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11 Reasons Your Dog Is Sniffing You More Than Usual (2023)

Why Is My Dog Sniffing Me More Than Usual

There’s a saying that goes…

“Dogs see through their nose, not their eyes.”

And this can tell you why they’re sniffing you more often.

But…

It’s not enough to find out what they can smell on you.

So… what can their nose see that we can’t? 

This article will reveal the answers to you.

Continue reading to find out:

  • How your dog can smell illnesses.
  • Whether this behavior should be alarming or not.
  • 11 surprising reasons why your dog sniffs you more than usual (#1 and #11 will shock you).
  • And so much more…

Why is my dog sniffing me more than usual?

Your dog is sniffing you more than usual because of your scent. Humans have sweat glands that release pheromones. These are chemicals from the body that change based on your emotions. So, every time your mood changes, your body will release a different scent.


11 reasons why your dog is sniffing you more than usual


#1: They can smell your emotions

“Dogs can smell your fear.“

Have you ever heard of that saying?

Well, whether you believe in it or not… 

The truth is: yes, they do. Your furry friends can smell your feelings, may it be fear or happiness. 

Now, you might be thinking, “How’s that possible?” 

Based on research, a dog’s sense of smell can detect human emotions.

And that’s because your body releases chemicals all the time.

But, since we don’t have strong senses like our dogs do…

Only our furry friends can notice those scents. 

So, if you’ve been going through some emotional changes lately…

Then, your pooch might sniff you more than usual.

“But why would they do that?” 

Most people believe that your pooch can understand your emotions. 

So, if Fido can tell that you’re stressed, sad, anxious, or even when you’re happy…

They’ll try to get closer to you by sniffing you. And they do this to find out if you’re okay or not.

#2: Out of curiosity

Your Dog Is Sniffing You More Than Usual Because Of Their Curiosity

In some cases, dogs will smell you because of their curiosity. 

And that means that even if you’re not feeling anything negative… 

They’ll still come to you to take a whiff out of your body.

But, this brings us to the question: 

“Why are dogs so curious?” 

The answer lies behind their sensitive noses. 

A study says your furry friend’s sense of smell can be 100,000 times better than humans.

I guess you can say… they’re so nosy because of their noses.

Puns aside, this fact explains why curiosity comes naturally to dogs. 

Moreover, you can think of sniffing as Fido’s way of greeting you. 

“Where have you been? How was your day? Are you feeling okay?” 

…They could be asking these questions as they try to smell you.

To understand your pooch better, how about putting yourself in their paws

Imagine if you also had their ultra senses…

You’d become aware of things you never noticed before. With that, wouldn’t you become more intrigued by the world around you? 

In the end, you can almost say that this is your Fido’s superpower. 

Pretty cool, huh? But wait, there’s more.

Based on the same research I mentioned in #1… 

Here’s a fun fact: it’s revealed that your dog can see the past too. 

“Wait, how ‘s that even possible?” 

With their superior sense of smell, dogs can trace back real-life events based on scents.

And this is why many of our canine pals work in the police department or a similar setting.

With odors, dogs can tell things such as:

  • Where you’ve been.
  • Who you spent time with.
  • If you’ve been around another animal.

And those are just a few examples. 

All in all, this shows that you can’t stop your pooch from being curious. 

Read next: 7 Weird Reasons Why Dogs Sniff Your Clothes + 3 Tips

#3: They smell food on you

A not-so-surprising reason why your pooch is sniffing you is food.

As most of us know, our furry friends love eating. 

With that, any trace of food can attract them. 

“But I haven’t eaten anything.” 

Well, even if you didn’t touch any food today…

You can still catch scents of it on your body. 

Let’s say you sat down in your office all day.

Now, your co-worker, who’s sitting right next to you, starts eating. But you’re so focused on your job. So, you didn’t even notice.

Then you went home. And next thing you know, your pooch is sniffing you all over.

With that, you get an idea of how your dog thinks you have some food on you.

#4: Because of your sweat

What if I told you… that your dog probably thinks your sweat is interesting? 

Now, that sounds weird. 

After all, who likes the smell of sweat, right?

