Dogs lick for various reasons. So if you are wondering: why does my dog lick my panties? The reasons are most likely entirely non-sexual. Read on to know what could be the possible causes for this.
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Your dog licks your panties mainly because panties contain strong smells, and dogs have a highly sensitive nose.
People often associate a dog licking a women’s panties with sexual behavior, but that is almost never the case. Read on to find the possible reasons why your dog might be licking or eating your underwear and how you can get rid of their bad behavior.
Why Does My Dog Lick My Panties?
Your dog licks your panties because it is attracted to the scent and taste of your panties. Genital areas in humans secret sweat, pheromones, and other fluids, and their scent accumulated in the panties.
Other than your dog finding the smell and taste of your panties alluring, there are several other reasons behind your dog licking your panties. Let’s take a look at them.
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Attraction Toward The Smell
Dogs are highly sensitive to scents far more than humans, and they like to sniff and lick anything and everything they find unique or has the smell of their favorite person. Panties or underwear are no exception for them, and while it may be gross for us humans but dogs, it is a way of showing their affection.
Anxiety
Another possible reason your dog might be licking your panties is that it is anxious.
When a dog licks something, its body releases endorphins which can help reduce their stress and calm them down the same way humans eat chocolates or other food items to reduce their stress. Your dog might be anxious about being alone or due to the presence of someone unknown to them.
Attention Seeking
If you have a busy schedule and cannot give your dog enough time, they may resort to licking or eating your panties to seek your attention. Other than licking, barking, chewing, scratching, and eating things other than food items are some of the ways for a dog to get your attention
Licking or chewing on your panties is their way of letting you know that they missed you and want some love and attention from you. Try to spend some time with your dog, or this behavior can result in them developing anxiety.
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Loneliness
Loneliness and boredom can be another reason behind your dogs licking your panties. It might be licking your panties because it has nothing else to do. Sometimes due to house chores or work pressure, people forget about their dogs’ needs.
Humans have several ways to spend their time in case they are bored, but dogs can not. Take some time out of your busy schedule to spend some time playing and caring for your dog.
Dogs who are feeling lonely can resort to licking their owners’ panties or underwear as the underwear resembles the smell of their owner.
Compulsive Disorder
If your dog is licking your panties, then it might be suffering from a compulsive disorder. Dogs with canine compulsive disorder will do some things repeatedly. If you find your dog licking your panties obsessively, it might be due to a compulsive disorder.
Influenced By Another Dog
If your dog has been in the presence of another dog who has a habit of licking the panties of their owners, then it is a possibility that it might have picked on that habit from them.
How To Control This Behavior In A Dog
While trying to control this behavior, you can not just reprimand your dog and expect them to stop doing it. If dogs find that they can get your attention by licking your panties, they might start doing it more intensively. You would need to approach this behavior with positive reinforcements.
Start by avoiding any temptation. Keep all your underwear and other items of clothing locked up in drawers and closets. Give them something else like a toy to play, lick and chew upon. Watch out for any factors that may be causing stress and anxiety in your dog. If the problem persists, get a consultation from a vet.
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Why Does My Dog Eat The Crotch Of My Pants?
Dogs have a sensitive nose, and they have a strong sense of smell far more than humans. Some dogs only smell and lick the pants, while some may even go as far as eating and ingesting the pants.
The reason why your dog eats the crotch of your pants might be because the scent in the crotch area is intense, and that attracts a dog.
You would often see a dog greeting someone with their nose right up to the crotch. It’s because dogs use smell to identify a person, and since our crotch area has an intense scent of pheromones and other odors produced by our sweat glands.
If you find your dog trying to lick or eat the crotch of your pants, it’s because that region contains an intense smell, and dogs find that pleasant. Other than the dog enjoying the taste and smell of your pants, there can be other possible reasons for them trying to eat your panties which include:
- They are attracted to the taste and smell of your pants.
- If a dog is bored, it can also resort to eating your pants.
- Guarding is a trait of most dogs, and if your pants are something they consider valuable and want to keep protected from others, they may consume them.
- Anxiety can be the other reason your dog chews on your pants as the pants contain your smell, and the dogs feel that they are close to you by doing so.
- Young puppies going through the teething phase can also chew on your pants or other clothes to relieve their aching gums.
- A compulsive disorder in which dogs have a habit of chewing on things.
- Any deficiency or medical condition can also result in a dog eating your underwear.
What Will Happen If A Dog Eats A Clothing Item?
If your dog displays such behavior, you must help them control it as the fabric is not something they can digest upon eating and may end up in a severe medical condition.
The dog’s body will reject the fabric, and dogs can either vomit all the fabric or try to pass it while defecating. A serious condition can develop when the piece of fabric wraps around the gastrointestinal tract and causes obstruction.
If this happens, then your dog needs immediate medical attention and may require surgery, so it’s best to take it to a vet.
If your dog has a habit of eating your pants, and it starts showing symptoms like vomiting, lethargy, diarrhea, or not consuming its meals properly, it might be due to gastrointestinal tract obstruction, and you need to get it checked by a vet as soon as possible.
If you know that your dog has ingested a piece of cloth, a vet can provide some medicines that can help the dog throw up the fabric. If the fabric is in the dog’s stomach, a vet can perform an endoscopy to remove it, but surgery is the only viable solution if the fabric is stuck in the intestine.
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How Can You Stop Your Dog From Eating Your Pants Or Other Clothing?
Keep Clothes out of reach
Keeping clothes out of reach of your dog is the best way to stop them from eating them. For keeping your dirty laundry, you can use a basket or a bin but make sure that it has a lid.
Keep all your washed laundry in closed drawers or closets. Our dirty clothes have distinct smells from our bodies, and those smells sometimes linger on the clothes even after we wash them. That’s why it is crucial to keep both the dirty and clean laundry away from the dogs.
If boredom is why your dog might be eating the crotch of your pants, then make sure that you are spending enough time with your dog.
Spend Time With Him
Take your dog to long walks and runs, bring them toys they can chew upon and play with. Dogs are highly energetic, and if their energy is not spent completely, they can resort to destruction and mess.
Train This Behavior Out of Him
You can also train your dog to stop chewing and eating your pants using verbal commands. Use simple voice commands like leave it or stop it and reward them once they comply.
Why Does My Dog Lick My Underwear?
The reason why your dog licks your underwear is that your underwear contains the smell and taste of sweat, urine, and other bodily fluids secreted by the glands present in your genital area.
It has nothing to do with your dog being sexually attracted to you, as many people like to think. A dog will lick a man’s and woman’s underwear as long as it belongs to someone they are fond of.
The underwear and dogs also have a habit of licking and eating anything with a strong smell, like a pair of dirty socks.
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Final Words
Dogs sometimes have the strangest behavior that is hard to explain. Some of the dogs like licking a woman’s panties as it contains strong smells, and as the dogs have a strong sense of smell, they are attracted to the scent.
Some dogs can even resort to eating the panties, which can be hazardous for them as they can not digest fabric. It is better to train them to leave this bad habit beforehand to avoid such scenarios.
Thank you for reading, we hope we have been able to answer your question. If you still have doubts, do reach out in the comments section below. You might also like to read: Why Does My Dog Pee On My Clothes? And Why Do Dogs Lick When You Scratch Them