Living with dogs means living with, or at least ignoring, their somewhat gross behaviors. Whether that\u2019s dogs sniffing other dogs\u2019 butts<\/a> or eating garbage, it\u2019s all a part of parenting canines. A male dog, however, has one behavior that is incredibly embarrassing, especially around polite company. It\u2019s the occasional appearance of his dog penis \u2014\u00a0or what\u2019s politely referred to as a male dog\u2019s \u201clipstick\u201d or the \u201cred rocket.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing like having friends and family over and everyone stops talking mid-sentence because a dog penis has appeared. Trust me, I know. My German Shepherd Dog<\/a> Forest is well known for this.<\/p>\n So what\u2019s up with a boy dog\u2019s you-know-what? Why does it always appear at inappropriate times? And why does your dog have a fascination with other dogs\u2019 private parts? Let\u2019s answer a few of your questions about the dog penis.<\/p>\n A dog penis in prepuce. Photography courtesy Jessica Pineda.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Since we humans are uncomfortable with saying the \u201cp\u201d word, colloquial terms like \u201cdog lipstick\u201d or \u201cred rocket\u201d are popular substitutes for the term dog penis. Those terms describe a dog\u2019s actual penis, which, for the most part, stays in the prepuce. (That\u2019s the furry area you thought was a dog\u2019s penis in more innocent times.)<\/p>\n \u201cRed rocket\u201d or \u201clipstick\u201d is a pretty apt term: A dog\u2019s erection generally ranges from pink to red in color, and is stiff as well. It\u2019s shape is similar to the top of a rocket or lipstick, hence the nicknames for a dog penis.<\/p>\n You probably already know that answer to this, but the dog penis comes out when a dog is aroused.<\/p>\n No, not like that, <\/em>at least in a non-breeding context. As veterinarian Dr. Eric Barchas explains in his article Why Do Dogs Keep Showing Us Their \u201cLipsticks\u201d?<\/a>, arousal is a general term for anything that excites a dog. Arousal can be something as simple as your boy dog getting excited about a training session, which happens with my dog, Forest.<\/p>\n Awkward as it might be to have a dog\u2019s lipstick appear when you\u2019re with friends and family, there\u2019s nothing to worry about according to Susan Newell, owner and lead trainer of Animal Minds Behavior and Training<\/a> in Rancho Cordova, California. \u201cThe best thing you can do is just ignore it and move on,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Ignoring it is good, as once the excitement wears off, a dog penis will slip back into the prepuce. By ignoring it, you\u2019re not accidentally rewarding or encouraging your dog\u2019s reaction.<\/p>\n A male dog, neutered or otherwise, may get erect if he mounts another dog, whether they\u2019re male or female, and starts humping the other dog<\/a>. This humping behavior is usually innocent in nature. \u201cThis isn\u2019t for sexual reasons. They\u2019re not trying to copulate or masturbate,\u201d says Dr. Atif Wardany, the veterinarian and owner of Mobile Pet Hospital<\/a> of Sacramento, California. \u201cThat\u2019s usually play behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n Typically, dogs start humping if they get overly excited or stressed and haven\u2019t learned how to properly channel those feelings. As mentioned, the behavior itself is innocent, and if the other dog doesn\u2019t like it, they\u2019ll tell your dog. However, that kind of behavior is embarrassing or offensive to lots of people, so if your dog is known for humping, train your dog not not to hump other dogs<\/a>.<\/p>\n A dog penis, aka a dog lipstick or a dog red rocket, can come out for a few different reasons. Photography courtesy Jessica Pineda.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n One of the other times a dog penis makes an appearance is if a female dog in heat<\/a> allows an intact male dog to mount her. (For most of us, since we typically spay and neuter our dogs<\/a>, we\u2019ll never see that.) This is also the time when a dog\u2019s penis does something unique.<\/p>\n \u201cA dog\u2019s penis has a bone in it, and in the middle of the bone there is a gland inside it that swells up when the male\u2019s copulating,\u201d Dr. Wardany explains. \u201cThe purpose is to keep the penis inside the female.