Matt Soniak
Why Do Your Dog’s Feet Smell Like Popcorn?
by Matt Soniak - June 27, 2010 - 9:30 AM

My editor Jason has periodically brought up this topic in brainstorming sessions over the years, but I always figured the popcorn smell was a quirk of his dog, Bailey, and not an actual phenomenon (sorry, boss). But since I’ve already asked for some time off this summer and gotten it without any complaining on Jason’s part, I humored him and did a little research to see if dogs besides Bailey actually do have popcorn-scented feet.

Well, my mind is blown. Many dogs’ feet actual do smell like popcorn!

More accurately, they smell a little closer to corn chips, hence the nickname for the condition: “Frito Feet.”

So why does it happen? The skin of most animals is home to a lot of microbes. As Bill Bryson puts it in A Short History of Nearly Everything, “If you are in good health and averagely diligent about hygiene, you will have a herd of about one trillion bacteria grazing on your fleshy plains—about a hundred thousand of them on every square centimeter of skin.” Like I said, a lot. Dog feet are a great place for bacteria and yeast to take up residence because there’s a lot of moisture and little to no air circulation in the folds and pockets of skin between toes and foot pads. Bacteria flock there and reproduce with exuberance.

All these micro-organisms give off their own distinct odors (they’re what give us BO), and the popcorn/corn chip smell on some dogs could be the fault of yeast or the bacterium Proteus, which are both known for their sweet, corn tortilla smell. Or it could be the bacterium Pseudomonas, which smells a little fruitier, but pretty close to popcorn to most noses.

Like I said before, it is perfectly normal for there to be a lot of bacteria on and in your pet—and on and in you. It’s part of life on Earth and there are worse things these bacteria could be doing besides making your dog smell like delicious snacks. Frito Feet is no cause for alarm unless the smell is really overwhelming. That could be a sign of an infection and should be checked out by your veterinarian.

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Comments (65)

  1. Thank you! I’ve always said my dogs feet smll like fritos and my husband has always called me crazy. Proof at last!!!

    posted by Corrine on 6-27-2010 at 9:50 am

  2. True. And from all the unnecessary carbs dogs eat, they are obligate carnivors. http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2009/07/02/does-your-pet-have-allergies-what-you-need-to-know-and-do.aspx

    posted by amy on 6-27-2010 at 10:08 am

  3. oh great, now my dog is looking at me funny, because I smelled her feet…. I don’t know about popcorn or fritoes, but they DO smell better than her BREATH.

    posted by old hippy chick on 6-27-2010 at 10:26 am

  4. Thanks for the link Amy – I had never put together why my dog no longer smelled like corn chips – but I changed her diet a few years ago to a better (more protein based) food – and no more frito action!

    posted by swss on 6-27-2010 at 10:43 am

  5. Thanks for this article and the laugh. We’ve always said we should have named our dog Fritos instead of Buckaroo Banzai cause he can put a bag of corn chips to shame after a hard night of sleeping under the covers (he hates the fan blowing on him, short haired beast that he is). Now we know we aren’t crazy for saying it about him!

    posted by Tams on 6-27-2010 at 10:47 am

  6. Thank you! I’ve been saying for ages I love the smell of our dogs’ feet and my husband thinks I have some crazy fetish!

    posted by Fiona on 6-27-2010 at 11:17 am

  7. Thank you! My kids thought I was crazy when I kept saying the dog smelled like Doritos, and now we all know why!

    posted by Diane on 6-27-2010 at 12:00 pm

  8. That’s great news! Now I can cancel that doctor appointment!

    …This does apply to humans as well, right?

    posted by JJ on 6-27-2010 at 12:19 pm

  9. Some women’s feet smell like this too.

    posted by Stephen Melinger on 6-27-2010 at 12:27 pm

  10. Corinne-me too! My husband just sent me this link, and said “Now that I’ve read this article, I actually do think they smell like Fritos, but never wanted to admit it to you”. Sheesh.

    posted by April on 6-27-2010 at 12:56 pm

  11. Yes – as soon as I saw the headline that said dogs’ feet smell like popcorn, I immediately exclaimed, “No! They smell like Fritos!” and it’s good to see that acknowledged here. I try to smell all the dogs’ feet when I’m out with my own dog, and so far they all smell like Fritos.

    posted by NG on 6-27-2010 at 1:04 pm

  12. My thanks as well. My big mutt smells like corn chips very frequently, and I could never figure out why. Doesn’t seem limited to just his feet, but he’s got a triple coat, so maybe that accounts for it; lots of places for bacteria to cling to.

    posted by KC on 6-27-2010 at 2:23 pm

  13. I’ve never heard of this!

    …but I’m a cat owner, and cat’s feet don’t smell like anything!

