15
May
In order to properly communicate their respect a dog will lick ears or elsewhere. Remember one of the reasons dogs lick each others ears is because licking is soothing for them.
While it might seem pretty disgusting to us a lot of dogs actually like it quite a bit.
Why do dogs lick inside 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. Additionally if one of your dogs is more inclined to lick the ears of another animal this can cause issues as well. The presence of continual moisture in the dogs ear can be the cause of them developing an ear infection.
Ears are the perfect place to let yeast and bacteria grow causing a higher risk of infections developing. 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.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Why Its an Unhealthy Habit.
Amy Pike DVM of Veterinary Behavior Consultations in St. Louis Mo both dogs could potentially be at risk. If the dog being licked has an ear infection and is being treated with topical medication it could cause the dog doing the licking to get an upset stomach due to ingestion of the medication says Dr.
Pike although she adds that. 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. Truthfully some dogs lick ears because of their social instincts but there are other reasons why your pet may be obsessed with this habit. Perhaps the most common reason and true to canine form the grossest is that some dogs may develop a penchant for ear wax.
Since dogs cannot explore things the way we humans do with our hands they have a habit of using their mouths. So chances are your furry baby is just curious about their friend and thus lick their ears. In this case too you need not worry at all as it is a completely safe action.
They Are Expressing Their Love. Yet another reason why. Bacterial or fungal infections like a yeast infection can cause a dog to scratch at her own ears.
If another dog detects the infection she may offer a much-needed cleaning inside a place that no dog would be able to reach on her own. Some dogs will lick another ones ears if they enjoy the taste of their earwax. While it might seem pretty disgusting to us a lot of dogs actually like it quite a bit.
The inner ear is fairly salty which could be another reason why they keep licking them. These two always do thisis it a grooming thing. Or acceptance into the packOr is it just loveWhy.