Dogs experience the world very differently from humans, largely because they rely on smell far more than sight or language. While people interpret social situations through words and facial expressions, dogs use scent as their main source of information.

Because of this, behaviors that can feel awkward to humans—such as a dog sniffing a person’s private area—are usually normal canine communication rather than anything inappropriate or intentional.

Dogs have an extremely powerful sense of smell, with far more scent receptors than humans and a much larger part of their brain dedicated to processing odors. This allows them to detect subtle chemical signals that people cannot perceive.