Why Does My Dog Lick My Ears? We’re Pretty Sure They Don’t Taste Good!
Is your dog obsessed with licking your ears? The answer to this question varies from dog breed to dog breed because not every single one loves licking their parents’ ears. Some dogs never even go near them or ask for it, while others can’t get enough of it!
6 Reasons Why Dogs Lick Your Ears
Listed below are some of the main reasons that explain why some dogs love to lick owners ears.
They want to scratch you back!
Did you know all species of dogs are descendants of wolves? Many years ago, dogs used to live in the wild. So they had to adapt to their habitat, so their actions and interactions were shaped by living in the wild.
Wild animals used to live in herds, and every herd had its own set of behaviors to conform to social structures, and ‘grooming’ was one of the behaviors there.
The following analogy can easily relate with grooming: We humans often have an itchy feeling on our backs, right?
Well, sometimes it’s just impossible to scratch on the exact place where we are having itchiness, and when this happens, we ask our siblings or friends to scratch us there, and then we scratch their backs (when needed) in return. Similarly, dogs give us a lick on the ears in return for the scratching we do on their ears.
They treat you with respect!
A trait commonly found among wolves was that lower-rank wolves used to scratch the ears of authoritative wolves out of respect. This trait is passed on among some dogs, which might be why they love to lick your ears!
When your dog wants to shower you with respect, love, and care, they might draw closer to you and lick your ears. If your dog usually crouches down, follows you around, obeys you, and doesn’t take your place when you leave it, then these signs are an indication that your dog is submissive towards you.
If he also licks your ears besides all these actions, then this should convince you that your dog does it because he respects you.
So, next time your dog comes near you and licks your ear, don’t scare it away, rather look at it with love and give it scratch on his ear too!
They want to feel and offer comfort!
Dogs will lick you when they want to convey their feelings of affection and love towards you. They are usually more comfortable around their owners, so they might lick you because they want to convey that your presence is a source of comfort for them.
Gross, but your dog can also lick you because they find your skin tasty, especially after your gym session when you’re full of sweat, and your skin is salty. Often they also lick your ear because they find your earwax delicious.
This behavior may sound extremely disgusting, but dogs aren’t humans after all! Dogs usually lick their children when they want to offer comfort to them, so just like that, you are in a puppies’ situation when your dog licks you.
They love to explore!
Dogs love to explore by sniffing around. They familiarize themselves with a place when they’ve sniffed all the things in it. Apart from smelling, dogs also explore around with their tongues. They go around tasting everything so that they have all the information they can’t get by sniffing.
The answer to why they come and lick your ears is that they want to sniff and taste the smell of your ear to know about your whereabouts! They are eager to know where you have been and what you have been doing.
Sounds like quite the spy, but that’s what dogs are famous for! They are extremely loyal to you and are kept in homes for safety so that whenever a stranger barges in your house, the dogs will bark out loud so that you know something’s not right!
There might be an underlying problem…
If you have another pet with you, and they have an ear infection, then your dog might be quick to sense the change in odor and then he might start investigating it. The investigation begins with your ear; your dog will first lick your ears to sense the change, and then he might go and lick your other pet’s ear’s infected part because that’s where the smell has been changed.
Dogs are extremely aware of their environment and can easily sense changes around them!
Just another mischief!
After having a pet dog, you must be aware of how much attention dogs usually require, and when they’re not getting the desired level of attention, they tend to pose attention-seeking acts to gain it!
Since dogs are very smart, they know that you laugh and giggle when they lick your ears. They can tell that ear licking will trigger your laughter, and so the dogs will love to lick you again and again.
Their Ear-Licking Habit Isn’t Worrisome – Until It Gets Excessive!
Don’t try to shoo away your dog when he starts to lick your ears. That’s possibly the worst thing you could do to him because he’s showing affection, and in return, you’re getting irritated by it. Don’t get angry; instead, try to distract him and divert his attention somewhere else.
However, if his licking habits get out of control and that is affecting his overall health (causing anxiety, pain, or hormonal imbalance). Look out for your dog’s skin irritation, hair loss, and patches. If you notice any of these symptoms, immediately get a vet for him.
Additionally, take care that your dog does not lick your eyes, mouth, and nose excessively because their saliva can transmit diseases to your body. However, a kiss on the mouth once in a while will not harm, so don’t hesitate to do it!
