Why does my dog sniff my ears? Can
dogs smell cancer in humans?
Asking a dog not to sniff is like asking a human not to look.
Your dog uses its nose to collect information about the world.
Fine…
But why does my dog sniff my ears?
And can dogs smell cancer in humans?
In short, your dog sniffs your ears because it:
- Detected a disease
- Tries to tell you something
- Loves your natural smell
- Is bored
- Identified a new scent around your ears
- Is showing affection
- Your poor doggy is unwell
But there is more you need to know!
This is why this article will tell you everything you need to know about:
- Is it dangerous for you if your dog sniffs your ears?
- How to stop your dog sniffing your ears
- How to train your dog to sniff out cancer
Let’s do this.
Let’s see why your dog sticks its nose in your ear – and what you should do about it.
This is why your dog sniffs your ears
Yes, asking your dog not to sniff is like asking you not to look.
Your dog’s sense of smell is up to 100,000 times stronger than yours.
This is why your dog smells everything, including your ears.
But there may be different reasons why your dog sniffs your ears specifically.
Some of these reasons are benign.
But other reasons may need your immediate attention.
Here are the main reasons why your dog sniffs your ears.
Is your dog sniffing all over your guests?
Because my dog is.
Every guest gets a full sniffing service – shoes, legs, crotch, buttocks.
Yes, it can get quite embarrassing.
And yes, my dog would also sniff the ears of my guests if only it could reach them.
But is it normal?
All that sniffing.
Yes.
All my dog is doing is gathering information about the new arrivals.
My dog also sniffs at most dogs on our walks.
When my dog meets other dogs, it sniffs them from top to bottom.
All that sniffing can tell my dog where the other dog has been, its health status, what it has recently eaten, and how friendly it is.
Sniffing humans will reveal similar info to my dog.
By the way, my dog also sniffs all over my body if I come back home with some new smells on me. My dog simply tries to understand why I smell differently today.
Interesting
Dogs love adventure and exploration.
When sniffing all over your ear, they may just be exploring a unique part of your anatomy (ear) that’s so different from their own.
Your body odor can change due to hormones, infection, and other underlying health issues.
Humans can’t usually detect this odor with their noses.
But dogs can.
In fact, your dog can often smell the tiniest changes that are happening in your body, including diseases.
So if your dog smells changes in your ears, it may start paying special attention to the affected ear.
This means that if your dog is sniffing at your ears more frequently than usual, your pup may have detected a disease. Consider visiting your doctor to get your health checked.
Here are some of the diseases your dog can detect just by smelling your ears:
- Yeast infections
- Bacterial infections
- Cancer
- Excessive ear wax buildup
- Water trapped in your ears (not a disease but can attract harmful bacteria)
Interesting
My dog stays very close to me (closer than usually) when I have a cold or headache.
Many other dog owners report similar experiences with their dogs.
Most dogs are no fans of perfumes.
But dogs like to smell natural smells.
Human ears contain plenty of natural oils, earwax, and some dirt.
Yes, your dog loves that salty and oily smell of your ears.
To be sure, you may be using some fancy shampoos, antiperspirants, and perfumes.
But it is your natural smell that your dog loves.
In fact, your ears may be the exact spot your dog found where it can smell the real you.
But what will happen if you don’t wash your ears for a while?
No worries.
Dogs are not as fussy about smells as humans are.
Things that to us reek to high heaven will often smell rather lovely to dogs.
By the way, your dog may also come for a good sniff if you’ve just applied your new perfume or shampooed your hair.
Did you know?
Dogs often rub their own ears against the ground or an object. This allows them to leave their scent for other dogs to find.
Rubbing their ears against things also allows dogs to take various smells with them (to enjoy the smells for longer as a “takeaway”).
And don’t worry, you won’t detect any of these smells on your dog with your human nose. All you’ll most likely detect will be the smell of the ground or grass.
If you ignore your dog for too long, your dog may get bored.
To attract your attention, your dog may start sniffing and licking your ears.
This sometimes happens in my house.
When I have a lazy Sunday morning in bed, my dog will sometimes enter the bedroom and stick its nose in my ear.
