You’ve probably noticed your dog sniffing you at least every once in a while.
But what if your dog is sniffing you more than usual?
Here are a few things that might make your dog sniff you more than he normally does.
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Why is my dog sniffing me more than usual?
Dogs have super, super sensitive noses. Your dog’s sense of smell is thousands of times better than his sense of sight.
So it’s no wonder that dogs rely on their noses so much to get around in the world! You’ve probably seen your dog sniffing a lot of things throughout his life.
In fact, one of the best ways to give your dog a little mental stimulation is to get him to work with his nose. Scent games are super fun and engaging ways to challenge your dog. Letting him take his time to sniff things on walks can also help walks become even more fun for him.
While understanding how powerful your dog’s nose is can help you gauge your dog’s needs a little better, there are probably some things about his nose that are a mystery to you.
If your dog is sniffing you more than he usually does, for instance, you might be wondering why. There are a few reasons why that could be, but what it boils down to is this:
You actually smell different in some way. Hormones change our body scent when we’re happy, sad, anxious—or pregnant. You might also just be sweaty, or you smell of strange places or animals. All that smells interesting to your dog, which is why he might sniff you more than usual.
Before we get into more detail on all of that, check out my related articles about your dog’s nose:
1. You’re pregnant
A dog’s sense of smell is incredibly powerful, as we already know. But what does that mean for his relationship with you?
Because a dog’s nose is so powerful, he can easily pick up on things that might surprise you.
When humans become pregnant, their hormone levels begin to change. Often, that means a different scent! That’s why your dog might be able to smell these changes in your hormones.
If you’re pregnant, your dog might start sniffing you more than usual to figure out what’s going on. You may also notice a few other changes in your dog if you become pregnant.
If you’re looking for more information on this topic, take a look at this article: Do Dogs Act Out When Their Owner Is Pregnant?
2. You’re stressed or anxious
Pregnancy isn’t the only time when your body releases hormones.
When we experience emotions, whether it’s happiness, anger, or sadness, our brains make us secrete hormones. And, as you already know, dogs are super good at picking up on the way your body smells.
If you are stressed out or anxious, your dog is going to be able to pick up on the changes in your smell.
So if you notice that your dog tends to sniff you more when you’re feeling anxious, that’s probably why. He’s trying to figure out what’s causing this change in your smell!
3. You’ve been around other animals
Have you been somewhere new recently? Have you seen other animals and spent time with them?
If you’ve been to a friend’s house and they have a dog, for example, that dog’s smell will end up on you. The same is true for any kind of animal.
When you get back home, you might find that your dog is much more interested in you than he usually is. If he suddenly has his nose glued to you, it’s probably because he can smell the other animal you saw.
Smelling you is his way of gathering information and trying to figure out where you were and who those animals were that you met!
4. Other hormonal changes
Our hormones play important roles in our lives and our overall health. When you experience changes in your hormones, it could be related to changes in your mood and health.
There are lots of reasons why our hormones change throughout our lives. Sometimes it’s something short-term, like an emotion we’re experiencing.
Other times it’s something of a longer duration, like pregnancy. You might also be sick, which can cause changes in your hormonal levels. Or, you might be going through menopause.
Whatever the reason, your dog’s super sensitive nose will easily pick up on any hormone changes.
5. Changes in routine (like moving to a new place)
Dogs really appreciate routine. You might have noticed this already. Knowing what to expect and when he can expect it will help your dog stay calm and relaxed throughout the day.
If your dog’s routine changes, then that can be pretty confusing for him. Because his sense of smell is one of his strongest senses, he might rely on it to figure out what’s happening.
One thing that can change up a dog’s routine significantly is moving to a new place. If you’ve recently moved, your dog might spend more time sniffing you. This is his way of trying to work out what’s happening.
Changes in routine can also result in anxiety. Here are a few related articles on the topic:
6. You’re overly sweaty
Have you been physically active recently? Maybe you just got home from a run on a hot day and now your dog won’t stop sniffing you.
Sweating can make you pretty stinky. Most humans will probably want to avoid you until you’ve hopped under the shower if you’ve been super active recently.
But to your dog, that sweat probably smells interesting! It’s a big change in your scent for one thing, and it probably smells pretty salty, which might be appealing to your dog.
Even though it might seem gross to us humans, your dog probably finds your sweaty smell super interesting and wants to sniff you! He might even want to lick you!
7. You’ve just had sexual intercourse
When humans have sex, our brains release a lot of feel-good hormones. This includes oxytocin and endorphins.
As you know pretty well by now, dogs have extremely sensitive noses. They can smell the hormones that your body is secreting.
If you’re your body is producing pretty large amounts of endorphins and oxytocin because you’ve just had sexual intercourse, your dog might pick up on that. And he’ll probably be pretty curious, which is why he’s sniffing you so much!
It might seem a little invasive, but your dog is just trying to figure out why you smell different.
