Why Dogs Lick
Dogs lick each other as a way to show affection, groom one another or assert dominance. It’s also a way for them to communicate and bond with each other. Licking releases pleasurable endorphins in a dog’s body, which helps to create a positive social connection between dogs.
In some cases, excessive licking between dogs can indicate a medical issue or anxiety. To ensure your dogs are healthy and happy, it’s important to observe their behaviour and consult with a veterinarian if necessary.
Normal Puppy behaviour
It’s an instinctual behaviour for puppies to lick the mouths of adult dogs. This stems from wolf puppies licking the mouth of their mom in the wild. In the wild, the mother wolf will leave the den to hunt for food. When she returns, the puppies will lick her mouth when she returns.
Mothers Lick Their Puppies
If you’re raising a female dog with a litter of puppies, then you’ll quickly learn that mothers lick their puppies frequently. They usually lick around their face and neck, but they will lick the whole puppy. This is simply a quick and easy way to keep the puppy clean and to express motherly love.
Because dogs are licked so frequently as puppies by their mothers, this becomes an instinctual behaviour that they carry with them into their adulthood. One major way that dogs communicate with each other is by licking.
Appeasement behaviour
Adult dogs can lick each other for a variety of reasons, but one common reason is called an appeasement behaviour. The dog doing the licking is trying to let the other dog know that he means no harm. This behaviour is meant to keep the peace between the dogs.
Ready to Play
When dogs meet each other for the first time, one or both dogs may be in a very playful mood. While dogs carry out other playful behaviours, like a play bow, they may also lick the other dog’s face. This is a friendly sign that it’s time to start playing!
Social Grooming
When two or more dogs live together and have a good relationship, they may lick each other pretty regularly. This indicates that they are comfortable and happy with each other. They have a nice relationship together and are just bonding.
Sometimes these bonded dogs will lick each other’s ears more than other parts of the body. This is an especially nice gesture since a dog cannot reach his own ears. As gross as it may be to us humans, dogs can be gross at times! Ear wax is a salty substance, so your dog may actually like the taste of it.
If you notice your dog licking another dog’s ears incessantly, it could actually be a sign of an ear infection. If you notice this happening, you should the dog’s ears for dirt and debris. This could actually indicate that an ear infection is present. If your dog doesn’t leave another dog’s ears alone, it could be because they are extra smelly and tasty to him.
A Note about Licking
Licking is actually a very calming behaviour for dogs. Licking can release endorphins, so it changes the dog’s brain chemistry to make him truly feel more relaxed and calm.
Sometimes, dogs can over-lick. This is usually aimed at the dog over-licking himself, but sometimes they can over-lick other dogs too. When dogs over-lick themselves, they usually aim for the top of their front paws. This can actually result in a lick granuloma, which turns into an active wound and needs to be treated. Dogs that over-lick themselves to the point of causing lick granulomas usually do so due to boredom and stress.
Should You Stop It?
If both dogs appear comfortable and content and are not bothered by the licking, it’s fine to continue. If the other dog getting licked is appearing annoyed, you should intervene. Here are a few signs that indicate that you should intervene and separate the dogs:
- The dog getting licked is growling and snapping
- The dog getting licked is trying to run away
- The dog doing the licking can’t seem to stop or calm down
- The dog is licking another dog’s open wounds
In these cases, you should intervene quickly. You don’t want to risk the dogs getting angry and annoyed with each other and ruining their relationship.
How to Get a Dog to Stop Licking
If you are trying to get a dog to stop licking another dog, try to coax him away with a happy voice. You can also try leading him away with a treat. You don’t want to yell or scold him for licking, as that could make the situation worse.
It could be useful to teach your dog a “collar grab” for scenarios like this. When you teach your dog a collar grab, you are teaching him that when you grab his collar, food appears. Grabbing a dog’s collar without properly training it first can be dangerous. A swift, physical movement toward a dog’s sensitive head and neck area may automatically put him in a defensive mode. By specifically training a collar grab, he will understand that a human grabbing his collar results in tasty treats!
After you’ve separated the dogs, you should physically separate them for a little while so that they can both calm down and relax. It would be useful to put them in separate rooms, put one in the yard and the other inside, or put them in their separate crates.
Redirect the Licking to A Dog Safe Toy
Since licking is a self-soothing behaviour that makes dogs feel good, it can be hard to get them to stop. Sometimes it’s best to redirect this energy to a dog-safe toy. Because of the science behind why dogs lick, there are actually products on the market called LickiMats, that exist to give your dog an outlet for safe licking.
To use a LickiMat, you simply take some sort of wet food and smear it all over the mat. Then, you give it to your dog to enjoy. Not only does it slow them down when eating, but it also encourages them to lick, which releases those endorphins to make them feel calmer. You can even freeze the LickiMat so that they last longer. Giving your dog a dedicated toy and outlet to lick will give you something to redirect him to when you want him to stop licking your legs.
Conclusion
In most cases, dogs licking each other is a normal, friendly behaviour that is indicative of a good relationship between dogs. Sometimes it’s even a fun invitation to play together. If you notice your dog is over-licking himself, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. If you notice your dog is over-licking another dog, you should interrupt and separate the dogs. After a few minutes apart and some time to calm down and relax, you can try reuniting the dogs.
