Why do dogs lick each others mouth

There are several behaviors a dog exhibits in everyday situations that leave us busy watching for signs, so we can distinguish whether his behavior in a particular instance is aggressive or friendly. One such behavior is dogs licking other dogs’ mouths. Any time your dog interacts with another dog, you should pay attention, and your dog licking or being licked in the mouth by another dog is no exception.

You should pay special attention to the reaction of the recipient of the licking, watch both of their body languages, and consider the context — the setting and current situation. In other words, what is happening at the time, or what has just happened — e.g., Is there chaos or calm, and has provocation of any kind taken place?

When a dog licks another dog’s mouth, it can be either a good sign or a bad one, and the only way to tell is to watch the dogs’ interaction and evaluate the context of the circumstances at the time, as well as take into consideration what you know about the dogs’ temperaments. 

There are various reasons why dogs lick other dogs, and there are various reasons why dogs lick other dogs in their mouths as opposed to their ears or their “privates”, while puppies essentially have one reason for licking other dogs in the mouth, and it’s usually their mothers.

Puppies lick their mothers in the mouth as a sign of need.

With wild dogs, a puppy will lick her mother’s lips once she comes home from a hunting trip. She will have a stomach full of sustenance, and the puppy’s licking is a signal for her to regurgitate a little of the food she has already digested, so her hungry puppy can fill her belly, too. It sounds disgusting to us, but for baby pups, it solves the problems of not yet being able to chew and digest large chunks of meat.

With domesticated puppies, once they transition from their mothers’ milk (or any milk) to solid food, licking is a behavior signaling they look up to the recipient as a caregiver — someone they can go to if they need their needs met. The puppy could also simply be trying to get some attention from her mom. Mothers may also lick their puppies in the mouth as a form of affection.

Dogs lick each other in their mouths as a sign of affability or affection.

It is a dog’s way of carrying on a conversation like you would do with another person. If your dog is licking another dog in the mouth, she is probably attempting to bond with friends or communicate with friends she’s already made.  Licking releases endorphins in dogs that make them feel good, so don’t be surprised that it is a common behavior of dogs.

When dogs are friendly, licking each other in their mouths may be a sign that they are looking for someone to play with. If your dog wants to play, she may be licking just to say — Will you please play with me?

Dogs lick other dogs to investigate them as they relate to themselves.

Dogs inspect and investigate with their noses and mouths. Whatever information they can’t gather with their strong sense of smell, they will gather with their mouths, especially about their food. Dogs licking other dogs’ mouths is a way of figuring out what they’ve been eating to determine what may be nearby for themselves.

Dogs lick other dogs because they can detect many kinds of illnesses.

Dogs have been known to detect various conditions in people, probably due to their abnormally keen sense of smell. They may smell mouth odors caused by periodontitis, or they may smell something turning them on to the trail of various types of cancer.

They can do the same thing in other dogs. If another dog spends a lot of time licking your dog, it may be time to question whether your dog may have a medical issue.

Dogs lick other dogs to show their respect and concede to a higher social ranking.

If a dog wants to show his respect for another dog, she may lick him in the mouth. This is one way of showing deference to a dog they revere as stronger and maybe a social class higher. It lets the other dog know there is no competition, but that he is in charge. The subordinate dog will usually come at the other dog from underneath his chin.

This whole way of thinking is simply an assumption made from carefully taking note of how dogs act around each other. Some dogs act simply proud, some cocky, and some humble toward each other. The assumptions are made because of these interactions.

It is also thought that pheromones play a part in why dogs lick each other in the mouth. The Jacobson organ, also called the vomeronasal organ, in dogs can detect pheromones. It’s an area full of sensory cells in a dog’s nasal cavity. It is known that dogs release pheromones from the labial area (lip area).

Is it OK if my dog licks my other dog’s mouth?

If your dog likes to lick your other dog’s mouth, chances are that it’s nothing to be concerned about. When dogs do this, it’s normally a good sign. It is usually one dog showing another dog respect, affection, or geniality.

The only time it is a bad thing is when the dog who’s being licked has had his fill of it. When this happens, you will normally see signs that he’s had enough and that it’s time to separate them. That’s why it’s important to keep an eye on them whenever they are together and separate them when you cannot do that.

How can I get my dog to stop licking my other dog?

If your dog has a habit of licking other dogs in their mouths, you may feel the need to put a stop to it. If so, here are some helpful hints.