8. New perfume or cologne
Humans enjoy smelling nice. If you like wearing perfume or cologne and wear the same one pretty regularly, your dog will get used to that scent.
But if you try a new one, your dog might not be familiar with it.
He’ll probably get pretty interested and start sniffing you a lot to try and snuff out what your new smell is.
Just like your dog got used to your last scent, he’ll get used to this one too. He might just be a little confused and curious about it for a while first.
Why is my dog sniffing like crazy…
Sniffing is natural behavior for dogs. It’s totally fine and healthy for dogs to sniff things.
But what if your dog is sniffing something a lot? Could there be something to worry about?
Most likely everything is fine. There are probably just lots of scents that your dog is trying to figure out. Still, here are a few questions you might have about your dog’s sniffing.
My dog keeps sniffing me, am I pregnant?
Pregnancy can make a person’s hormonal levels change, which your dog will most likely notice. If you’re pregnant, you may notice your dog spending more time sniffing you to work out why you suddenly smell different.
But don’t jump to conclusions! Just because your dog is sniffing you a lot, that doesn’t mean that you’re pregnant.
Pregnancy isn’t the only reason why your dog might be sniffing you more than usual. It could be because you’re sweaty, or because you’ve been somewhere new recently.
There are endless reasons why your dog might be sniffing you a lot. Anything at all that could cause your scent to change could encourage him to sniff you more.
My dog keeps sniffing me and crying, what’s wrong?
It’s completely normal for dogs to sniff their humans. He might be curious about where you’ve been, or he might just really like your scent. You’re one of his favorite things in the world, after all!
But if your dog is sniffing you and crying, that can be pretty confusing. You might also find it a little worrying.
If your smell has changed because you’re anxious or stressed, your dog might pick up on that. And that could make him feel a little stressed and anxious too!
It could also be that your dog is smelling something else. Some dogs seem to have the ability to detect illnesses in humans. If you have a particularly observant dog who keeps sniffing you in a specific area and crying, he could be trying to tell you something is wrong.
Why is my dog sniffing more than usual in the house?
Have you noticed your dog sniffing your house more than usual?
It could be that someone was in the house that your dog isn’t super familiar with. Or you might have an unexpected visitor in your home, like a mouse or bugs.
Excessive sniffing can also be a sign of anxiety. If something is stressing your dog out, then he might sniff more than he normally does.
Dog sniffing FAQ
Still have questions about your dog sniffing? Here are a few answers.
Why do dogs sniff each other?
When we meet a new person, we look at them and speak to them to get to know them.
Your dog has to find different ways to get to know the other dogs that he meets. Dogs use their noses to get around in the world. So it only makes sense that dogs will sniff each other to get to know each other!
Dogs can tell a lot about each other based on how they smell.
It’s totally normal for dogs to sniff each other. The only time you should put a stop to it is if either dog starts getting stressed or uncomfortable.
Why do dogs sniff the ground?
When you look at the ground, you probably see dirt or grass or pavement. But when your dog looks at the ground, he sees lots of opportunities to learn more about who’s been around lately!
Your dog will sniff the ground when you’re out for walks to gather information about the world. It’s completely normal for him to sniff around while you’re walking.
Letting your dog sniff on walks can also offer a really great way to encourage some mental stimulation.
If you’re looking for more information on dogs and walks, check out these articles:
- How to Stop a Dog from Eating Absolutely Everything on Walks
- How to Tell If Your Dog Is Tired of Walking
- How Many Walks Should a Dog Have a Day?
Mental stimulation can also be a wonderful training tool if used correctly. Check out Braintrainingfordogs to learn how to train your dog to be the best dog he can be by using mental stimulation! Or have a look at Dogpackr’s review first to see if it’s a fit for you and your dog!
Why does my dog sniff my face?
Having your dog up in your face can be pretty annoying.
But why exactly is your dog trying to sniff your face so much?
You might have eaten something your dog is interested in, or maybe you’re using new products on your face that your dog is trying to investigate.
If his face-sniffing is getting out of hand, giving your dog enough daily stimulation can help prevent it. Check out these related articles for some inspiration for things to do with your dog:
- 10 Brain Games for Dogs to Play at Home
- 12 Ways to Tire Out Your Dog Indoors
- 11 Tips to Tire out a Dog (Quickly)
Why do dogs sniff cat bums?
When dogs meet each other, they sniff each other’s bums to learn more information about each other.
Your dog might try to do the same thing with your cat!
Another reason why your dog might be sniffing your cat’s bum is because your cat has some poo stuck to his bum. It sounds gross to us, but your dog might think it smells pretty good.
Conclusion
Sniffing is one of the primary ways that dogs interact with the world. They use their noses to gather information and figure out what’s going on.
There are lots of reasons why your dog might be sniffing you more than he used to. You can usually figure out based on context. And once you figure out why he’s sniffing you, you’ll know whether it’s something to worry about or if it’s just your dog being a dog.
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