\u201d<\/p>\n Once that happens, the dogs are stuck together for a short period of time until the swelling goes down. This is often referred to as a male dog \u201ctying\u201d a female.<\/p>\n Every now and then, you might see yellowish-greenish discharge or pus coming out of your dog\u2019s prepuce. According to MyPetsDoctor.com<\/a>, that discharge is a mix of cells and lubricant that keeps the dog penis protected while in the prepuce. You shouldn\u2019t see this discharge all that often and only in small amounts.<\/p>\n However, if you are seeing a lot of discharge and it\u2019s accompanied by your dog licking his privates excessively, it may indicate a serious health problem such as a urinary tract infection or canine cancer<\/a>. And if the blood is mixed with the discharge, that\u2019s a signal to get your boy to a veterinarian ASAP.<\/p>\n The short answer? Yes. A neutered dog can\u2019t get a female dog pregnant, but since dog arousal isn\u2019t always tied to sexual situations, the notorious dog penis can and will make an appearance.<\/p>\n It\u2019s bad enough you\u2019ll sometimes have a male dog exposing his dog penis for everyone to see. If you\u2019re like me, and you have two dogs, one who happens to be a spayed female, you\u2019ll have the added joy of your dog deciding it\u2019s a great time to starting licking your other dog\u2019s private parts. My sister\u2019s family has got to experience this on several occasions, much to my utter mortification.<\/p>\n So, why do dogs do this? It\u2019s actually fairly normal for male and female dogs to sniff other dogs’ butts, and that sometimes involves licking, too. \u201cThe science isn\u2019t entirely clear on what dogs get out of smelling\/licking each other in the private area,\u201d Newell says. \u201cHowever, the theory is the dog can learn the [other dog\u2019s] sex and if they are sexually receptive by doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n Dogs smelling and licking each other\u2019s private areas is perfectly normal dog-on-dog interaction; however, there\u2019s always one or two dogs that seemingly go overboard and won\u2019t put their noses or tongues away. This can lead to uncomfortable situations between pet parents, some who might not understand what is going on. You\u2019ll have to talk to the other owner to determine his or her comfort level with what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n \u201cSome dog owners are of the mind that they should let the dogs sort it out. The other dog will tell the other dog when they\u2019ve had enough of smelling and licking,\u201d Newell says. \u201cOther times, it\u2019s best to call your dog away if he spends too much time with the other dog.\u201d<\/p>\n So there you have it: Your guide to everything dog penis related. You may now pretend you never read this article.<\/p>\n Thumbnail:\u00a0Photography by Kryder17\/Thinkstock.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n This piece was originally published in 2017.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Jessica Pineda is a freelance writer who lives in Northern California with her two German Shepherds, Forest and River.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Everything You Wanted to Know About Dog Penis Behavior<\/a> by Jessica Pineda<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n The post Everything You Wanted to Know About Dog Penis Behavior<\/a> by Jessica Pineda<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n Living with dogs means living with, or at least ignoring, their somewhat gross behaviors. Whether that\u2019s dogs sniffing other dogs\u2019 butts<\/a> or eating garbage, it\u2019s all a part of parenting canines. A male dog, however, has one behavior that is incredibly embarrassing, especially around polite company. It\u2019s the occasional appearance of his dog penis \u2014\u00a0or what\u2019s politely referred to as a male dog\u2019s \u201clipstick\u201d or the \u201cred rocket.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s nothing like having friends and family over and everyone stops talking mid-sentence because a dog penis has appeared. Trust me, I know. My German Shepherd Dog<\/a> Forest is well known for this.