Dogs don’t communicate in a language via words comprised of a phonetic alphabet the same way humans do. In other words, they don’t speak English, Spanish, or, say, French. In some ways, though, they do communicate vocally. I mean, if your dog gives off a playful bark, another dog can tell that they want to make friends, so they can play together.
Conversely, if your dog is being bullied by an aggressive dog driven by prey drive, and your dog whimpers or otherwise cries out in fear, the other dog will immediately understand that your dog is afraid and will likely be driven to become even more aggressive toward them.
There is another way, too, in which dogs communicate like humans. They use their body language. For example, most people just assume a dog is happy when they are wagging their tail, but this is not always the case. The position of the tail and the type of wag can be quite telling because they can tell you whether your tail-wagging dog is happy, angry, or afraid. It’s called raised hackles when the hair on a dog’s back stands straight up, and it’s a dark sign. You can also tell a lot from your dog’s posture, their facial expressions, and what they do with their eyes.
However, there is yet another way that dogs communicate with each other, and that is through physical touch. Since dogs aren’t built like humans, they cannot hold hands or give each other just a simple peck on the cheek, but they do the canine equivalent. They paw you and lick you, and this is another way that they “talk” to each other. Does that mean that every time my male dog licks my female dog, he is trying to tell her something? Well, read on, and let’s see.
Why does my male dog lick my female dog?
Dogs find out about the world around them via their stunning sniffers. Dogs have 50 times the smelling sensors in their noses than humans do.
There is an object in their nasal passage called the vomeronasal organ that allows them to detect pheromones. While humans may be able to pick out a few of the ingredients in a cologne, dogs can separately pick out every individual ingredient in even complex scents.
Even though dogs have this amazing sense of smell, sometimes, they will lick things to be able to better smell, and therefore, better analyze them. Of course, your male dog may be licking your female dog for other reasons, too. Here are some reasons why your male dog might lick your female dog.
Your male dog may be licking your female dog as part of his daily investigation of the world.
To reiterate, dogs take in most of their information about the world around them via their noses, and just as we, as humans, can, dogs can smell something better if they taste it. Therefore, dogs will lick just about anything to get a better idea of what it is if they feel like they need to. If your male dog is licking your female dog, more likely than not, he is checking her out, examining and investigating her, communicating with her, and getting to know her better.
Your male dog may be licking your female dog to be affectionate or playful.
Since, as we discussed, dogs cannot speak a verbal language in the same way that we can, your male dog cannot come out and say to your female dog, “Hey, Puppalicious, let’s play wrestle,” so, licking her could be his way of being friendly and telling her that he wants her to play with him. He could also be loving on her the way he does with you.
Your male dog may be licking your female dog in order to concede her higher place in the canine hierarchy.
Humans consider it haughty if someone thinks they are “better” than someone else, and this is usually assumed of those who are higher up on the social ladder because of their money or fame. However, for dogs, it seems understood that this is just how it all falls into place. Most times, when you put three dogs into a room together, they will communicate in dog speak until, soon, a natural hierarchy just forms.
Often when a dog is conceding their place on the social ladder to another dog, they will lick the dog’s face in respect. This may be what your male dog is doing. Sometimes, the “conceedee” will, in turn, lick the face of the “conceeder”, too, in reply, as if to say they are appreciative.
Why does my male dog lick my female dog’s pee?
Your female dog’s pee, as any dog’s pee, is filled with pheromones and other chemicals, and the formula is different in every dog. When your male dog licks your female dog’s urine, he is trying to smell it better to find out everything he can about her.
From her pee, he can figure out whether she is a boy or girl dog, whether she can have puppies, whether she is healthy, the types of foods she eats, and more.
Why does my male dog lick my female dog’s ears?
When you consider all the parts of other dogs that dogs lick, ears are not among the worst. Still, you wonder what drives them to do it when they seem to do it all the time. Here are the two primary reasons your male dog might have for licking your female dog’s ears.
Your male dog could be grooming your female dog.
Dogs pick up the habit of grooming both themselves and other dogs from their mothers when they are puppies, and they carry this habit with them throughout their lives. If your male dog is licking your female dog a lot, he could simply be showing some brotherly love by grooming her.
Your male dog may have detected that your female dog has an ear infection.
Dogs have the ability to detect chemical imbalances caused by illness, not only in humans but also in other dogs. If your male dog is licking your female dog’s ear compulsively, she may have an ear infection. Before you go to all the trouble of trying to figure out ways to stop him from licking her ears, just have her checked out. If her ears are infected, some antibiotics should clear them right up, and he should stop licking them all the time.
Why does my male dog lick my female dog’s privates?
It is normal behavior for male dogs to lick the private parts of female dogs, even if both parties have been neutered and spayed, respectively. While it seems quite out-of-order to us, as humans, it is just a natural behavior to dogs.
It is one of the ways they find out about each other. By licking your female dog’s genitals, your male dog can detect her gender, age, health, social status, what she’s eaten lately, and whether she’s sexually viable.
Why does my male dog lick my female dog’s bum?
If your male dog licks your female dog’s butt, it is probably for one or more of the reasons already discussed in this article, but there are other things it could be. Your female dog may be having anal gland problems. Another culprit is a condition is called coprophagia, in which dogs compulsively eat feces, and it’s not a good thing. Below, we’ll discuss what to do about it.
How do I get my male dog to stop licking my female dog?
Getting your male dog to stop licking your female dog may not be easy, since it is in every dog’s nature to lick other dogs, but there are things you can try. Having your male dog professionally trained not to lick your female dog may be your best course of action. It won’t be free, but it can also pay off in other areas.
You can also try to give him a toy or something to distract him, but that will involve watching him closely, as you’ll need to give him the toy before, and not after, he starts licking, so that he won’t think he is being rewarded for licking the other dog. Making it an interactive toy will keep his attention longer.