    posted by Leslie on 6-27-2010 at 2:28 pm

  14. The reason my dog’s feet smell like Fritos is because all he does is sit on the couch watching soaps and eating Fritos. How about an article on why his breath smells like Budweiser?

    posted by Bill Glascoe on 6-27-2010 at 3:31 pm

  15. I always thought that my socks smelled like doritos after gym class…
    0_o

    posted by ??? on 6-27-2010 at 3:41 pm

  16. The first time I stepped into a jungle in Africa, I thought it smelled like Doritos. I told my fellow Canadian friend this after he asked me why I was laughing, and to my surprise, instead of laughing at me, he actually agreed, and seemed happy to be able to associate the smell to something we both knew.

    posted by QuercusQuill on 6-27-2010 at 3:57 pm

  17. *gets the sour cream dip*

    posted by Bakedpotatoes on 6-27-2010 at 4:46 pm

  18. Two thoughts occurred to me as I read this:

    1. Ewww!

    2. I can’t believe I’m actually reading this and finding it interesting.

    Ok, back to the paper I’ve been procrastinating. Hmm, maybe that explains item two.

    posted by DaveP on 6-27-2010 at 7:41 pm

  19. Thank you for posting this!!!!! *smells feeties* Yup, definitely FritoFeet!

    posted by Sydpie on 6-27-2010 at 7:53 pm

  20. I can confirm I’ve had two cat with frito feet.

    posted by Rob M on 6-27-2010 at 10:47 pm

  21. …wow…This is what happens when I surf way late into the evening. I get answers to odd-ball questions I think there are no logical answers to …and as a bonus, the answer makes freaking sense!

    Every dog I have owned or have been familiar with has had “Popcorn Feet”! I have pondered this strangeness for over 35 years. It was a question I honestly thought I would never have an answer for.

    Now my life-cycle is complete…my mission is done…I may now return to my dimension with a clean conscience.

    My planet and it’s inhabitants can let the Popcorn Dogs back into the Flavor Matrix to add more zest and zing to our food supply with their furry, salty, sweaty, buttery paws.

    The fasting was almost detrimental to us all. We were allowed no Popcorn Dog Feet Oils in our meals until this great question was answered.

    I have chihuahua toes gracefully spreading their tasty gift on my popcorn as we speak.

    Bliss! :)

    posted by Chuckenstein on 6-28-2010 at 2:54 am

  22. No part of my dog smells like popcorn *sigh*

    :-)

    posted by Dog Adoption on 6-28-2010 at 5:02 am

  23. I need to go smell my dogs’ feet!

    posted by KerriD on 6-28-2010 at 9:50 am

  24. Kids just came in after smelling 2 of the 5 dogs feet…the result “old, wet potato chips.”

    posted by dee on 6-28-2010 at 10:13 am

  25. So how long before Pringles comes out with dogs’-feet-flavored chips?

    posted by Sandy Wood on 6-28-2010 at 10:32 am

  26. I don’t have a dog, but I must report that my own feet smell like wintergreen. Should I be concerned?

    posted by Mark on 6-28-2010 at 10:45 am

  27. My dog’s feet don’t smell like Fritos, but we’ve learned that when he hasn’t been bathed for a little while he starts to smell like gingerbread.

    posted by Manda on 6-28-2010 at 11:18 am

  28. My brother’s feet smell like Fritos. I never ate Fritos as a kid and the first time I smelled them, I associated them with my brother’s feet, so they have always been Feetos to me. I love them now, though. Mmm, Feetos.

    posted by Michelle on 6-28-2010 at 11:36 am

  29. Bahaha! That’s always how we can tell its time to bathe the dog “Baby, she’s starting to smell like corn chips.” Never gave much thought to the phenomenon.

    posted by Lynnie on 6-28-2010 at 12:08 pm

  30. Awesome. Thanks for solving the mystery. My wife and I always have a good laugh when our dog Baxter hops into bed with us. We always smell his feet and say, “Man, Baxter, your feet are smelling delicious today.” It has always been a mystery which then leads us to tease the dog about his delicious smelling feet. They smell so good in fact, that our 1 year old son puts Baxter’s feet in his mouth. Then again, he puts everything in his mouth, so this isn’t surprising. Nothing like a good bit of dog bacteria to strengthen the little guy’s immune system. But I thought Baxter was the only dog with smelly feet and now I have been delightfully enlightened.

    posted by Eric on 6-28-2010 at 12:34 pm

  31. Maybe that explains why our dog a Scottie loves popcorn. :-)

    posted by Steve C on 6-28-2010 at 12:40 pm

  32. I knew it!!! Whenever we buy popcorn at the store, you know, those long bags of pre-popped stuff, it starts smelling like puppy feet in the house!
    I have a question though, why is it only the store-bought stuff, not the stuff we pop at home? Do puppy feet smell like popcorn, or does popcorn smell like puppy feet???