<\/p>\n So what\u2019s up with a boy dog\u2019s you-know-what? Why does it always appear at inappropriate times? And why does your dog have a fascination with other dogs\u2019 private parts? Let\u2019s answer a few of your questions about the dog penis.<\/p>\n A dog penis in prepuce. Photography courtesy Jessica Pineda.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Since we humans are uncomfortable with saying the \u201cp\u201d word, colloquial terms like \u201cdog lipstick\u201d or \u201cred rocket\u201d are popular substitutes for the term dog penis. Those terms describe a dog\u2019s actual penis, which, for the most part, stays in the prepuce. (That\u2019s the furry area you thought was a dog\u2019s penis in more innocent times.)<\/p>\n \u201cRed rocket\u201d or \u201clipstick\u201d is a pretty apt term: A dog\u2019s erection generally ranges from pink to red in color, and is stiff as well. It\u2019s shape is similar to the top of a rocket or lipstick, hence the nicknames for a dog penis.<\/p>\n You probably already know that answer to this, but the dog penis comes out when a dog is aroused.<\/p>\n No, not like that, <\/em>at least in a non-breeding context. As veterinarian Dr. Eric Barchas explains in his article Why Do Dogs Keep Showing Us Their \u201cLipsticks\u201d?<\/a>, arousal is a general term for anything that excites a dog. Arousal can be something as simple as your boy dog getting excited about a training session, which happens with my dog, Forest.<\/p>\n Awkward as it might be to have a dog\u2019s lipstick appear when you\u2019re with friends and family, there\u2019s nothing to worry about according to Susan Newell, owner and lead trainer of Animal Minds Behavior and Training<\/a> in Rancho Cordova, California. \u201cThe best thing you can do is just ignore it and move on,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n Ignoring it is good, as once the excitement wears off, a dog penis will slip back into the prepuce. By ignoring it, you\u2019re not accidentally rewarding or encouraging your dog\u2019s reaction.<\/p>\n A male dog, neutered or otherwise, may get erect if he mounts another dog, whether they\u2019re male or female, and starts humping the other dog<\/a>. This humping behavior is usually innocent in nature. \u201cThis isn\u2019t for sexual reasons. They\u2019re not trying to copulate or masturbate,\u201d says Dr. Atif Wardany, the veterinarian and owner of Mobile Pet Hospital<\/a> of Sacramento, California. \u201cThat\u2019s usually play behavior.\u201d<\/p>\n Typically, dogs start humping if they get overly excited or stressed and haven\u2019t learned how to properly channel those feelings. As mentioned, the behavior itself is innocent, and if the other dog doesn\u2019t like it, they\u2019ll tell your dog. However, that kind of behavior is embarrassing or offensive to lots of people, so if your dog is known for humping, train your dog not not to hump other dogs<\/a>.<\/p>\n A dog penis, aka a dog lipstick or a dog red rocket, can come out for a few different reasons. Photography courtesy Jessica Pineda.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n One of the other times a dog penis makes an appearance is if a female dog in heat<\/a> allows an intact male dog to mount her. (For most of us, since we typically spay and neuter our dogs<\/a>, we\u2019ll never see that.) This is also the time when a dog\u2019s penis does something unique.<\/p>\n \u201cA dog\u2019s penis has a bone in it, and in the middle of the bone there is a gland inside it that swells up when the male\u2019s copulating,\u201d Dr. Wardany explains. \u201cThe purpose is to keep the penis inside the female.\u201d<\/p>\n Once that happens, the dogs are stuck together for a short period of time until the swelling goes down. This is often referred to as a male dog \u201ctying\u201d a female.<\/p>\n Every now and then, you might see yellowish-greenish discharge or pus coming out of your dog\u2019s prepuce. According to MyPetsDoctor.com<\/a>, that discharge is a mix of cells and lubricant that keeps the dog penis protected while in the prepuce. You shouldn\u2019t see this discharge all that often and only in small amounts.<\/p>\n However, if you are seeing a lot of discharge and it\u2019s accompanied by your dog licking his privates excessively, it may indicate a serious health problem such as a urinary tract infection or canine cancer<\/a>. And if the blood is mixed with the discharge, that\u2019s a signal to get your boy to a veterinarian ASAP.