Why do dog lick your ears

Its like a you scratch my back I scratch your back type of behavior. They would lick each others ears to let them know that they were accepted into the pack.

Licking another dogs ears showed that the recipient dog had been accepted into the pack.

Why do dog lick your ears. 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. While it is not uncommon for a dog to love to lick your ears some still are not sure what it is that they love and why they do it. One explanation is that it is a sign of affection.

Nuzzling licking and even nibbling on the ears of another pack member in this case you can be a means to show that your pup is comfortable with you. Why do dogs lick your ears. As we mentioned dog ear licking is done in most cases to show you that they care.

Think of it as part of their love language. In more detail however your dog may be licking your ears for these reasons. They love you and missed you.

They are acknowledging that you are in charge. They want to help you stay clean. The good news is that you CAN teach your dog to stop licking your ears and we will go into detail about how in todays guide.

But first lets talk about why they do it in the first place. 3 Reasons Your Dog is Licking Your Ears Food. The desire for food is one of the main reasons dogs lick human ears.

Ear licking is most often a show of love. By licking your ears your pet can be rewarded with your attention while showering you with affection. A show of affection is the most likely reason why your dog will lick your or someone elses ears.

This behaviour has roots back when dogs lived in packs. Licking another dogs ears showed that the recipient dog had been accepted into the pack. If you are wondering why does my dog lick my ears its because they love you.

It is a sign of affection from them and dates back to their ancestral genes when they used to live in packs. They would lick each others ears to let them know that they were accepted into the pack. Ear Licking May Be A Sign Of Submissive Respect Some dogs may lick their pet parents ears because theyre being submissive.

As mentioned earlier dogs might see their parents as the leader of their pack. In order to properly communicate their respect a dog will lick ears or elsewhere. The most common reason a dog may lick their humans ears is as a sign of affection.

Back when dogs lived in packs in the wild they would lick the ears of their packmates to show that they accepted the other as a part of their pack. Possible reasons why your dog licks your ears are that the behavior is rewarded it likes the taste its looking for attention it is being affectionate it is grooming you or that it is excited. Since there are a number of possible causes it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely.

And when a dog licks another dogs ears it creates moisture within it. This moisture creates the perfect environment for bacteria and yeast to flourish and could set the victim dog up for infection. On the opposite end of the spectrum obsessive licking could also be a sign of infection.

While The Pet Experts at Elmhurst Animal Care Center may not know exactly why your dog does everything he or she does today we tackle one of the great mysteries of pet ownership. Why dogs lick ears. The Behavioral Aspects of Ear Licking.

When it comes to answering why dogs lick ears there seem to be some powerful behavioral forces at play. Our pup seems to be highly amused when I yelp that it tickles when he goes after my ears. My hub is allergic to dog saliva but on his ears it doesnt bother him as much so early on he was trained to not lick his face but to lick his ears instea.

So why do dogs lick ears and is it normal. Why Dogs Lick Ears. The Good the Bad and the Gross.

Is your dog enamored with your ears. How about with another cat or dog who lives in the home. Whether its a little love-kiss or a full-on slurp fest the reasons that dogs lick ears can be varied.

A Sign of Affection. 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. 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. Do not forget to play your part though and make sure to clean the ears of your pooches whenever you give them a bath. They Just Perhaps Are Curious Plain simple curiosity may be why your dog is licking the ears of his fellow dog.