    posted by Shawna on 6-28-2010 at 1:33 pm

  33. Wow…the topic alone had me rolling! Hilarious! It is something no one talks about, so I have thought I was the only one who thought dog’s feet smelled like Fritos. Too too funny.

    posted by Julie on 6-28-2010 at 1:55 pm

  34. THANK YOU! I thought I was the only one who thought his dogs’ paws smelled like Fritos (sometimes Cheetos)!

    posted by Steve from San Diego on 6-28-2010 at 2:22 pm

  35. I did go and smell my dogs’ feet, yep—Fritos!!!

    Now as I type this, my little dog is licking her paws…mmmm-snacktime!

    posted by KerriD on 6-28-2010 at 3:28 pm

  36. I have not laughed this hard in awhile. I always said Kirby’s feet smelled rather Corn Chippian. LOLOLOL. I had to tell my students who are studying very hard what I was laughing about.

    posted by Helenann on 6-28-2010 at 4:00 pm

  37. Technically dog feet have been around much longer than Fritos, so wouldn’t it be more accurate to say your Fritos smell (and taste?) like dog feet? Just sayin’.

    posted by Matt on 6-28-2010 at 4:03 pm

  38. I always thought that about my dog’s feet. Another interesting animal that smells like popcorn is the binturong, a.k.a. the bearcat. If you’ve ever seen one of these at a zoo, you will find that it’s not their feet that smell like popcorn, but their whole body. In fact this popcorn smell is so strong on them, you can usually smell popcorn 10 feet away.

    posted by Spiffy on 6-28-2010 at 6:49 pm

  39. I never checked on my dog’s feet, but I once had a kitty who had feet that smelled like popcorm……..and now I know the rest of the story. Kewl.

    posted by Phyllis on 6-28-2010 at 8:58 pm

  40. “And from all the unnecessary carbs dogs eat, they are obligate carnivors.”

    Dog’s are not obligate carnivores. In fact wild dogs eat the gastro-intestinal tract of their prey first. While amino acids are broken down here as well, the majority is glucose, which is the most abundant source of energy in the canine (Hammon, D. DVM, DACVIM). In this way, canines receive more glucose than protein/amino acid/lipid. Talk to your local vet about proper nutrition for your family pet (no matter what the species).

    posted by Grade A Vet Student on 6-28-2010 at 9:04 pm

  41. Beside doggie feet, I noticed that mice or gerbils that I had as pets had that Frito smell when I got a dribble of thier pee on my hand.. Wonder what THAT’S all about?

    posted by Paula on 6-28-2010 at 9:16 pm

  42. This may actually explain something fancy rat owners have noticed – male rats often smell like corn chips (or, I guess, popcorn!) and female rats often smell like grape soda.

    posted by Wendy Blackheart on 6-29-2010 at 7:52 pm

  43. I’ve never understood why some people want to OWN animals or even have them in their homes. I even less understand the people who come to the idea to smell their pets feet.
    Ok, science is science… ;)

    posted by John on 6-30-2010 at 1:34 am

  44. So it’s not just because the primary ingredient in most dog foods is corn, and dogs lick their feet?

    posted by A Noun on 6-30-2010 at 9:27 am

  45. I too have noticed all dogs feet smell like Fritos, but I thought I was just crazy! :)

    posted by Kristin on 7-3-2010 at 2:01 pm

  46. I’ve noticed this about every cat I ever had, so it’s not just dogs. BTW all my cats have had different diets too, so I have never seen any change in this effect due to diet. Some were on dry food of grocery store quality, some were on canned grocery store food, and others on high end vet office high protein food only… so at least in my case it has never mattered what they ate. I wouldn’t go around trying to mess (get rid of) with these bacteria as a pet owner either – remember there are good and bad bacteria and if you don’t know which is which, you can cause a lot more problems than the smell of popcorn messing with it.

    posted by Deedee on 7-3-2010 at 2:50 pm

  47. I’ve ALWAYS said that my dog’s feet smell like Fritos and actually a few cats I’ve had had the exact same smell on their paws. My husband said our dogs feet smell like biscuits. I never knew this was bacteria, time to stop burying my nose in the paw bottoms I guess!

    posted by Tammy on 7-5-2010 at 10:10 pm

  48. Now that everyone has finished commenting, I will admit that for a couple years MY feet smelled like microwave popcorn. When I would take off my shoes, someone who was unaware would inevitably ask “who made the popcorn?”. After finally thinking I got rid of the popcorn smell, I was alarmed to notice the aroma came back – turns out I was in the popcorn aisle in the market.