Well, your furry friend does. 

I guess you can say… how sweet of them to like your sweat. 

Okay, enough with the jokes. Time for me to explain. 

Basically, dogs get attracted to your sweat for one reason. And that’s because they release your pheromones

Based on science, this substance is found in all bodily secretions such as sweat.

But what exactly are pheromones? 

To put it in a simple way, they’re like signals that your body releases. 

Also, this is an involuntary action. Meaning, you can’t control this at all. 

Remember what I explained in #1? Your furry friend can smell your emotions.

And pheromones contain that information. They tell your pooch about how you feel at that moment. 

Thus, if you’re sweating, Fido will sniff you due to their interest.

#5: They missed you

Sometimes, there’s no reason to overthink their behavior. 

Your dog could be sniffing you more than usual since they missed you. 

“But I’ve only been away for a few hours.” 

Even if you haven’t been out for long…

Your Fido can still end up missing you a lot. 

And that’s because some dogs can be very sensitive.

Though, there are also a few breeds with low separation anxiety

But other than that…

There are controversial theories on a dog’s perception of time. 

One popular claim says, 1 minute for humans is 7 minutes for dogs. 

And that sounds like a huge gap, doesn’t it? 

If that’s true, then that can explain why your pooch can be very excited to see you.

So they’ll look forward to you even if you only left for a few minutes. 

Still, there’s not enough scientific evidence to back up this claim. It’s only something that many dog lovers believe in. 

Though, there’s one study in 2018 that states animals can judge time. 

With that, they can tell if you’re feeding them much later than usual or such. 

But no matter what the truth is…

Your pooch will still sniff you, regardless of how long you’ve been away.

#6: You switched hygiene products

Did you recently change your shampoo? What about your perfume? 

Are you using anything different lately? 

If yes, then that’s one reason why your pooch will sniff you a lot. And that’s because your dog wants to remember how you smell.

So, if your odor suddenly changed… 

Then Fido can get a little confused. 

“Wait, something smells different.”  Sniff… sniff… “Hmm, are you really my hooman?”

…That’s probably what’s going on in your pooch’s mind. 

“But I didn’t change my perfume or anything” 

Then, the answer can be the same as what I told you in reason #3. 

Maybe it’s something that you didn’t notice yourself. 

Let’s say you washed your hands at the mall. And their soap was different from the one you regularly use. 

Or you hung out with one of your friends. They’re wearing strong cologne. 

With that, faint traces of that scent sticks to your legs or clothes. 

And so on… there can be many examples, but these should be enough to clear your mind.

You might also like: Ask A Vet: How Long Do Dogs Remember A Scent?

#7: Another animal scent 

Another Animal Scent

Did you run into another animal lately? 

If so, then did you get close to them? Or even touched them?

Well, this is why your dog sniffs you more than usual. 

And what you might get next is a jealous pooch. 

“Isn’t that only a theory about dogs?” 

Yes, it’s debated whether your furry friend can feel jealousy or not. 

In a recent study, it was confirmed that dogs can be jealous the same way as a human child.

Furthermore, it states that even if they didn’t see you with their rival…

Your dog can still show signs of jealousy.

So, if you’ve been around other animals…

Then you probably caught their scent and your Fido will pick that up right away. 

Thus, this explains why they’ll be sniffing you too much. 

And remember when I said dogs can trace back what happened, based on scents? 

Yes, they’re figuring out what you were up to with that other animal…

“Oh, I see how it is. You were petting someone else. You also gave them a belly rub. Gotcha.” 

These are probably what your dog’s thinking about. 

What if I wasn’t around any other animal?” 

If you weren’t, then someone close to you might have.

Maybe your friend owns a dog. Their scent could rub off on your stuff, too.

And if that’s the case, all there’s left to do is reassure your pooch. 

I know, it almost feels as if you cheated on the poor Fido.

Even if you didn’t mean to do such thing.

As a tip, wash off right away so they can forget the scent. 

This can help stop your dog from trying to smell you too much.

Wanna see how some dogs act when they’re jealous? 

You can watch this funny video: 

#8: You moved to a new place 

Sometimes… it’s not you. 

