 why do dogs lick-- pack behaviour?
#179444 - 02/07/2008 09:48 AM |
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Just curious--
Jake sometimes cleans Dixon's face (but not the other way around), and they will both try and lick my hands/arms if I let them (which I hate to admit, but I'm a little grossed out by, so this doesn't happen very often). I don't correct them for it or anything, just try to move to a different spot away from their heads to pet. I wondered if this was a sign of pack hierarchy? or is it just a social thing?
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 Re: why do dogs lick-- pack behaviour?
[Re: Carolyn Pike Roman ]
#179464 - 02/07/2008 10:57 AM |
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It is my understanding that within a pack the younger and less dominant dogs will lick the face, especially under the jaw, to show submission. I think what you are doing is right. If you correct them for it they will probably just be confused. I would just keep doing what you are doing and try to distract them to do something else.
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Re: why do dogs lick-- pack behaviour?
[Re: Julie Callister ]
#179465 - 02/07/2008 11:17 AM |
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Synchronized Chomping |
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Re: why do dogs lick-- pack behaviour?
[Re: Kacie Maffitt ]
#179482 - 02/07/2008 12:16 PM |
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Can licking be a dominate gesture? Our older male(4yr) will lick the top of our younger male's(2yr) head and around his eyes causing the younger dog to take a submissive position. My interpretation of this behavior was the older male being accepting of the younger male. The dogs are fine together but if they are laying down or sleeping the older dog does not allow himself to be touched by the younger dog or any dog for that matter. If it is a person he stays put.
I noticed the licking started when my wife or I had both dogs close together and touching (we are sitting on the ground with them) the older dog would start with the head licking.
The older dog(neutered) really only lets the younger dog(intact) lick his nether region,and they usually try to hide this from us. It ends up looking like some prison scene, but if the younger dog gets up and presents himself to "get in on the action" the older dog has no part of it. This action I see a submissive.
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Re: why do dogs lick-- pack behaviour?
[Re: Jonathan DeLuna ]
#179521 - 02/07/2008 01:41 PM |
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My neutered male will lick my spayed female's face and the inside of her ears. He will also put his teeth around her snout when he is greeting her first thing in the morning (happy to see her). She usually seems to just stand there and ignore him, she lets him do it though.
I do not know which of them is dominant, so I don't know what this means. She does not really do this to him (that I have noticed) and he doesn't lick humans often (on occasion he will give me one swipe with his tongue.)
Would be interesting to know what it means.
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Re: why do dogs lick-- pack behaviour?
[Re: Angela Burrell ]
#179533 - 02/07/2008 02:28 PM |
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Mine goes for the ears too, but it is mostly the eyes and from the stop to the top of the head.
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Re: why do dogs lick-- pack behaviour?
[Re: Angela Burrell ]
#179535 - 02/07/2008 02:30 PM |
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Glad this question was asked...I always wondered what licking meant to a dog.
My dog isn't allowed to lick other dogs but he does love to give me a kiss. I never got the feeling it was a dominant or pushy behavior on his part and, come to think of it, his attitude is sort of submissive. He is only this way with me....maybe because I train him?
True
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Re: why do dogs lick-- pack behaviour?
[Re: Sarah Morris ]
#179552 - 02/07/2008 03:46 PM |
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My dog isn't allowed to lick other dogs but he does love to give me a kiss.
You mean he isn't allowed to lick other dog's "bits and bobs", or ANY part of another dog?
I always thought as well (or pretty much only see, anyway) that the licking was done more by the submissive animal, not the dominant one. Oscar is a very dog dominant boy and almost NEVER licks other dogs - he'll receive a great deal of licking in the face himself (again, I've always thought this was the other dog's version of "we're not worthy!!"), but he'll never return it.
Curiously, he'll shower me/"mom" with kisses often, but is much more hesitant with his "dad" - even though my boyfriend and I have lived together for close to 7 years and Oscar definitely knows that BOTH of us are the boss. I do consider myself to be Oscar's primary handler (he spends all day with me, I feed him, exercise him, and I've done 99% of his training with him), so maybe he's RESPECTFUL of dad but not as comfortably "beta" as he is with me?
~Natalya
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Re: why do dogs lick-- pack behaviour?
[Re: Natalya Zahn ]
#179572 - 02/07/2008 06:12 PM |
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My dog isn't allowed to lick other dogs but he does love to give me a kiss.
You mean he isn't allowed to lick other dog's "bits and bobs", or ANY part of another dog?
Is that odd? When he was a pup he hung out at work with me and did plenty of licking of my co-workers dogs.
Since he's a big boy now I really don't allow him to interact with other dogs. Not because he's aggressive or anything but I'd just prefer he ignore them.
There are 2 neighboring females that would get licks (and more) if I allowed it.
Gosh, am I doing something wrong???
True
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Re: why do dogs lick-- pack behaviour?
[Re: Sarah Morris ]
#179598 - 02/07/2008 08:16 PM |
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Since he's a big boy now I really don't allow him to interact with other dogs. Not because he's aggressive or anything but I'd just prefer he ignore them.
Gosh, am I doing something wrong???
Not at ALL!! 
No, no, I was just wondering what the context of "not allowed to lick" was. Since you don't really allow him much contact at ALL with other dogs (totally understandable), then of COURSE licking is out of the question! 
I was picturing True playing with other dogs, running, wrestling, mouthing, etc. - but whenever he's start to LICK another dog you'd correct him... silly me, that would be ridiculous!
Sorry to be unclear - you're all good Sarah!
~Natalya
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