Ready to make doggy style feel good?
If you're already a doggy style master, look at this article for new tips to take back to the bedroom. If you've never quite fallen in love with this from-behind position, though, let's see if we can give you the tools you need to make doggy style a feasible erotic option for you.
But first, let's cover the basics:
At its most basic, doggy style is a from-behind sex position. The receiving partner will be on their hands and knees while the penetrating partner gets behind the receiver's hips, on their knees, to penetrate from behind.
Depending on the two partners' heights, the receiving partner may need to bring their knees closer together—or further apart—to get their hips at the optimum penetration angle.
But, as you're about to find out, this is the most basic definition for doggy style—and there are lots of ways to do doggy style that don't follow this very-basic script.
READ: How to Make Trying New Sex Positions Your Next Big Sex Adventure.
When most people talk about doggy style, they're asking: "Why do men love doggy style?" while pondering what might make a penetrating partner fall in love with this sex position.
And the short answer? It depends! Here is a (non-exhaustive) list of reasons why people love this position:
In the doggy style position, the receptive partner's butt is fully on display in a way that isn't possible with Missionary or many other common sex positions. Especially for a penetrating partner who is an ass fetishist, this can be huge!
Doggy style sex positions also allow for deep and easy penetration. The hips are right there for easy grabbing and leverage, and the position of your bodies makes it easy to penetrate deeply. More sensation for every inch of the penis? That's a "yes, please" for many penis owners.
READ: Switch It Up: 7 Awesome Penis Masturbation Techniques.
Doggy style sex positions also have the benefit of facilitating slow, patient penetration. In traditional doggy style positions, neither partner is trying to hold an awkward, difficult, in-between position while trying to penetrate. One partner is on all fours and the other is simply kneeling. Especially for beginners to anal sex or those who need it slow for comfortable intercourse, doggy style allows for super-slow, patient penetration to easily happen with no strain on either partner's end.
Receiving partners can fall in love with doggy style as well! Because of the penetration angle and the position of bodies, doggy style can make it easier to hit the g-spot or the p-spot during intercourse. This can lead to an explosion of fantastic feelings—and can be much easier than trying to pretzel into some of the other "hit that spot!" sex positions like the Viennese Oyster, the Hang Ten and the Pancake with a Pillow positions.
Doggy style also leaves a lot of space for the receiving partner to use sex toys—even toys as large as wand massagers! This can make it simple to add multiple levels of stimulation to help ensure both partners come away from the experience with the pleasure (and orgasms!) they want.
For both partners, doggy style's "animalistic" taboo nature can be a big appeal as well. (It's called "doggy" style for a reason!) Without face-to-face contact and with a sole focus on the connection between your hips, this sex position can feel very primal. While it doesn't have to be, doggy style can also feel impersonal—which some kinky people love to use to their advantage in their ravishment scenarios.
Things like hair-pulling or spanking are easy to incorporate into doggy style sex. Doggy style positions also film really well: The space between bodies makes it easier to get "action shots" (if that's your jam) and the basic shapes the bodies are in make it easy to quickly understand, visually, what's going on in your shot.
(Plus, doggy style is an A+ position for when you don't want close-contact sex—like when dealing with sweaty bodies after a workout or morning breath!)
It can be tempting to think that doggy style will make your butt bigger. But nope, sorry. It doesn't.
That said, doggy style does make the butt appear bigger to anyone behind you because of the magic of proportions. Gravity will drag the receptive partner's abdomen (everyone has at least a bit of skin or fat here!) towards the ground and away from view. Simultaneously, the way you're bending over stretches out the butt—and together, these factors make the butt appear bigger and (for many) the waist appear smaller (which also makes the butt appear bigger!)
This magic only works for anyone viewing your butt from behind—whether that's in a doggy style sex position or a butt selfie.
READ: An Etiquette Guide for Sending and Receiving Nudes.
(If you actually want to add some muscle to that booty, the starting position for doggy style is the same starting position for a lot of glute-building body weight exercises like leg lifts, leg pulses, hamstring curls and "dog pees" movements.)
Doggy style sex does not have to hurt.
Let me reiterate that again: Doggy style sex does not have to hurt.
There are modifications to doggy style—which we'll get to in a second!—that can help you honor the bodies you're in today and reduce pain points.