Have the recipient see a veterinarian.

Dogs, with their superb sense of smell, can detect various illnesses. It could be that there is some medical issue yet undetected in the other dog. It could be periodontitis, or it could be a more serious condition, even cancer.

Redirect her to an alternate behavior.

Choose something you can steer your dog toward to make her forget about the other dog’s mouth. The moment you pick up on her intent to lick, use a chosen command such as “stave” to redirect her to another behavior like picking up and chewing on her own toy, not the other dog’s toy or a toy he will be interested in. When she follows your command, use praise and reward.

Watch for signals from the other dog that he’s aggravated.

If the recipient of the licking is trying to turn his head, yawning, trying to pull away, showing his teeth, or growling, he is probably getting aggravated with being licked in the mouth. While it’s the case that most dogs give a warning before they bite, not all dogs do, so if your dog persistently licks the other dog and won’t let up, it’s probably a good idea to separate them.

Also, it is just a good idea to keep dogs separate when you cannot be around to monitor them. You can use closed doors or baby gates to make sure they are safe while you’re away.

Consider a consultation with a dog behaviorist.

If you cannot seem to get a hand on the problem, it may be time to see a dog behaviorist professional. Retraining dogs is what they do for a living, and a behaviorist can probably help your dog.

Dogs lick other dogs' mouths for several reasons and deciphering this behavior may require some investigation. When does the licking happen? In what context? What is the dog's accompanying body language like? And most of all, how does the other dog react? 

Supervising the interactions of dogs is always important. Some dogs can sometimes engage in persistent behaviors and may ignore the several "go away" or "stop it" signs the other dog is delivering. This can lead to squabbles, and sometimes, even serious fights. So let's discover why dogs lick other dogs' mouths and signs of trouble.

Puppy licking the lips/mouth of mother dog.

 A Behavior Reminiscent of Puppyhood

Licking other dogs' mouths is a behavior that is reminiscent of when puppies were in the litter with their littermates and mom. To be exact, this behavior seen in puppies may be categorized as an et-epimeletic behavior. 

In animal behavior, the term et-epimeletic means seeking care or attention, as it often happens in most young animals. Born with their eyes sealed, ears closed and unable to regulate their temperatures, day-old puppies engage in several behaviors that trigger care-taking behaviors in their mother dogs. Intrigued? Read care giving and care seeking behaviors in dogs.

In particular, puppies vocalize when they are cold or hungry or when they are separated from their moms. These behaviors trigger care-taking behaviors from mom, which are known as epimeletic behaviors. 

As puppies grow, they go through a phase where they will transition from mom's milk to more solid foods. This phase is known as weaning. In a domestic setting, breeders, help puppies transition by offering puppy gruel and puppy mush.

 In a wild setting though, and prior to being domesticated, puppies used to lick their mother's lips and mouth to evoke her to regurgitate semi-digested food for them (fun fact: breeders claim to still witness this behavior every now and then). This may sound odd, but this helped the pups transition from a diet of exclusive milk to one based on meat from prey.

Interestingly, this behavior (the mouth-licking behavior) tends to persist past the weaning phase and becomes a puppy's and dogs' way to greet other dogs (and sometimes people too!)

Have you found any tasty goodies around lately?

Many dogs who lick other dogs' mouths are often doing so to obtain information. Dogs have a very strong sense of smell and they rely on their powerful noses to gather information about their surroundings. 

In particular, a study, published in the Journal of Animal Behavior and conducted by Marianne Heberlein and Dennis Turner at the Institute of Zoology at the University of Zurich, found that the behavior of nose touching in dogs may occur as way to gather information about the other dogs' feedings.

It's as if by nose touching, dogs are inquiring and saying something along the lines of "Howdy, have you found any tasty treats around here?" Of course, the answer lies within the other dog's breath. While we may just smell doggy breath, dogs are likely to smell that kibble basted with a meat-flavored savory sauce the dog enjoyed just hours earlier.

 Licking another dog's mouth is certainly a more intrusive approach compared to nose touching though, and therefore, it's likely to provide even more information. Sometimes dogs may willingly open their mouths for the other dog to inspect. This allows the other dog to, not only smell the other dog's breath, but perhaps even enjoy something tasty to lick or eat too!!

Of course, the behavior can get quite reinforcing and prone to repeating if the licking dog happens to routinely find some tasty food remnants. 