    posted by Kate on 7-6-2010 at 6:59 pm

  49. This explains why I thought my cat smelled like fritos the other day.

    posted by Dazee on 7-10-2010 at 7:04 pm

  50. I’ve always thought my puppies feet smelt like tostitos at least now I know I’m not crazy

    posted by Macmanic on 7-12-2010 at 1:53 pm

  51. OK…here’s one for you: when my now 11 year-old daughter was an infant, her hair always smelled like baking cookies.
    Why???

    posted by Kelly on 7-13-2010 at 5:55 pm

  52. Thank you! I have always wondered about this and often call my dog “Popcorn Foofs” :)

    posted by vegebrarian on 7-15-2010 at 2:17 pm

  53. @Kelly…Me too! As I was reading this, I wasn’t thinking so much about dog feet (although I have been laughing hysterically about the Frito feet phenomenon) as I was about how this reminded me of my daughter’s head smelling faintly of fresh baked gingerbread when she was an infant.

    posted by Meredith on 7-16-2010 at 8:05 pm

  54. Nacho cheesy greyhound feet! The frito feet phenomenon is well known amongst greyhound owners!

    posted by Nan on 7-19-2010 at 8:19 pm

  55. I went home and smelled my dogs feet because I thought this couldn’t possibly be true – BUT they reek of popcorn!!!! Apparently my dog is sneaking out to see the afternoon matinee while I’m working

    posted by Moooley on 7-26-2010 at 9:48 am

  56. Actually, dogs have scent glands in their feet and that’s why they smell like whatever it is all of you smell, each dog is unique. Ever watch your dog go for a BM or a pee and then they stand there in one spot and sort of wipe their feet on the grass to the point sometimes of actually digging up some of the grass and dirt, then you have to take the sod out of their toes? It’s because other than marking their territory with pee they also mark it with the glands in their feet. Same thing with that gross fishy smell that dogs often will get on their breath. That usually means they need their anal sacs manually relieved. Dogs usually release that awful fluid when they have a BM but ever seen your dog do a scoot across the grass or your carpet leaving a poopy track with their tail straight out behind them, that’s another sign they need help with cleaning them out. Personally, I find the fishy anal sacs smell more gross then the feet but still, it’s nice to get the right story and now you all know about the doggy smells…Linda Benedict

    posted by lindylu56 on 8-7-2010 at 3:06 pm

  57. ha! This is great! I actually started a group on Facebook for this a while back, but my friends thought I was nuts. You can join here: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=28531367398&ref=ts

    posted by Trish on 9-9-2010 at 11:48 pm

  58. this article made me laugh, thank you!

    posted by doorknobfartcake on 9-11-2010 at 4:15 pm

  59. Notice how different it all sounds if you say that Fritos smell like dog’s feet.

    Makes you want to eat a better brand of corn chips, doesn’t it?

    posted by Chainsaw on 9-27-2010 at 7:01 pm

  60. my son, now 41, always had what his sister, now 42, described as “frito feet”. As her bedroom was directly across the hall, she was often heard to wail, “Moooooooooooommmmm…. make him wash his feet!” This was no help with the stench of his tennis shoes. I finally put him on a daily dose of OTC protein supplement and that seemed to take care of most of the problem. I had to LOL years later when I heard him complain about HIS son’s “frito feet”.

    posted by yellow_rosez on 10-31-2010 at 11:20 am

  61. so, I read this article when it first came out. I promptly forgot about it. then, when my three dogs and I were watching a movie this random trivia fact popped into my head and I reached over to smell all 3 dog’s feet. they all smelled like popcorn. I tried to make my boyfriend smell them, but he didn’t want to smell the dog’s feet and now thinks i have a VERY odd obsession with their feet as I try to make EVERYONE smell their feet!

    posted by megaroo on 11-8-2010 at 5:14 pm

  62. If dogs feet smell like pop corn then why do priests smell like Taco Bell?

    posted by Mazey on 2-10-2011 at 6:33 pm

  63. I think the bigger concern here is why you would put your face so close to a dog’s foot anyway? Don’t you know where a dog’s feet have been?

    posted by Mostly_Harmless on 3-22-2011 at 2:29 pm

  64. friTOES! :)

    posted by Kim on 3-31-2011 at 11:16 am

  65. “True. And from all the unnecessary carbs dogs eat, they are obligate carnivors.”

    Sorry as a zoologist and veterinarian you are incorrect. Domestic dogs are omnivores. Their digestive system has changed duringb their 30,000 year assciation with humans. The cecum has shortened and the digestive enzymes are different. Yes, many modern dog foods use too mcuh grains, or the wrong ones, but dogs do need non-animal fat carbs.

    As a side note, wolf feet (and fox feet)also smell like fritos, its the waste gas from the yeast that naturally live on the pad sweat glands of most canid species.

    posted by Nicole on 5-18-2011 at 9:57 am

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