If you find your dog licking another dog’s private area, they’re engaging in natural social behavior. This is your dog’s way of saying hello to another dog and unlike humans, dogs use taste and smell as their primary ways of exploring and learning about others.
It might seem weird or strange at first to see your dog licking another dog’s privates. You might even feel nervous if this happens at a dog park or on the street when walking by another dog but it’s perfectly normal.
The goal of this guide is to help you understand why dogs do this and that it’s normal and rather typical dog behavior.
Why Do Dogs Lick Other Dogs’ Privates?
We all love our pups and want them to have the best life possible right? Well, think of this as their way of communicating and engaging with other dogs. Some dogs bark at other dogs as a way of getting their attention, some are a little more timid, and others aren’t afraid to get right up there and start sniffing around.
As gross as it sounds, it’s not gross to them, and they’re not doing anything “weird” or “inappropriate.” Remember, what’s appropriate for us is not the same for dogs.
1. Good Day To You!
If your dog is meeting another dog for the first time, this is how they get to know each other. Dogs have sweat glands that emit pheromones and this will tell your dog a lot about them.
These sweat glands can give away age, gender, sexual willingness, and mood. When your dog is sniffing around the private areas, they’re learning more about the other dog and picking up on various cues.
2. Curiosity
Dogs will stop and sniff anything and if they haven’t smelled something before, they’ll be even more curious to sniff around. This goes for chewing, touching, and eating too. This is how your dog learns.
As you’re rolling up and down the sidewalk or through the dog park, your dog is smelling all kinds of things that you’re not. This can include dogs that have been there before, a pesky squirrel, or even a soda that someone spilled.
3. Health
Dogs are intuitive and can naturally pick up on smells that tell them something isn’t right. This is why some service dogs are actually trained to sniff out cancer.
They can sense when something is wrong with another dog to help bring attention to it. If you notice that your dog is extremely fixated on something and will not stop sniffing and licking a certain area, you’ll want to get them or the other dog checked out.
4. Grooming
When one dog grooms another dog, it’s a sign of affection. It doesn’t always happen around the private areas, but it could. Your dog could be helping to clean another dog. This is a bonding experience and there is nothing wrong with it.
Final Thoughts
It’s your choice as to how you handle your dog licking other dogs private parts. It’s okay to tell your dog not to do it, but don’t punish them for this behavior because it’s perfectly natural. If it makes you or the other dog owner uncomfortable, simply divert their attention and they’ll likely stop.