Here are some common causes of pain causes during "stereotypical" doggy style:
If these simple modifications aren't making doggy style more comfortable for you, don't fret: There's no reason you have to do doggy style at all! Consider a different from-behind position if you want the benefits of doggy style without the pain.
(You can also select any sex position out there! There's no reason to stick with doggy style if it isn't working well with your bodies.)
Now that you have the basics, let's jump into the meat of how to do doggy style. In other words, here's a (non-exhaustive) tour of the different ways to do doggy style:
(You should note, though, that the definition of doggy style can be a bit vague. What, exactly, makes up a doggy style position? Does it have to have "doggy" in the title? Do knees need to be at a 90-degree angle? For this article, I required the penetrating partner to be entirely behind the receiving partner with no limbs underneath the receiver, like the Galley position portrays, and with no eye contact easily possible.)
OK, let's dive in:
This familiar take on the doggy style position takes your stereotypical kneeling doggy style and brings it onto an elevated surface. This change of scenery allows the penetrating partner to stand—which can make doggy style more accessible to penetrating partners who may have knee or back pain.
READ: Top 5 Ways to Make Your Sex More Accessible to Your Disabled Lover.
This change of scenery can also make the fun of doggy style accessible to couples of discordant heights. Thigh length and hip height doesn't matter to achieve the right angles here; you simply need to find a different piece of furniture for the receiver to kneel on if the height isn't the right height to achieve penetration.
This option also makes it easy to explore anal or vaginal penetration without the limitations of the usual angles. Simply find a taller—or shorter—surface for the receiving partner to be able to reach the areas and internal zones you want to hit.
Why To Try It
Taking this position onto a piece of furniture reduces strain on the back and knees for the penetrating partner—and it makes it easier to achieve for partners of differing heights.
Why Not to Try It
Because the penetrating partner has their full body available as leverage for thrusting, this position can quickly get too deep. Ensure open communication or use penis limiters to avoid hurting the receiving partner.
How to Make it Better
Short on perfect-height furniture? The Esse Chaise or Equus Wave might be a good fit.
With a simple change of the receiver's torso, you have an entirely new position—and an entirely new angle to explore. As the receiver wraps into themselves, it can make the vaginal (and anal!) canal feel shorter, and tighter, for a completely different sensation for both partners.
Simultaneously, this position takes the receiver's hands out of the picture. That can make it a great option for receivers who need extra stimulation for orgasm. A sex toy (like a penis stroker or clitoral vibrator) can easily enter the picture here without interrupting the sex position in the slightest.
Why to Try It
If you want to make it easy to use sex toys on the receiver, and a tighter and shorter sensation during penetration, this position could be a great fit!
Why Not to Try It
Without hands to support the receiver's upper body, the receiver's face and chest can compress into the surface beneath them. This may be extremely unpleasant for those with breathing concerns or claustrophobia.
How to Make it Better
Add a clitoral vibrator, penis stroker, or penis vibrator for the receiving partner. The penetrating partner's free hands make it easy to use a toy on the receiver!
From the "standard" doggy style position, the receiving partner will drop onto their forearms and the penetrating partner will place one foot flat on the ground to the side. With those two simple changes, you instantly have the Hinge position.
And the Hinge Position makes for deeper penetration for couples who want to get as close as possible. The receiver's tilted helps help spread their ass cheeks and make the anus and vagina even more accessible while the penetrating partner's now-moved leg leaves less flesh in the way of penetration. It lets you pull every centimeter of potential closeness!
READ: 5 Intimate Sex Positions Designed to Bring You Closer (Literally!)
Why to Try It
The Hinge position offers deeper penetration than standard doggy style.
Why Not to Try It
If you don't like deep penetration, this position may not be for you. Also, these angles can place more strain on both partner's backs.
To get the deep penetration you're going for here, the penetrating partner needs to have good hip mobility to get the standing knee into place—if you aren't very bendy, this one may be better to skip.
How to Make it Better
With the Cowgirl sex machine's powerful vibrations, this position can be extra exquisite!
Easily overcome angle issues with the Backdoor position. Simply have the receiving partner spread their knees out to the side and come down onto their forearms to instantly bump up the height of their hips for intercourse. This can especially be helpful for couples looking to enjoy anal sex because it brings the anus into a lower position for penetration.
