Why Do Dogs Sniff the Butts of Other Dogs?

The classic doggie handshake.  Sniffing the other dog’s butts is how dogs identify and introduce themselves to one another.  This is essentially how dogs say to one another: “hello”.  “Have we met before?” “Do I know you?”

Why Do Dogs Sniff Each the Butts of Other Dogs

Just like human fingerprints, each and every dog has a scent unique to only them.  These scents are the secretions from the anal sacs (pair of small, kidney-shaped glands on either side of the anus).  Not only does this unique scent distinguish each dog from one another, it also serves to divulge whether this new dog is male or female.

Interestingly scientists are still discovering what additional information may be revealed through each signature scent.