Is it to smell around my ears?
Not usually.
Instead, my clever pup has discovered that poking its cold wet nose into my ear is an effective way of getting me out of bed and taking him for a morning walk.
Yep, never underestimate how clever your dog is and the lengths it’ll go to in order to get your attention when it’s bored or wants something.
DID YOU KNOW?
If your dog hasn’t been properly socialized, the poor thing may suffer from behavior problems.
These behavior problems may include:
- Excessive barking
- Anxiety
- Hyperactivity
- Aggression
This is why we created this FREE Puppy Socialization Checklist
Your dog will know instantly if you’ve used a new grooming product.
A new body spray, perfume, shampoo – your dog will notice.
You may also have brought home a new scent from other pets, people, or new places.
In all such cases, your dog will come to investigate, often by sniffing your ears.
Dogs like to check if members of their pack (that’s you) are clean.
This is why your dog may sniff around your ears, to check your cleanliness.
If your pup decides you’re not up to canine standards, it may lick your ears to improve your hygiene.
My dog is really excited when I come home.
The dog is wagging its tail and spinning around like crazy.
If I bend down to greet my dog properly, my furry friend will often sniff and lick my ears.
Also, when I pat or compliment my dog, it’ll sometimes lick my face (and ears).
Interesting
Dogs can smell emotional changes in humans.
So your dog can detect your mood just by sniffing and licking your ears.
Also, your mood can change the mood and behavior of your dog.
Dogs often lick each other’s faces and ears.
Dogs do that for various reasons, including:
- Show affection
- Communicate appeasement
- Signal harmlessness
And yes, as part of your dog’s pack, you can also enjoy some of the sniffing and licking.
Some dogs will sniff around your ears to reduce their own stress or anxiety.
For example, my dog sometimes sniffs my ears during thunderstorms. I guess this calms my dog down.
A dog can’t really tell you when it’s not feeling well.
Some dogs may even try to hide from you their pain or illnesses.
But if your dog suddenly starts sniffing your ears, it may be a sign that something is wrong with your pup.
In fact, any sudden changes in your dog’s behavior may indicate that your dog is not feeling well.
An excited dog can start acting weird.
Sniffing and licking your ears out of excitement can be considered weird, right?
My dog always gets excited when I return home from work – or when I give my pup its favorite treat or toy.
In such happy moments, my dog usually jumps on me, licks my face, and sniffs and licks my ears. And yes, all this makes me happy too.
I guess, you’ve already trained your dog to sit by the door if your pup needs a potty break.
But what if your doggy has something new to communicate?
Something for which you’re yet to agree on a mutually understood command or behavior.
Sniffing and licking your ear may be simply a way of your dog trying to tell you something new.
If your dog is sniffing your ears and you respond with approving excitement, you’re reinforcing the sniffing behavior.
Feeling rewarded, your pup will most likely want to repeat the sniffing.
In fact, it may decide to make the sniffing business a daily habit.
Is it dangerous for my dog to sniff my ears?
Yes, it can be dangerous.
An occasional sniff should be fine.
But it’s not a good idea for your dog to sniff your ears regularly.
This is because a dog’s breath can carry tons of harmful bacteria.
Also, who knows where your dog’s nose has recently been:
- In a garbage can?
- In a dog’s poo?
- In something rotting in the bushes?
Yes, your dog’s nose can give you a nasty ear infection… or worse.
But your dog won’t stop sniffing your ears just like that (check below to see how to get your dog to stop sniffing your ears).
Pro Tip
As mentioned earlier, dogs can detect diseases.
So if your dog is sniffing your ears more frequently than usually, it may have detected an ear infection or other health issue.
In this case, you may consider contacting your doctor to get your health checked.
How to stop your dog sniffing your ears?
As mentioned above, it’s not a good idea for your dog to sniff your ears regularly.
So, this is how to stop your dog sniffing your ears.
If you reward your dog for certain behavior (even accidentally), your dog will want to repeat that behavior.
So if your dog sniffs your ear, don’t reward it with sweet talk or quick scratch. Doing so may reinforce the ear-sniffing behavior.
