Why is one of my male dogs drinking my other male dog's pee?

Question

I've seen different versions of this question on here, but it's usually about male and female dogs - not dogs of the same gender. I'm curious if this is related to pheromones or due to increased exercise (or whatever else people think is the reason).

I have a malamute/German Shepherd mix and a lab/boxer/pitbull mix. The malamute rather aggressively drinks my lab-mix's pee every time they go outside to the "bathroom". Literally laps it up mid stream and doesn't stop until my lab-mix stops peeing. Both are males, both are neutered. Also, he doesn't drink excessive amounts of water.

Both of these dogs get a great amount of exercise. The malamute gets 10-15 miles of running a day and both dogs chase me all day while backcountry skiing a few days a week. They are very well loved. They both get joint supplements and are free-fed. The malamute's appetite is usually good. He eats around 6-10 cups of food depending our activity for the day and is very lean at 104 lbs, which is around 47 kg.

What do you think is going on? Is this actually a pheromone deal or maybe he is trying to get electrolytes? Should I be concerned?

Answer 1

I've been reading a book, Inside of a Dog, by Alexandra Horowitz, which provides unique insignt into these creatures that are loved by so many. On page 94 (see below quote), she relates information about canine hormones and the increased interest in another dog's urine.

...a regular observer of dos will notice an often very intense interest in the urine of other dogs---sometimes an interest with lures them right . . . up . . . into . . . wait, gross!

This seems to confirm your pheremone theory. The increased interest could be an indication that your Malamute may be looking for a mate.