Why to Try It
The Backdoor position can help adjust your body angles, making penetration easier for couples whose bits and pieces may not line up ideally during "standard" doggy style sex.
Why Not to Try It
The thrusting motion, partnered with the large spread of the knees, can really put a strain on the receiving partner's thighs and knees.
How to Make it Better
With a couple's cock ring (like the Fun Factory NOS) added into the mix, you'll have additional vibrating mechanisms pointing towards the floor which can help provide sensation to both partners.
Magic Mountain centers around a piece of sex furniture to help support your bodies. By leaning on top of a sturdy piece of furniture, you can reduce the strain on both partner's knees and back. At the same time, the addition of the penetrating partner's upper body on top of the receiver's body can offer much-desired skin-to-skin contact to make this variation feel more intimate than other options.
Why to Try It
Leaning onto a piece of furniture alleviates some of the pressure on the knees and provides for a lot of skin-to-skin contact.
Why Not to Try It
The closeness and weight on top of the receiving partner can be unpleasant for some, and larger bodies may find it difficult to get the space they need to honor their bodies.
READ: 6 Sex Positions Made for Big, Beautiful Bodies.
How to Make it Better
Try this position with the Orion VibePad 2 or the Wild Flower Enby resting on top of the furniture so that the receiver can grind against it.
From your "standard" doggy style, simply have the receiver slide forward, resting their chest onto the surface below, and popping their hips high in the air. Now you have the Flat Doggy Style sex position!
Not only does this change the angle of intercourse—and how penetration will feel—but it can also change the pressure points on the knees.
The Flat Doggy Style position is a favorite among receivers who like to feel "taken." As this position puts the hips high in the air and right into the penetrating partner's face, it can feel very vulnerable and exposing. Simultaneously, the angle of penetration means that most thrusts will cause the receiving partner to rock forward into the bed, which can feel very passionate.
Give it a try if those sensations are of interest!
Why to Try It
This position places the receiver in a very vulnerable-feeling position, which can be desirable for receiving partners who like the feeling of being "taken."
Why Not to Try It
With the change in angle, the Flat Doggy Style position places even more strain on both partners' backs.
How to Make it Better
Try adding a Liberator Humphrey and Tenga Spinner or Magic Wand Mini (or another wand massager!) for the receiver to grind against during intercourse.
Think of the Leapfrog sex position as a great alternative to the Flat Doggy. The simple change to the penetrating partner's position (upright and supporting their own weight as opposed to leaning into the receiver's hips) can change the position's entire feel.
Opting for the Leapfrog position can be a great fit if the receiver doesn't want to feel "taken"—or if you'd like to reduce the weight pressing onto the receiver's hips. As this position also reduces the strain on the penetrating partner's back—and the toll on their upper body strength—it's also sustainable for longer periods of time compared to the Flat Doggy sex position.
Why to Try It
Similar to the "standard" doggy style position, the Leapfrog position has both partners upholding their own body weight with minimal need to uphold their partner's weight. This can be great for avoiding additional strain—especially on the receiver.
Why Not to Try It
The tilt of the receiver's hips required to make penetration possible can cause a lower back strain and be tiring after awhile.
How to Make it Better
Add a u-shaped couple's vibrator. Dual-ended vibes like the Rocks-Off Cocktail or We-Vibe Chorus can make it easy to add pleasure for both partners without interrupting play.
By simply changing the angle of doggy style, the Kneeling Fox offers shallower penetration—a complete change of where the penis or strap-on will hit during intercourse. At the same time, by using the full shin to support weight (versus simply the knee), this doggy style variation can provide some relief for couples with certain types of knee pain.
Even if you're enjoying other doggy style sex positions on this list, the Kneeling Fox makes a fantastic transitional position. Both partners simply sit back, and you're instantly in the Kneeling Fox. If you love mixing it up with regular position changes, this can make the Kneeling Fox a golden goose in your repertoire of sex positions.
Plus, at any point, either person can sit upright and easily transition into the Sexy Avocado position—leaving their hands free to stimulate the receiver's clitoris or penis!
READ: How to Charm a Clitoris.
Why to Try It
If you're looking for a simple fix that can reduce the depth of penetration, and reduce some of the weight being carried by the knees, the Kneeling Fox could be for you.
