ZnO nanorods were prepared by the hydrothermal reaction of a solution containing $Zn(NO_3)_2{cdot}6H_2O$, NaOH, cyclohexylamine, ethanol and water, and their $NO_2$ and CO sensing behaviors were investigated. By the control of water concentration in solution, the morphology and agglomeration of ZnO nanorods could be manipulated, which is associated with the variation of $[OH^-]$ resulted from an interaction between water and cyclohexylamine. Sea-urchin-like and well-dispersed ZnO nanorods were prepared at low and high water content, respectively. Well-dispersed ZnO nanorods showed 1.8 fold change in resistance at 1 ppm $NO_2$ while there was no significant change in resistance at 50 ppm CO. This selective detection of $NO_2$ in the presence of CO can be used in automated car ventilation systems.