As any dog owner can tell you, dogs are known for their oddball habits. Things like licking your ears, tracing beneath curtains and houseplants, barking excessively at light and reflections, and obsessively eating socks are examples. Even though it may appear like odd behavior, your dog's tendency to lick its ears is actually rather harmless.
What does it mean when your dog licks your ears?
What does it mean when your dog licks your ears?
Dogs might develop an obsession with licking their ears for a number of reasons. All dogs are descended from wolves, which are pack animals, including hairless Chinese cresteds and stocky Neapolitan mastiffs. Keeping oneself clean is often one of these behaviors that adds to the structure of the unit.
1 - Mutual grooming
Dogs have a range of mutual grooming behaviors. They really enjoy licking human skin, including faces, hands, and feet. If the person who owns them is wearing shorts or sleeveless shirts, they will also lick their legs or arms. In addition to strengthening the social structure or allowing dogs to show their affection and gratitude, licking family members is a bonding exercise. Dogs who are nursing their puppies lick them a lot to help with digestion, circulation, and cleanliness.
2 - Display of Empathy
Puppies lick the tongues of senior dogs as a sign of respect. It is also a common appeasement signal that is displayed when younger canines attempt to play with more experienced dogs. Similar meanings can be attributed to dogs licking their owners' ears: your dog is attempting to communicate to you that it values and respects you.
3 - A Symbol of Comfort
Dogs will only kiss the ears of those who make them feel extremely at ease. If the dog licks his ears, it's a sign that he feels secure and at ease with you. Take it as a great compliment if your adopted rescue dog starts licking your ears for the first time; it means you have gained their trust.
4 - A Hint of a Problem at Hand
Another reason that your dog can suddenly become obsessed with the ear is a deeper health issue. The smell of another pet in the house may change if they have an ear infection. This shift in scent might be detected by your dog, who may then start looking into the source of the odor. In the same way that pets are likely to want to lick their own wounds, it can also encourage them to lick the other animal's ears.
There are a lot of reasons why your dog may wish to lick your ears, even though it's usually dismissed as a harmless behavioral quirk. But most of the time, licking one's ears is just an odd behavior.
Can you stop the ear-licking behavior in your dog?
There's no need to stop your dog from licking your ears if you don't like the behavior. If your dog enjoys biting you, then let him do so; he's telling you that he's safe and happy. It's not everyone's cup of tea, though. To stop the dog, simply get up and move out of his way. To distract him, you can also offer him a gift or make a cheerful suggestion that they engage in something else, such as "Do you wish to play ball?"
Like with any behavior, you should cease the licking right away rather than waiting for it to continue for some time if you don't like it. The dog is going to move on from the behavior faster and be less likely to repeat it if you stop it early enough. Your dog won't realize what went wrong if you allow him to carry on until you grow irritated or eventually push him away. It is preferable to halt him right away as he makes an attempt to initiate the behavior.
You should absolutely avoid letting your dog lick any type of wound you may have, including cuts, scrapes, and recently placed piercings, as there is a risk of infection.
Related Post: