But some of his habits leave me baffled like licking other dogs eyes. It can also stimulate them to lick the ears of the other animal in the same way that your dog will want to lick their own wounds.
If nothing is medically going on with the ears your parents dog it could be an obsessive issue like you mentioned and you could try to deter him from licking them.
Why does dog lick inside of other dogs ear. 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.
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.
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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Infection or Compulsion If another dog is licking your dogs ears you may want to take a closer look.
Smells attract dogs and those smells often originate from an ear infection. Inspect your dogs ears and look for swelling inflammation mites or overly dirty ear canals. 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. 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 if another dog is obsessively licking it. It can also stimulate them to lick the ears of the other animal in the same way that your dog will want to lick their own wounds. For something thats oftentimes relegated to a simple behavioral quirk there are countless reasons you dog may want to lick your ears.
Usually though ear licking is simply that. 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.
My dog is a funny being who portrays behaviors that make me laugh. But some of his habits leave me baffled like licking other dogs eyes. Whenever I see my dog licking another dogs eyes I cant help but reflect on.
Why Do Dogs Lick Each Others Eyes. I had a little help from my vet who helped me understand my dogs licking behavior and what I can do to manage my dogs licking behavior. Ive also heard that it could mean that the other dog may have something wrong with their ears like an infection.
If nothing is medically going on with the ears your parents dog it could be an obsessive issue like you mentioned and you could try to deter him from licking them. 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. Licking the bed might indicate a dogs depression anxiety or even a health issue. It also may be a compulsive behavior.
However a dog may lick the bed simply because they are bored or lonely and it is a behavior that temporarily satisfies them. Lets explore why dogs lick the bed and why many of them do it so frequently. The canine ear canal is more vertical than that of a human forming an L-shape that tends to hold in fluid.
This makes dogs more prone to ear infections. Ear infections are typically caused by. 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.