Why Not to Try It
Depending on the type of knee pain you have, bending the knees with your full body-weight on top may be extremely uncomfortable.
How to Make it Better
Add a strap-on harness and dildo. This position makes double penetration extremely easy and it's an accessible position even if you've never strapped on a toy before. With the grinding motion, the BumpHer can be a great fit on the base of the dildo for added stimulation.
The Doggy Style position's distant cousin, the Sphinx takes the idea behind doggy style and changes up the angles to relieve some strain on the knees. Instead of placing both partners in a position where body weight is centered on top of the knees, both partners lean forward to let their upper body support the majority of their weight.
If direct weight onto the knees is an issue for you had with doggy style, the Sphinx position may be a good alternative. As an added bonus, the downwards angle this position puts the penetrating partner in can be extra-fantastic for targeted g-spot and p-spot stimulation.
Why to Try It
The Sphinx position may help reduce the weight and strain on the knees during doggy style.
Why Not to Try It
A lot of strain may be placed on the arms and the lower back to maintain this position.
How to Make it Better
Anal plugs like Snug Plugs, the Simul8 or the Be Me 3 can really spice things up here! The positions your bodies are in during the Sphinx position uses gravity to help your anal toy stay in—while you both get to enjoy some hands-free pleasure!
READ: How I Enjoy Hands-Free Anal Orgasms.
Think of the Double Mount position as your new best friend for double penetration. Using a piece of sex furniture, the Double Mount position allows a vulva-owning receiver to experience penetration from their partner and a sex toy all at once. Alternatively, the sex furniture shape shown in the illustration above (the Liberator Bon Bon) can be used to hold a vibrator in place for clitoral or penile stimulation.
The Bon Bon—or other sex furniture shapes like the Liberator Flip Ramp—can also be used as a supportive cushion without any sex toys involved. As the receiver can rest their hips on the Bon Bon's rounded shape, this can help alleviate a lot of the pressure on the knees—especially if a lowered hip stance is required to make the angles work for penetration.
Why to Try It
Try this position when you're looking to add even more hands-free sensation during doggy style sex—or when you'd like to try double penetration. It can also support the hips very nicely for those with knee pain.
Why Not to Try It
The Double Mount position uses a specialized piece of sex furniture to make double penetration possible; so if that's not available to you, it'll be harder to accomplish. You may be able to experiment with household furniture to pull it off, but the toy-holding properties will be hard to replicate without the Bon Bon.
How to Make it Better
The Balldo! If you don't want to use the Bon Bon to hold a sex toy and if the penetrating partner has a penis, you can use their testicles as a second, penetrating "penis" for ball sex with the Balldo.
And don't forget about the magic of penis extenders and strap-on harnesses for penis owners!
Doggy style isn't only about penetration! Whether you want to mix it up mid-intercourse or you just want to try a new oral sex position, the Doggy Oral position takes everything you know about the doggy position and changes it into an oral sex position.
As the receiver's bent-over position can make it easier to see between the cheeks, and as and this position allows for easy access to the anus, this position is especially favored among fans of rimming.
READ: Tossing That Salad: The Outs and Ins of Rimming!
Why to Try It
The Doggy Oral position provides all of the same benefits as doggy style (like a fantastic view and taboo sensations!) in a new sex act. Plus, it makes for extremely easy access for rimming!
Why Not to Try It
Despite the change in sex acts, most everything that might be uncomfortable about the intercourse-focused doggy style position still remains in the oral sex version. Put differently, This might not be comfortable for those with knee or back concerns.
How to Make it Better
Flavored lube can instantly switch up the sensations in this position. And don't forget about safer sex barriers for oral sex!
Your doggy style adventures don't have to solely stay on dry land! They can easily head into the shower (or anywhere else with standing room!) with the Soaking Wet Doggy position.
Since this is a standing variant of the classic doggy style sex position, minimal room is required—which means you can do it in cramped standing shower stalls.
For safety, try to ensure the receiving partner has a wall or something sturdy to easily grip onto for balance. You can also avoid slips by keeping and the thrusts to gentle movements as you both get used to the position.
Why to Try It
To give doggy style a try in a brand new, erotic (aquatic!) environment.
Why Not to Try It
Both partner's heights must match up perfectly to easily get into Soaking Wet Doggy. We don't suggest the use of any booster surfaces in the slippery shower—so if you and your partner have a big height discrepancy, this could be one to skip.
