When Dogs Sniff Butts

It must be the immature little boy that lives inside my body, you know the one who still thinks farts and bathroom jokes are awesome. I'm amused that dogs have no shame about doing plenty of things openly that humans only do in private. But that doesn't mean I can't be grossed out by them. The butt sniffing of dogs? I don't think I can ever get quite comfortable with that. I'll keep it clean because I know my dad reads this blog and gets famously annoyed with me when I talk about poop and poopers. The funny thing is when our book, Follow the Dog Home , was read by several editors, they loved the dog poop stories that Dad, me and Samantha argued about. And because my children ask about it, doggy greetings are fair game. Sorry Dad.


Beverly says hello to Chance

When dogs sniff each others' butts it's the equivalent of a handshake. You know that already. But there's more to it that's as primative as it is social. The most complete answer I could find that says a lot in a little was in another dog blog-- My Dog, My Self. To boil it down to a whiff or two, dogs sniff to calm themselves down. It's not unlike feeling nervous at a meeting or party, but after a few introductions and handshakes, you "get" your feet back under you. My dog Beverly and Chance are best pals. They always start their play with a whiff. It's just like seeing an old friend at the class reunion. You shake hands to break the ice, and pretty soon you're on with the conversation. Have a good dog story to share? Post it here and include a photo if you have one.