Doggy style

Doggy style is probably the best known rear-entry position: the person being penetrated goes on all fours, knees apart, shoulders lower than the hips, while the other, kneeling behind them, penetrates them. The French name, levrette, comes from the female greyhound, a nod to the way dogs mate.

It works just as well for vaginal as for anal penetration, with a penis as with a strap-on, and it is not reserved for straight couples. It gets called the dog position, or simply doggy, and French slang has its own vivid version, casser les petites pattes arrière (breaking the little back paws).

Everything happens in the angle. The lower the person in front drops their chest and the wider they spread their thighs (if their adductors allow it), the deeper the penetration gets: the partner can then plant their hands on either side of the torso and lie along their back for a heavier rhythm. Conversely, with thighs held together, you have to straighten up, and there the hands are freed to hold the hips, the nape, the shoulders, or to reach around and stroke the breasts and the genitals.

That is exactly what many people hold against it and also what saves it: the angle nicely stimulates the front wall of the vagina, the famous G-spot zone, but the clitoris is left an orphan. A hand (yours or your partner's) or a small vibe placed in front completely changes the experience. A cushion under the belly, the chest resting on the mattress, feet on the floor and torso on the edge of the bed: plenty of variations to spare the wrists and the knees.

Two things to watch. Depth can quickly become uncomfortable, especially at the start of a session or during anal (where lube is not optional and where you go in slowly), so it is the person in front who sets the tempo by pushing their hips back or forward. And since you cannot see each other, words replace eye contact: say harder, softer, keep a hand in contact. If penetration hurts repeatedly, a doctor or a sex therapist can point you in the right direction.

Doggy is sometimes confused with spooning, where both bodies lie on their side, nested together, penetration from behind but far slower and more enveloping. Other cousins: standing doggy (bent forward, leaning on a piece of furniture or a wall), the flat on the stomach version with legs straight, tighter, and the role reversal with a strap-on, often called pegging.

Synonyms : dog position, doggy style, doggy, rear entry, penetration from behind, on all fours, levrette