How to Make it Better
Waterproof sex toys! Toys like Tenga Eggs, the Wild Flower Enby, the Strap-on-Me Bending Vibrating Strapless dildo, the Satisfyer Men Wand and the Satisfyer Pro 2 can make for a blast in this position.
If you've ever looked at the challenging Wheelbarrow position and wanted to give it a try, the Kneeling Wheelbarrow position can be a great introduction to the world of high-mobility sex positions. The receiving partner's raised and extended leg will slightly change up the sensations of penetration as well—which can be a new twist if you're doggy style aficionados.
If the Kneeling Wheelbarrow position seems like something you'd like to explore but you're not sure about your ability to pull it off, consider using a wall or piece of furniture to your advantage. The receiver can press their extended leg against a wall or let it rest on top of a low piece of furniture to support its weight. And voilà: Now you only have to deal with the balance of being on a single knee!
Why to Try It
The Kneeling Wheelbarrow position provides an additional challenge with a slightly different feel to doggy style.
Why Not to Try It
Lifting their leg will add strain onto the receiving partner's knee ands back. For those with pain in either area, that might make it inaccessible—and that's totally OK! Raising the leg may also make it difficult for some penetrating partners to find the space needed for penetration.
READ: 6 Ways to Receive Sexual Pleasure Without Penetration.
How to Make it Better
Add in a large wand massager. Because neither partner's hands have much freedom before it starts to affect their balance in this position, using a wand massager with a long handle—like the Satisfyer Wand-er Woman or the Magic Wand Rechargeable —can help provide sensation for the receiver without knocking everyone out of position.
It might be easiest to think of the Bound Love Triangle position as an elevated Turtle position—with slightly different hands. While those seem like minor changes, like most sex positions, those minor changes make a big difference.
By elevating the receiving partner with sex furniture, the receiving partner will be better able to breathe and the penetrating partner can stand. The standing position reduces strain on the penetrating partner's back and knees while simultaneously allowing for more leverage for each thrust.
At the same time, the different hand position places the receiver's hands near their ankles. Now the ankles and wrists are perfectly set up for bondage—whether via a spreader bar, cuffs or any of your favorite BDSM sex furniture (like the Liberator Black Label Wedge).
It's a sex position full of new sensations to explore!
Why to Try It
If you have an interest in bondage, the Bound Love Triangle makes it easy to explore.
Why Not to Try It
Because the receiver's chest rests on sex furniture, this position may still be problematic for those with breathing concerns.
Also, not everyone is a bondage enthusiast! Feel free to forego those options if you're not feeling them.
How to Make it Better
Use the Liberator Wedge and Ramp as pictured above. (It's available in a wider variety too!) Partner it with the Sportsheets Our First Bondage kit or the Sportsheets Hog Tie set for simple bondage.
Let's end our list with the most adventurous doggy style variation out there: the Doggy in Space position. Using a sex swing allows this adventurous sex position to be accessible to more couples—but still not accessible to all.
You can easily modify this position by keeping a wall right behind the penetrating partner; the receiving partner can then push their feet against the wall to help support the weight of their legs.
On the bright side, because of the standing and in-the-air positioning of both partners, Doggy in Space eliminates most knee pain concerns. However, any back concerns on the part of the receiving partner definitely make this position a no-go; it places a lot of strain on the back.
(Oh! And give more sex swing sex positions a try to really get your money's worth out of your swing!)
Why to Try It
To put your sex swing to good use!
Why Not to Try It
The sex swing's involvement makes Doggy in Space more accessible to couples, but it still isn't accessible to all; it requires strength from both partners. This position may also place added strain on the receiver's back.
How to Make it Better
Use some hands-free sex toys. Everyone's hands are completely occupied in this position, so any extra pleasure will have to come without you needing to hold it in place. Consider the Hot Octopuss Jett, the We-Vibe Moxie+ with crotchless panties, b-Vibe Vibrating Snug Plugs, the We-Vibe Bond or anything else hands-free.
Doggy style is a classic from-behind sex position. You might think there isn't much to it—but that couldn't be further from the truth. With a little creativity and some handy-dandy sex toys, you can explore nearly endless variations, angles and visuals.
