory abilities. You can visit the Canadian Kennel Association for more information about their scent detection program Scent Detection | CKC
If you want to learn more about Canine Body Language, a book by Brenda Aloff “Canine Body Language A Photographic Guide: Interpreting the Native Language of the Domestic Dog” is another excellent source of understanding our dogs body language under a variety of circumstances including dog to dog interactions. A complete well illustrated resource.
