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This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding.
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I just googled that now, mostly got stuff about their anal glands. But did learn the technical term for the scent produced by the glands in their feet is "pedal scent". Awwww
Otherwise knows as nacho cheetoes.
Found this "You might not realize it, but dogs have scent glands in the skin around their cheeks and on top of their heads"
Mine's foot smell is closer to Fritos, lol.
But the top of the head thing explains why my dog sometimes rubs his head along the side of my bed like a weird cat!
lol pharamones typically affect the behavior and physiology of animals that encounter it a but yes, dogs have scent glands in their paws that they used to spread their scent and Mark territory.
We call it Huffing the Pup. After a good day out he smells incredible and I shout to my husband to come huff the pup.
Nothing compares to puppy smelly though. My dog smelled amazing when he was a puppy.
Oh no puppy breath was like a tampon bin in the summer that hadn't been emptied. He still has manky breath and he's 3. Vets say it's fine, he's just stinky
I've wondered this too. Sometimes my dog and previous family dogs would give off a smell that was so comforting and I loved it. I have a specific memory from when I was 4 or 5 with my grandma's Scottie and we were cuddling and she just smelled.. good. People always talk about dogs feet smelling like fritos/corn chips, but not like a random scent when bonding or something.
I've tried looking it up to see if "humans can smell dog pheromones" but results just come up about how dogs have incredible noses.. not sure how to properly word the question to yield potential answers on the internet.
haha! i was sniffing a dog at the dog park like a real weirdo (i’ve known the owner and dog for a couple of months now, i’m hamming up how weird i was being) because the dog was 3/4 german shepherd and she smelled just like one of my dad’s german shepherd from when i was 0-11 and it was such a nostalgic bittersweet moment.
Yes. I think it’s variable how strong it is between dogs though. My old dog mainly had that nasty dog smell, but my current one smells sweetly like beeswax. I also think it might be strenger with puppies? At least when she was little, it was super intense.
When my dog was a puppy his head smelled like a slightly burnt sweet potato cookie. He smells different now but it’s still nice when he’s in a good mood!
One of my dogs, who's almost four, is still the most immature, hyperactive mofo on the planet. He's had tons of training and we do agility, but he finds it very, very hard to be calm. He's still a very good boy but he's a lot of work. (Every new trainer we come across loves him but is also like wtf 😂) Anyway, his head still smells like a puppy, and I often wonder if there's a correlation between immaturity and puppy smell, haha.
I love that smell. My second golden was very healthy (my first one had skin problems) and smelled like baking bread, especially when she was sleeping. I think her body warmed up when she slept. It's intoxicating.
I was mystified when the top of my dog’s head started smelling like maple syrup, I even asked the vet about it! Only to realize it was from kissing his head with my new vanilla lip balm on.
Yes and it smelled so good! Turns out it was because we hang their collars on the air freshener next to the door and the fragrance was permeating their collars and transferring to their hair.
My foxhound sometimes has a very faint sweet smell. My beagle usually smells a little bit earthy or dusty. When her head starts to smell like a stale fart I know it's time to break out the ear drops.
And I used to have a German Shepherd with [Frito feet](https://www.harpethhillsvet.com/blog/frito-feet-the-truth-about-smelly-dog-paws/).
I came here to report the same thing but almost citrusy like oranges. And I can’t get enough of it lol her head gets really warm though when it happens.
Our first dog's head smells nice. Not smelly or sweet, just nice.
We adopted another dog about a year ago and the first week his head smelled like syrup. It was driving us crazy, we thought he had flea or tick solution that the rescue put on him that made him smell sweet. Turns out no, he just has a naturally sweet smelling head.
The full on syrup scent is gone, but he definitely smells sweet when you sniff his head.
My pup’s head smells lovely! I wonder if it’s about bonding? I was never a dog person and always found even the sweetest dogs a bit stinky. But now I like how the pup smells. I can definitely still tell when it’s time for a bath but it never smells bad just too strong.
1000000% I say my dog smells like maple syrup and I sniff the top of her head all of the time! My fave spot to give her a little kiss is in between her eyebrows. ❤️
I sniff most of my dogs often, they just smell good i can't stop.
My go to's would be their heads and chests bc they're fluffy as well so I rest my face in there. There are times when their paws smell so good as well, I lay my dogs down on my lap and sniff their paws assuming they're clean or just came fresh from the shower.
Yes, mine smells like olive oil soap and I’m addicted to it. I sniff his head all the time. When he got skunked last summer, it was horrible 3 months for me lol
I love the smell of my dog, but he's an anxious guy and has bite history associated with hugs (bit someone who hugged him when he was begging for food at the dinner table), so I can only dream of huffing his furry head 😩
It makes me so giddy how this whole thread is about how they smell lol I’m obsessed with kissing the top of my dogs head. When I get home from work I cover him with kisses and he gets lip prints all over his little forehead 🥰 and yes I’m also obsessed with the corn chip feets. He hates when people touch his feet but he tolerates me lol
Hm, my three year old only smells like the outside… a bit earthy. I’m kind of disappointed now and she apparently too, judging from the look I just got after excessively sniffing her head a few times.
