Here's Why Dogs Sniff Your Crotch When You're On Your Period

There's a reason for those awkward moments.

It’s a well-known fact that dogs don’t always have the strongest sense of boundaries. These are creatures that like to lick strangers’ faces and sniff their crotches, after all.

The latter behavior can lead to some awkward moments for menstruating women, many of whom have reported feeling like they attract extra attention from dogs during their time of the month.

So why does it seem like dogs get extra sniff-happy around women on their periods? HuffPost spoke to a couple of experts to find out.

The Truth About Sniff-Happy Dogs

“Dogs are scent-driven creatures,” said Kate Mornement, an Australian animal behaviorist and consultant. “They experience their world predominantly through their sense of smell. When a woman is on her period she probably just smells different, which is interesting to the dog.”