If your dog starts sniffing your ear, throw a fetch toy.
Not only will this redirect your dog’s attention away from your ear, but will provide physical stimulation for your pup.
Our vet told us that dogs who enjoy plenty of physical and mental stimulation are less likely to engage in unusual behaviors, including sniffing human ears.
Whenever my dog gets close to sniff my ear, I use the “no” command.
It took some time for my dog to understand that “no” means “no sniffing”.
But it was worth it.
Just say “no” whenever your dog tries to stick its nose into your ear.
It’s worth noting that my dog occasionally tests if the sniffing-ear ban is still on. When required, my firm “no” command confirms that the sniffing embargo still applies.
If you’re struggling to stop your dog sniffing your ears, consider professional help.
I contacted my veterinarian, who is also a dog trainer.
My vet quickly assessed the situation and helped me to stop my dog’s ear-sniffing business. The “no” command was part of the training.
By the way, our friend contacted an animal behaviorist for this.
If your dog seems obsessed with sniffing your ears, consider contacting your doctor for a health check.
As discussed earlier, dogs can detect health issues in humans.
If your dog sniffs your ears frequently, your pup may have detected something you may want to get checked by a doctor.
Did you know?
Younger dogs sniff more than older dogs.
This is because younger dogs are usually more curious than older dogs.
This is why the ear sniffing behavior is more common in younger dogs and puppies.
As a dog gets older, it usually becomes more selective with its sniffing.
How to train your dog to sniff out cancer
Yes, you can train your dog to sniff out cancer.
This is exactly what I did.
I enrolled my German Shepherd in a special program.
First, they checked my dog’s scent-detecting abilities.
My dog passed!
Yes, a dog needs an exceptionally strong sense of smell to detect cancer.
This is because detecting the scent of cancer, as opposed to other scents, is not easy. There are hundreds of organic compounds released by cancer cells that a dog needs to be trained to identify.
So… this is how my dog was trained to detect cancer.
The training exposed my dog to hundreds of samples containing organic compounds that were collected in a clinical setting.
The samples included blood plasma and urine from a variety of patients, both healthy and those with cancer. They used a scent wheel made of protruding arms holding vials of body fluid.
The training involved a reward system that provided motivation for correct identification. For my dog, they mainly used treats and toys (positive reinforcement training).
Long story short, I now live with a cancer-detecting dog!
Interesting
A dog can detect bladder cancer in humans just by smelling their urine.
DOG TOYS CAN HELP YOUR DOG
Dog toys are not a luxury, but a necessity.
Dog toys:
- Prevent boredom (can keep your dog busy for hours)
- Provide comfort during sleep
- Help relieve anxiety
- Reduce barking, whining, and nervousness
- Provide company when left home alone
- Provide comfort during stressful times
- Provide mental & physical stimulation
- Promote healthy teeth & fresh breath
Check here for the best dog toys for your dog.
Why does my dog sniff my ears? CONCLUSION
You wanted to know: Why does my dog sniff my ears?
In short, your dog may sniff your ears for a number of reasons such as:
- Detected a disease
- Tries to tell you something
- Loves your natural smell
- Is bored
- Likes sniffing your ears
- Identified a new scent around your ears
- Is showing affection
- Your poor doggy is unwell
But there is more you need to know!
This is why this article also told you everything you needed to know about:
- Is it dangerous for you if your dog sniffs your ears?
- How to stop your dog sniffing your ears
- How to train your dog to sniff out diseases
Our team wishes you and your dog all the best – and always clean ears.
YOUR PUPPY NEEDS THIS
In addition to your love, your puppy needs essential supplies!
So your puppy can stay happy & healthy – and can become the best it can ever be!
This is why we created this FREE New Puppy Checklist
The checklist covers everything your puppy needs.
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Check out our Editorial Process for details on how we research and review pet products and topics.
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This article is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge. It is not meant to substitute for diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, prescription, or formal and individualized advice from a veterinary medical professional. Animals exhibiting signs and symptoms of illness, pain, or distress should be seen by a veterinarian immediately.
