Why does my dog lick my other dog?

Licking is a usual thing dogs do, and there can be many reasons why they do this. One could be that they are showing affection. They could also communicate or groom other dogs. It could also be a sign that they are checking other dogs' health or just showing their maternal behaviors for female dogs.

Is it normal for dogs to lick others?

Showing affection

Have you ever seen your dogs licking other dogs?

Maybe they are just showing signs of affection. 

Most dogs lick other dogs, especially within their family or pack, to strengthen social bonding.

Licking is a way for dogs to display affection and reinforce their relationships with other dog companions.

Communication

Another reason why your dog loves to lick other dogs is because it is their way of communicating.

Like people, dogs also communicate with each other, and licking is a way for them to do that. 

When they do that, they may be sending a message to the other dogs.

These messages can be:

• Reassurance
• Submission
• Request for attention

As they do this with other dogs, they may show signs of submission or want to initiate play with others.  

Grooming

Grooming can also be one of the reasons why your dog licks other dogs.

Licking is considered to be a form of grooming each other.

Dogs usually lick parts that can be difficult for other dogs to reach.

These parts can be:

• Face
• Back
• Ears
• and more

This behavior can help dogs stay clean.

This can also remove debris, dirt, or parasites from their fur.

Even if you regularly groom them, other dogs may still lick them as a form of grooming. 

As long as they are comfortable, there is no reason for you to stop the behavior unless the veterinarian advises you to do so.

Health check

As owners, we must bring our dogs regularly to licensed veterinarians to check them out.

However, this might not happen for most.

But if you see one of your dogs constantly licking one of his companions, especially in just one place, you should try to check if something’s wrong.

Licking can be their way of checking their health with other dogs. 

Yes, they can do that, and their keen sense of smell is a huge help, too.

With this ability, they lick an area of a dog's body and try to detect any changes that can be a sign of illness.

Maternal instincts

When your female dog licks her puppies, it is a form of maternal care for them. By doing this, it helps the puppies' blood circulation.

It also keeps them clean, encouraging them to defecate and urinate. 

Even if the dogs are not related to the puppies, they usually do it as a form of maternal care.

Why does my dog lick me?

As a man's best friend, they usually shows affection to us through licking. It is also their way of bonding and communicating with us.

Licking helps them release endocrine, offering comfort and connection to their owner. It is one of the ways how they show love and trust to us!