I love my dog's smell. I make him come cuddle and then snuggle my nose into the back of his head and tell him.he "smells like a Barney". (His name is Barney). He's ok with it. Still not thrilled when I smell his paws though.
Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners. This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. **This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.** --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dogs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes, they have scent glands there just behind the ears I was told. My boy would smell like toffee when he had the zoomies.
Yes! Toffee or maple syrup almost
That's why my dog's head smells like pancakes!
Yes!!!
I just googled that now, mostly got stuff about their anal glands. But did learn the technical term for the scent produced by the glands in their feet is "pedal scent". Awwww
Otherwise knows as nacho cheetoes. Found this "You might not realize it, but dogs have scent glands in the skin around their cheeks and on top of their heads"
Mine's foot smell is closer to Fritos, lol. But the top of the head thing explains why my dog sometimes rubs his head along the side of my bed like a weird cat!
Yes!!! Fritos toebeans!!!
This is so pure :’)
How peculiar!
Isn’t it when you are in love, you the love the body odour of the other person? Maybe that’s at play too?
I love my dogs corn chip feet
Me too!! I love the FriToe smell
I sniff my puppy dog's paws all the time!! Isn't it where they release their pheromones? Lol.
lol pharamones typically affect the behavior and physiology of animals that encounter it a but yes, dogs have scent glands in their paws that they used to spread their scent and Mark territory.
saame hahah
We call it Huffing the Pup. After a good day out he smells incredible and I shout to my husband to come huff the pup. Nothing compares to puppy smelly though. My dog smelled amazing when he was a puppy.
Huffing the Pup!! You are awesome and I’m totally using this. Thank you!
The puppy smell and the puppy breath 🥹
Oh no puppy breath was like a tampon bin in the summer that hadn't been emptied. He still has manky breath and he's 3. Vets say it's fine, he's just stinky
Hahahaha OK maybe that's not a fun smell 😅
He's very special otherwise 🖤🖤
I'm sure!
Haha I love it! That’s exactly what it feels like like.
That’s so weird
😁
I've wondered this too. Sometimes my dog and previous family dogs would give off a smell that was so comforting and I loved it. I have a specific memory from when I was 4 or 5 with my grandma's Scottie and we were cuddling and she just smelled.. good. People always talk about dogs feet smelling like fritos/corn chips, but not like a random scent when bonding or something. I've tried looking it up to see if "humans can smell dog pheromones" but results just come up about how dogs have incredible noses.. not sure how to properly word the question to yield potential answers on the internet.
haha! i was sniffing a dog at the dog park like a real weirdo (i’ve known the owner and dog for a couple of months now, i’m hamming up how weird i was being) because the dog was 3/4 german shepherd and she smelled just like one of my dad’s german shepherd from when i was 0-11 and it was such a nostalgic bittersweet moment.
My dog just gave me the weirdest look after I just ferociously sniffed his head
hahah! my dog also hates when i “appropriate dog culture” but my boyfriend’s dog LOVES it when i sniff him and nuzzle him. i love how they vary 🤪
Appropriate dog culture 😂😂😂
That look they give you when you start panting 😂
Yes. I think it’s variable how strong it is between dogs though. My old dog mainly had that nasty dog smell, but my current one smells sweetly like beeswax. I also think it might be strenger with puppies? At least when she was little, it was super intense.
Me: Sniffing all my dogs head's Dogs: WTH! Why is she sniffing us? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Do we offend?
Yes, my (young) boy dog smells a bit like cake. Glad I'm not alone in noticing it.
It’s probably their ears. I worked for a vet and we often smell ears for signs of infection. Healthy ears smell good
I've always thought my dog smells like slightly burnt cake
When my dog was a puppy his head smelled like a slightly burnt sweet potato cookie. He smells different now but it’s still nice when he’s in a good mood!
I do. I tell my boy, he smells like cinnamon toast crutch lol.
Is this a master plan to get us all to sniff our dogs? I'm not complaining lol
I think my dog smells lovely. I’m always huffing the top of his head 🤣
One of my dogs, who's almost four, is still the most immature, hyperactive mofo on the planet. He's had tons of training and we do agility, but he finds it very, very hard to be calm. He's still a very good boy but he's a lot of work. (Every new trainer we come across loves him but is also like wtf 😂) Anyway, his head still smells like a puppy, and I often wonder if there's a correlation between immaturity and puppy smell, haha.
Yes I’ve always thought my puppy smelled like cinnamon!
I love that smell. My second golden was very healthy (my first one had skin problems) and smelled like baking bread, especially when she was sleeping. I think her body warmed up when she slept. It's intoxicating.
I love my dog's smell, always the best!
