10
May
Some dogs develop a penchant for the taste of ear wax. The most obvious answer as to why a pet will lick your ears or your face your hands or any other part of your body is 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.
Why do dogs like to lick inside ears. Remember saliva is wet. 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. There are two primary reasons your dog licks your ears. The first and most common reason is that they like the taste.
Sounds gross but some dogs love the taste of earwax. The second reason is that theyre grooming. Perhaps you have noticed two dogs seemingly relaxed licking each others ears.
However in some instances one dog may develop an ear infection due to continual moisture in the ear. Amy Pike DVM of Veterinary Behavior Consultants in. 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. 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. 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. The most obvious answer as to why a pet will lick your ears or your face your hands or any other part of your body is affection. Its simply their way of saying they love you.
All dogs are part of a pack. This can consist of themselves and other dogs or the pack can consist of dogs and their humans. 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. 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. 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. 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. Your Dog is Licking Ears Because Dogs Can Be Gross Sometimes however ear licking goes back to another innate dog behavior. Being a little bit disgusting sometimes.
Some dogs develop a penchant for the taste of ear wax. Who needs a peanut butter filled Kong when your kitty friend has an ear canal full of wax. In most cases dogs licking each others ears is a healthy and natural behavior that should not ring any alarms.
Sometimes however licking can indicate an underlying medical issue be it with the dog being licked or the one doing the licking. Bacterial or fungal infections like a yeast infection can cause a dog to scratch at her own ears. Ear Licking 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. When wolves and sometimes dogs in the wild return to their pups after a meal they regurgitate meat from the hunt.
The pups too young to hunt on their own will lick the meat from around the mothers mouth. It is believed by some that this licking behavior has been passed down in the DNA causing dogs to instinctively do it sometimes. Yeast infections which are primarily caused by an allergytend to begin either in a dogs ears or in their paws.
If you notice this type of licking in addition to other symptoms like sores redness or a slimy often smelly discharge have your dog checked out by the vet right away.