If you have been among dogs for at least 2 minutes you know that they love to lick things and people. But, they like to lick other dogs as well. Why does my dog want to lick my other dog’s face? This will be the main question for today and we are going to reveal all the answers and all the things you need to know.
Let’s just say that your dog does this due to specific reasons, not randomly. But, you will have to know these reasons in order to tell why your dog does this in a particular situation.
Why Would A Puppy Will Lick His Mother’s Face?
First of all, we must reveal that puppies do this due to completely different reasons than adult dogs. For instance, a puppy will lick the face of his mother in order to tell her that he is hungry. In the wild, when the mother comes from the hunt, a puppy (better said many puppies) will lick her face. She will regurgitate the food and they will eat. Why does my dog want to lick my other dog’s face? If he is a puppy, then it simply means that he is hungry.
There are many variations here. A puppy without a mother may do this to you or other dogs. He can even do this to other animals such as cats although this is extremely rare. It is important to remind you that adult dogs do not lick the faces of other dogs due to this reason. They lick their faces due to completely different reasons.
3 Reasons Why Adult Dogs Lick The Faces Of Other Dogs
There are three main reasons why a dog will lick the face of another dog. These are commonly used for communication. Dogs can’t talk so they will have to use a different approach. Licking is the most common one and is usually used all the time. This also means that if or when a dog licks you, he is trying to tell you something.
1. He Shows Submission
There are two main types of dogs. Some are dominant while others are submissive. If you have two dogs, the submissive one will lick the face of a dominant dog. This comes from the time when dogs lived in the wild and it is still the case with wild dogs and wolves. A submissive dog will do this to tell another dog that he accepts his position in the pack and that he is fine with it. This also means that a dominant dog, in the wild referred to as alpha will not lick the face of another dog.
If you have multiple dogs and you can see that all of them lick the face of just one dog, this is the reason. We must add that this is perfectly normal behavior and there is no need to change it. You cannot change it.
2. He Wants To Play
When a dog licks the face of another dog, he probably wants to play. Keep in mind that this behavior will be paired with another gesture. A dog will now be on his front legs and his but will be lifted. This is known as a play bow and it is a common trait in dogs.
A dog will do this all the time and you can tell that the same behavior is visible. Once again it is normal behavior and you can use it to communicate to your pet better and to understand him more. The best part here is that all dog breeds will do this at some point. It does sound and look impressive and it certainly is.
3. Bonding Gesture
Dogs have feelings and they can bond with other dogs and humans. Just consider your relationship. A dog will lick you all the time. He wants to bond with you and he will use this gesture to show you affection. The goal is the same when he licks another dog.
He wants to create a stronger relationship with another dog and he would like to bond as much as possible. Licking in dogs releases all kinds of endorphins. They feel better and satisfied. You can test this out. Allow your pet to lick you. You will see that he is feeling much happier now and he wants to lick you even more. Of course, this is something you probably know already.
There is no need in telling you that this behavior is normal and natural. Dogs have been doing this for ages and they will still use it. You cannot and you shouldn’t try to change it. If you have just adopted a new dog, you will probably see him licking the face of your older dog or the other way around.
Here’s When You Should Stop This Behavior
There are some cases where you should try and stop this behavior. This is mandatory when the second dog doesn’t want to be licked. He will show signs of aggression and he will want to attack the dog who will lick him. This is not acceptable and you will have to react.
The second case when you should stop this behavior is when the dog does this longer and longer. He may do this for a long period of time already but the times are getting even longer. It is not acceptable and can cause severe issues hence you will want to try and stop it.
Don’t forget that you should also try and stop this behavior if your pet wants to lick the wounds of another dog. This is not safe and should be prevented.
The Final Word
Why does my dog want to lick my other dog’s face? In the lack of a better word due to communication. There are several reasons why dogs do this and in 99% of cases there is no need to worry about anything. This is perfectly normal and it can happen at any given moment. There are some cases when you should try to stop this behavior. Luckily it is not difficult and you probably won’t have to do this.