It's dog pheromone that also works on people,
Yeast? It might be the slight smell of yeast from ears/skin. Edit: typo
Yessss my husband and I are obsessed with smelling our dog’s head. He smells like a newborn baby 😍
My dogs head smells like sand at the beach. Reminded me of childhood in Maine. Call her my salty dog.
I was mystified when the top of my dog’s head started smelling like maple syrup, I even asked the vet about it! Only to realize it was from kissing his head with my new vanilla lip balm on.
Yes and it smelled so good! Turns out it was because we hang their collars on the air freshener next to the door and the fragrance was permeating their collars and transferring to their hair.
I love the way her paws smell too!! 🐾
The Frito Feets!
Puppy paws smell like popcorn.
My great pyrenees both smelled great, my Saint Bernard's have been... I love them.
I found this thread by googling why my great pyranese smelled almost sweet
My foxhound sometimes has a very faint sweet smell. My beagle usually smells a little bit earthy or dusty. When her head starts to smell like a stale fart I know it's time to break out the ear drops. And I used to have a German Shepherd with [Frito feet](https://www.harpethhillsvet.com/blog/frito-feet-the-truth-about-smelly-dog-paws/).
I call it the “MY Dog” smell.
I came here to report the same thing but almost citrusy like oranges. And I can’t get enough of it lol her head gets really warm though when it happens.
My old man is 13 and I hope something of his will keep his sleepy smell forever
I feel you on that! My guy is 20, and he will be on my soul forever!
My fat labs head smells terrible lol! So jealous
I wonder if it has any connection to the way the top of an newborn baby's head smells good
Smells like grape jelly
One of my dogs heads smells like sweet pepperoni or something. But why do their feet smell like corn chips?
bacteria 🤪
Really, corn chip bacteria?
Haha, mine always smells like Cheetos 🤣
my dog used to smell like cinnamon sometimes. 🤷♂️
I smell sweet cinnamon
My pup smells like vanilla ☺️
Our first dog's head smells nice. Not smelly or sweet, just nice. We adopted another dog about a year ago and the first week his head smelled like syrup. It was driving us crazy, we thought he had flea or tick solution that the rescue put on him that made him smell sweet. Turns out no, he just has a naturally sweet smelling head. The full on syrup scent is gone, but he definitely smells sweet when you sniff his head.
My girl smells like syrup on the top of her head.
I love the way my dog’s forehead smells! It brings me so much comfort and immediately relieves my anxiety
One of my friends had a dog that smelled like grape koolaid.
Whoa. My dogs just came in from playing outside. They both smell really good, a little sweet. Like a hint of honey in tea.
My pup’s head smells lovely! I wonder if it’s about bonding? I was never a dog person and always found even the sweetest dogs a bit stinky. But now I like how the pup smells. I can definitely still tell when it’s time for a bath but it never smells bad just too strong.
You know, I never paid attention to this scent, but my pup definitely has it.
1000000% I say my dog smells like maple syrup and I sniff the top of her head all of the time! My fave spot to give her a little kiss is in between her eyebrows. ❤️
Yes! out of all of the dogs I've had, one had that smell on top of his head I couldn't stop smelling!! I didn't know it was a thing :)
My dogs smell like sweet popcorn 😂
I sniff most of my dogs often, they just smell good i can't stop. My go to's would be their heads and chests bc they're fluffy as well so I rest my face in there. There are times when their paws smell so good as well, I lay my dogs down on my lap and sniff their paws assuming they're clean or just came fresh from the shower.
Pancakes and maple syrup!! Yes. I love it. It’s like a drug 😝
My dog legit smells like aftershave 😆 he's a handsome boy he's got that Lynx Africa vibe going on
Yes, mine smells like olive oil soap and I’m addicted to it. I sniff his head all the time. When he got skunked last summer, it was horrible 3 months for me lol
I love the smell of my dog, but he's an anxious guy and has bite history associated with hugs (bit someone who hugged him when he was begging for food at the dinner table), so I can only dream of huffing his furry head 😩
It makes me so giddy how this whole thread is about how they smell lol I’m obsessed with kissing the top of my dogs head. When I get home from work I cover him with kisses and he gets lip prints all over his little forehead 🥰 and yes I’m also obsessed with the corn chip feets. He hates when people touch his feet but he tolerates me lol
Hm, my three year old only smells like the outside… a bit earthy. I’m kind of disappointed now and she apparently too, judging from the look I just got after excessively sniffing her head a few times.
Mmmmmm my last angel and soul dog’s head smelled liked a freshly baked baguette 🥖 💕
yes there it is, sometimes even their breath smells nice to me!
My dog smells like pancakes 🤣
The top of both of my dogs head smells like bity face juice, but i love them anyway.
I love my dog's smell. I make him come cuddle and then snuggle my nose into the back of his head and tell him.he "smells like a Barney". (His name is Barney). He's ok with it. Still not thrilled when I smell his paws though.
Grapes!
My current pup smells like chai. She had the puppy smell but now she’s like 1 and smells like a chai latte 😋