Dogs also have a powerful sense of smell and hearing much stronger than that of humans. Dogs depend on their mouths to experience the world and ear licking is one way of exploring.
Its important to keep an eye on your dogs ear.
Why do dogs lick other animals ears. A dog licking another dogs ears is basically the only chance theyve got of having a freshen up in that area. In some ways similar to when monkeys perform a communal and reciprocal picking through of their fur to remove dirt and parasites dogs lick each others ears as a grooming favor. Youd help your friend out in the same way wouldnt you.
Dogs licking each others ears When cohabitating in packswhether in the wild or at home with additional petsdogs will in most cases lick each other as an act of affection. Sometimes dogs will lick one another as a way to say hello or even as an act of submission toward a more dominant canine. Other dogs are attracted to the change in smell and probably taste of the discharge in an ear when there is an infection present.
A sudden interest in another pets ears may indicate there is a problem in the ear canal. Dogs depend on their mouths to experience the world and ear licking is one way of exploring. Though dogs know how to groom themselves but it is not possible for them to reach inside their ears.
This is when the other dogs prove to be of help. Dogs always want everyone in their pack to be healthy and thus as a part of their survival instincts they clean the ears of one another. You do not need to stop this behavior as it will not cause any problems at all.
Remember one of the reasons dogs lick each others ears is because licking is soothing for them. Sure they can lick their paw or legs to get the same soothing effect but theyve developed a habit of licking the ears of your other dog. When a dog develops a habit its hard to break it.
When a dog licks another dogs ears it may be simply an act of grooming. Two dogs who live side by side and consider each other part of one pack will feel comfortable grooming each other. Since a dog cannot lick his own ears to clean them another in his pack will do so.
Ear Infection If one dog is obsessively licking another dogs ear it can lead to ear infection over time. The constant licking keeps the ear canal moist which makes it an easy breeding ground for bacteria. Its important to keep an eye on your dogs ear.
Dogs have a simple mind and they always relate by their natural senses such as smell and touch. When you see a dog licking another dogs private parts it is actually a healthy and normal dog social behavior just a kind of polite getting-acquainted through grooming and scent of one another. They do this whether they are sterilized or not.
One of the most common reasons that dogs lick each others ears is because they are grooming each other. This tends to happen quite a bit with dogs that live in the same space. It is basically them taking care of a pack member.
The mutual licking ensures that both dogs needs are taken care of. Dogs can become infatuated with ear licking for a variety of reasons. All dogs whether they are a hairless Chinese crested or a stocky Neapolitan mastiff are descended from wolves which are.
In the wild dogs ears attract various insects because of the dark warm and moist environment. Dogs also have a powerful sense of smell and hearing much stronger than that of humans. This means they can smellhear the insects and lick the ears to clean them.
Its like a you scratch my back I scratch your back type of behavior. I can tell you that almost every time when I have seen a two dog household where one dog wants to lick the other dogs ears obsessively it is because there is some type of medical issue with the other dogs ears. Usually the problem is some type of infection as opposed to ear mites.
When it comes to answering why dogs lick ears there seem to be some powerful behavioral forces at play. Dogs by nature are pack-oriented and because of this many of their behaviors can be explained by communication and social structure. Ear licking within the pack structure communicates a few things.
A level of comfort between pack members. Here are some the reasons why do dogs lick each others ears. Main cause of the behavior A dog licking another dogs ears is a sort of normal welcoming.
Way back at what time earlier than we began to train dogs there was ear licking between dogs from long-ago times.