It is a known fact that dogs and many other animals lick themselves for grooming purposes.Dogs lick their owners and even other people they trust to show how happy they are. Mother dogs and puppies lick each other too; it is the way they communicate.Dogs primarily explore the world around them using their mouths and noses. When you and your canine friend are in the park or on a walk, if your pet finds themselves a canine friend, they might start sniffing and licking the mouth, face, and ears of the other dog. This might be seen as acceptable, but when they lick other male dogs’ privates, it can be embarrassing to owners. The reason they do this is quite simple; dogs lick and sniff each other to show dominance and affection, for recognition of their pack, and also for grooming purposes. This behavior is instinctual and has been passed down by their ancestral wolves, like many other behaviors. We already know how much dogs love to lick their owners to show their excitement and love and the act of licking other dogs they know is also a basic instinct. There are few more reasons, so let’s look at them too.There are many other reasons for dogs licking each other. The way we socialize is through handshakes and hugs whereas dogs do it through sniffs and licks. However, this should not turn into obsessive licking as this can mean that there is a hidden medical issue. This can be identified if your dog behaves out of the ordinary and licks excessively. If this occurs, it is safe to say that you should take your pet to the vet.If you enjoyed reading these facts about why dogs lick each other, then make sure to read some more interesting facts such as why do dogs lick themselves? and why do dogs lick their lips? here on Kidadl.Why do dogs lick each other’s faces, ears, and mouths?Licking other dogs’ faces, ears, and mouths is a way of canine communication.The dog licking the other canine is letting the alpha adult dogs know that this dog does not want to cause any trouble and the dog is being submissive. If these adult dogs accept this, they will lick back. This is also true when a dog licks its owner’s face. It is recognizing the owner as the leader of its pack and if a dog licks another dog’s mouth, it can mean the same. This is a common behavior seen in their ancestors, wolves, too. A dog licking another dog’s ears and face is to groom the receiving dog. As a dog or even a pup cannot lick their own face and ears, they allow their friends to clean their face. Licking another dog’s ear can occur in dogs that have stayed together for life or are very close. This is a form of puppy hug and is a gesture that comforts their friend. Grooming is also a way to connect emotionally and build positive rapport with other dogs. A puppy also tends to lick their mother’s face to communicate when they need care or are hungry. In the wild, this behavior is common as when a puppy licks its mother’s mouth signaling for food, the mother then feeds the puppy pre-digested food from her stomach.Dogs show affection by licking either eyes or ears. Dogs lick or sniff around the private parts to sense the mood, age, gender, and even the medical issues of a dog. Dogs might lick another dog’s ear due to anxiety and fear. Some sources of fear are separation, traveling, new people or dogs, loud noises from fireworks, and new houses or surroundings. One dog might lick another dog’s ears simply because of the taste. Yes, some dogs do like the taste of ear wax but this behavior might be irritating to the receiver. Ear wax consists of microbes, pollens, dead skin cells, dirt, and debris, which are all appealing to dogs. Some breeds that might have excessive ear wax are poodles, cocker spaniels, bulldogs, and bassets.So, a dog licks another dog’s face, ears, and mouth for one of these reasons: grooming, greeting, taste, bonding, submissiveness, affection, obsessive behavior, health, and to recognize the pack. Also, licking is not a sign to fight in any way, it is always a behavior to show that a dog wants to play or make peace.Is dog licking a sign of dominance?In a way yes, a dog that is dominant might lick or might accept this sign. The dominating dog will lick the submissive dog to show acceptance. If the dog wants to reject the licks then he/she will growl.The dog licking behavior is quite the opposite. By licking another dog’s mouth, the giving pup or dog displays a submissive approach. This means that the giving dog does not want the fight and is only there to make peace. In this way, dogs establish their relationships. A submissive dog will avoid eye contact, have flattened ears, roll over, show its belly, lick the muzzle of another dog, and have a tail that wags down low in the presence of other dogs. A dog shows submissive behavior when they lick the mouth of an alpha male and the alpha will lick the submissive dog to accept the peace offer. Licking another dog can lead to infection due to moisture. Breeds that have ears that fold over are most affected by this behavior, as the moisture gets trapped.A dog can also lick excessively due to some underlying health conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder. In this case, make sure to take your pet to the veterinarian.Why do mother and daughter dogs lick each other?Mother and daughter dogs lick each other to show love towards one another.When puppies are born, like other behaviors, licking is already a common, instinctive behavior. This is also the first sense that allows dogs to understand their surroundings. They can neither see nor hear when they are born as both their ears and eyes are closed. Puppies will be able to hear and see only after 2-3 weeks. So, as mothers and puppies need to communicate, and cannot do so with words, they use their ability to lick when they need to play or need food. A mother’s way of showing love to her puppies is by licking them throughout the day. Also, puppies need grooming. Through licking, mothers create bonding with the puppies, which helps the pups socialize better as they grow. A mother dog’s lick can also encourage the puppies’ bodies to pass stools and urine. A puppy also tends to lick their mother’s face to communicate when they need care or are hungry. In the wild, pups lick their mother’s mouth and the mother readily feeds the undigested food in her stomach. However, as domesticated animals, pups depend on us for love, food, and care.Mothers and puppies communicate through licking. This helps pups socially accept other dogs as they grow up.Are dog licks really kisses?Yes, in one way it can be interpreted as kisses although, as discussed, there are many other reasons behind licking.Normally when a dog licks you or other dogs, it is always a signal of affection. Puppies might lick you or other big dogs to show that they have accepted you or the dog as the leader of the pack. Puppies will lick you to let you know when they are hungry. Not only this but there are various other reasons a dog licks, which are not considered kisses. It could also indicate a medical issue with a dog. Dogs can easily sniff out tumors or infections and tend to obsessively lick that area on another other dog. Obsessive licking can also cause hot spots on skin and abrasions in that area which can cause infection. Also, if there are pre-existing infections on the skin, these can worsen when another dog licks the area. Both bacteria and tongue friction will break down the skin and bacteria starts to build up. Some ways to identify if your dog has an ear infection is if your dog’s ears have a worse odor, its ears are inflamed and red, they exhibit constant head shakes, the ear canal has a yellow or black discharge, or your dog is scratching its ears constantly. In any of these circumstances, a veterinarian visit is essential. Dogs can easily make out if a person is anxious or stressed, and they tend to lick people to cheer them up. Oh, and they might also like the salty taste of human skin.This behavior cannot be curbed through training. It is also relaxing and satisfactory for your dog to lick another dog. Yes, proper training is necessary from a young age but you can divert them when they excessively lick other dogs. You can distract your dog by taking them out for a walk or drive, or playing fetch with them. It is not advisable to treat your dog as they might start to join the licking with positive feedback.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestion for why do dogs lick each other? Then why not take a look at why do dogs lick wounds, or Yorkshire Terrier facts?
It is a known fact that dogs and many other animals lick themselves for grooming purposes.