But instead, it’s your new house. 

If you recently moved, then you can expect Fido to get too excited.

They’re adjusting to a new environment. Different surroundings. 

With that, there’ll be a lot of unfamiliar scents for your pooch. 

And that also includes you. 

When you’re in a new place, you’ll catch different scents, too. As a result, your furry friend can be twice more curious.

So, if this occurs, there’s not much you need to do.

You only have to wait until they get used to the new place.

With that, your dog will eventually calm down in a day or two.

Learn more: Why Is My Dog Sniffing The Air And Looking Up? 13 Reasons

#9: Hormonal changes 

Your hormones affect your emotions. 

And that’s because they’re your body’s chemical messengers

Hormones deliver the tasks that your body organs need to do. 

So, if there’s a shift in these messengers, your mood can get affected. 

To give you an example, a menstrual period can cause hormonal changes. 

And for the ladies, they know how this can lead to mood swings. 

Once again, your Fido can detect these changes. 

Also, this might make you think that dogs seem to like period blood

But in fact, the emotional shifts are what makes your Fido curious. So, it’s not all about the blood.

Now, here’s another example that can cause hormonal changes in people.

And that’s sexual intercourse. 

Yep, right before and after making love with your partner…

Your pooch can smell if your body is releasing signals to your significant other. With that in mind, have you ever encountered a dog that keeps trying to sniff your private parts?

Well, that’s because that’s where they can detect your mood at certain times.

But, don’t think of it as anything malicious. After all, your furry friends don’t know that they’re doing something improper. 

They’re only interested in what you feel and why. 

And that’s why they’ll sniff you more than usual sometimes.

#10: They detect your pregnancy

One more thing that causes a hormonal change is pregnancy. 

And since your pooch is always interested in your scent…

They’ll know that you’re pregnant before you even notice it. 

How? 

That’s because the body changes a lot during pregnancy. 

Along with that, your scent will become affected too. 

So, Fido might start sniffing you around your belly out of curiosity.

Furthermore, vets at the AKC state that:

Dogs can detect changes in your body during pregnancy. But, it doesn’t mean that they know the reason why. 

Simply put, they don’t understand that you’re carrying a child.

Instead, your pooch’s only worried about you. And that’s because you’re releasing unfamiliar scents for them.

“What’s happening to my hooman? You smell unusual. Are you okay?” 

…That’s something that Fido might think about in this scenario. 

#11: You might be sick

After reason #10, you might be wondering about something else.

“I’m not a woman” or “But I’m not pregnant at all.” 

Plus, you think that your pooch’s sniffing is odd. 

The other reasons on this list doesn’t seem to check out well.

So what else could it be? 

The bad news is… you might be sick. 

And like what I explained about how dogs detect pregnancies… 

A human’s body will also change a lot if they have a disease. 

Their hormones will shift, and so will their scents. But once again, these things are only picked up by dogs.

The human nose doesn’t have that kind of ability.

So, naturally, only your Fido will know if something’s wrong. 

And to further prove this fact, research showed that dogs can even smell cancer.

But this isn’t the only study that supports this. So far, there’s been a lot of reports that prove your canine friend’s ability. 

“How can I tell the difference between normal sniffing and a concerned one?” 

Your pooch will make it obvious they’re worried about you.

For example, they’ll sniff one area of your body at all times. But other than that, Fido also cries whenever they do it. 

And if this occurs, it’s best to get yourself checked for safety.

Check out: 13 Reasons Why Your Dog Keeps Sniffing Your Legs (& Knee)

Should I be worried if my dog is sniffing me more than usual?

You shouldn’t worry if your dog is sniffing you more than usual.

Like I mentioned above, they can do this for a number of simple things.

But for rare cases…

You should worry if your dog is not only sniffing you but also:

  • Crying.
  • Circling you.
  • Acting weird.
  • Pacing back and forth.
  • Sniffing the same spot all the time.

If your pooch is doing these, then it can be an alarming sign that you might be sick. 

Now, remember, almost nothing can get past a dog’s sense of smell.

With that said, you can trust their instincts. 

So, in case of any concern…

Both you and Fido should see a doctor for your safety.