<\/p>\n The short answer? Yes. A neutered dog can\u2019t get a female dog pregnant, but since dog arousal isn\u2019t always tied to sexual situations, the notorious dog penis can and will make an appearance.<\/p>\n It\u2019s bad enough you\u2019ll sometimes have a male dog exposing his dog penis for everyone to see. If you\u2019re like me, and you have two dogs, one who happens to be a spayed female, you\u2019ll have the added joy of your dog deciding it\u2019s a great time to starting licking your other dog\u2019s private parts. My sister\u2019s family has got to experience this on several occasions, much to my utter mortification.<\/p>\n So, why do dogs do this? It\u2019s actually fairly normal for male and female dogs to sniff other dogs’ butts, and that sometimes involves licking, too. \u201cThe science isn\u2019t entirely clear on what dogs get out of smelling\/licking each other in the private area,\u201d Newell says. \u201cHowever, the theory is the dog can learn the [other dog\u2019s] sex and if they are sexually receptive by doing so.\u201d<\/p>\n Dogs smelling and licking each other\u2019s private areas is perfectly normal dog-on-dog interaction; however, there\u2019s always one or two dogs that seemingly go overboard and won\u2019t put their noses or tongues away. This can lead to uncomfortable situations between pet parents, some who might not understand what is going on. You\u2019ll have to talk to the other owner to determine his or her comfort level with what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n \u201cSome dog owners are of the mind that they should let the dogs sort it out. The other dog will tell the other dog when they\u2019ve had enough of smelling and licking,\u201d Newell says. \u201cOther times, it\u2019s best to call your dog away if he spends too much time with the other dog.\u201d<\/p>\n So there you have it: Your guide to everything dog penis related. You may now pretend you never read this article.<\/p>\n Thumbnail:\u00a0Photography by Kryder17\/Thinkstock.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n This piece was originally published in 2017.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n Jessica Pineda is a freelance writer who lives in Northern California with her two German Shepherds, Forest and River.<\/em><\/p>\n The post Everything You Wanted to Know About Dog Penis Behavior<\/a> by Jessica Pineda<\/a> appeared first on Dogster<\/a>. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it, but all of these articles were assigned, contracted and paid for, so they aren’t considered public domain. However, we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article, then linking out to the rest of the piece on Dogster.com.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nWarning \u2014 some photos ahead\u00a0are graphic!<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Dog-penis-in-prepuce-600x400.jpg\")
<\/p>\nBasic Terminology \u2014 What Exactly is a Red Rocket?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Why Does the Dog Penis Come Out?<\/h3>\n
Other Times You Might See a Male Dog\u2019s Lipstick<\/h3>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.dogster.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/dog-penis-600x400.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWeird Things the Dog Penis Does<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s Up With Dog Penis Discharge?<\/h3>\n
Can Neutered Dogs Still Get Erect?<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s Up With Dogs Licking Other Dogs\u2019 Privates?<\/h3>\n
Read more\u00a0related articles\u00a0on Dogster.com:<\/h3>\n
\n
Warning \u2014 some photos ahead\u00a0are graphic!<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
<\/p>\nBasic Terminology \u2014 What Exactly is a Red Rocket?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Why Does the Dog Penis Come Out?<\/h3>\n
Other Times You Might See a Male Dog\u2019s Lipstick<\/h3>\n
<\/p>\nWeird Things the Dog Penis Does<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s Up With Dog Penis Discharge?<\/h3>\n
Can Neutered Dogs Still Get Erect?<\/h3>\n
What\u2019s Up With Dogs Licking Other Dogs\u2019 Privates?<\/h3>\n
Read more\u00a0related articles\u00a0on Dogster.com:<\/h3>\n
\n