Dogs have a way of greeting one another that might leave you a little uncomfortable — sniffing each other’s rear ends. But when your furry friend turns their attention to your crotch, it can feel downright awkward. So, why do they do this? For anyone who’s ever had a dog, it’s no surprise that dogs communicate and greet others in various ways, with their sense of smell playing a key role. Dogs explore the world through their noses, and their sniffing habits are how they gather important information. The dog’s superior sense of smell comes from 220 million scent receptors in their nose. That’s about 50 times more than humans have, giving dogs the ability to detect scents that are completely undetectable to us. Simply put, dogs are incredibly curious creatures, and they have a keen sense of smell that helps them gather information about you. Dogs are drawn to strong odors, explains Jennifer Sperry, a veterinarian with Pets Plus Us Insurance, tells Rover.com. Crotches, with their sw...
Two weeks after my grandfather's funeral, my phone rang with a stranger's voice saying words that made my knees buckle: "Your grandfather wasn't who you think he was." I had no idea the man who raised me had been hiding a secret big enough to change my entire life. I was six years old when I lost my parents. The days that followed were dark, filled with adults whispering about the drunk driver who killed them and debating what to do with me. The words "foster care" floated around the house. That idea terrified me. I thought I was going to be sent away forever. But Grandpa saved me. I thought I was going to be sent away forever. Sixty-five years old, tired, already dealing with a bad back and knees, he strode into the living room where all the adults were whispering about my fate and slammed his hand down on the coffee table. "She's coming with me. End of story." Grandpa became my whole world from that minute on. "She's coming wit...