This is likely to occur right after eating or if the dog being licked has lots of facial hairs (think dogs with beards and goatees such as schnauzers and bearded collies)  which attract remnants of tasty bits of food. 

Mouth linking in dogs tends to occur for various reasons. 

Those Facial Pheromones

Interestingly, dogs are known to have several body parts that secrete pheromones. Pheromones are simply volatile chemical substances that are secreted for the purpose of releasing information that affects other dogs/animals who detect them. 

Dogs have a special organ meant to detect pheromones that's known as the Jacobson organ. Also known as the vomeronasal organ, the Jacobson organ is a patch of sensory cells that's found inside the dog's nasal cavity and opening in the upper part of the mouth. 

When dogs sniff and lick other dogs' mouths they may therefore be attracted to the labial area (lip area). The labial area in dogs has been known for releasing pheromones, explains Dr. Bonnie V. G. Beaver in the book: "Canine Behavior: Insights and Answers." 

Veterinary behaviorist Karen Overall in the book: "Manual of Clinical Behavioral Medicine for Dogs and Cats" refers to the behavior of licking other dogs' mouths as deferential, basically, a way for expressing respect. Dr. Bonnie Beaver instead refers to it as relating to social status, with the higher ranking dogs "smelling" the lower ranking dogs.

Until dogs can talk, we can only make assumption as to what is going on really in a dog's mind when mouth-licking. Perhaps rather than labeling the behavior as a sign of social status or submission, it's more productive looking at how the behavior presents, the  context in which it happens and the accompanying body language. 

Some dogs may walk with confidence, and after eating a goodie, may purposely breathe out samples to encourage other dogs to investigate their mouths as if saying: "Look what I found, now am I great or what?" 

Some other dogs, on the other hand, may become obnoxious at times, pestering other dogs around forcing them to have their mouths inspected. 

Other times, mouth-licking behavior may be seen after a scuffle, almost as a way for apologizing for any possibly perceived wrongdoing.

Watch out for persistent mouth licking in dogs. 

Possible Medical Issues 

Dogs have been known for being capable of detecting diseases as serious as cancer. According to UC Davis Health System, dogs have shown the capability of recognizing melanomas as well as bladder, lung, breast and ovarian cancers in humans.

Not surprisingly, when dogs develop a sudden interest in certain body parts, it may be worthy investigating whether there may be something going on in the health department. Dogs are pretty good in  knowing when other dogs are ill by just their scent. 

Perhaps there's a dental issue that is causing odors in the mouths or the gums are inflamed. Perhaps there is a piece of bone lodged in between teeth. 

Now That You Know...

As seen, the behavior of licking other dogs mouths is quite common among canines and may occur for a variety of reasons. 

In several cases, it's an occasional behavior and the other dog seems to enjoy it or at least tolerate it for a bit. It's OK to let them be if the behavior doesn't seem to cause problems and it's not occurring too often or persistently.

However, sometimes things may get out of hand. It's important to keep an eye on the dogs and ensure that the licking dog doesn't get too carried away.

 Watch for signs of the other dog growing tired of the behavior. Obnoxious licking can be a very irritating behavior to some dogs. 

On top of this, persistent licking with a rough tongue may trigger skin problems and infections in the long run. Following are some tips on tackling this issue.

How to Stop A Dog From Licking Other Dogs' Mouths

So your dog is a persistent mouth licker, and you want to put a stop to this behavior? Following are some general tips.

• Have the dog (having the mouth licked often) see the vet to rule out any possible medical problems. Many dogs are prone to gum and dental issues. According to research, most dogs older than 5 have significant periodontitis.
• Watch for cut-off signals from the dog being licked. Turning the head, moving away  and yawning may be signs that the dog is getting annoyed. Next, a growl may be emitted, and then, there may be risk for a bite. Of course, not all dogs communicate in such linear ways and some may go straight to just growling and biting. 
• Redirect the licking behavior to an alternate behavior. For instance, tell your dog "leave it" as soon as you notice his intent and redirect him to an alternate behavior such as targeting your hand. Make sure to praise lavishly and reward. Alternatively, you can try to redirect to a chew toy the other dog isn't very interested in. 
• Keep the dogs separated with a baby gate when you cannot monitor and redirect. Alternatively, you can try using a remote monitoring system to catch your dog in the act and redirect as needed. 
• Consult with a dog behavior professional if things seem to be getting out of hand.