Why Do Dogs Lick Their Lips When Being Pet. Dogs might lick your face if they can get to it. Nausea mouth or dental problems Gastroesophageal reflux intestinal obstruction pancreatitis or sudden changes to their diet. My dog licks his lips a lot of the time when I pet him and Ive read that this is a stress signal but he doesnt seem stressed at all. In dogs licking the lips can be what Roger Abrantes calls a pacifying behavior Dogs basically engage in this behavior to diffuse a perceived threat using the lip smacking action as an appeasing signal.
Another normal cause for lip licking is anticipation of food. As well as for many other reasons dogs can lick their lips due to physical conditions. For example a male or female dog may lick the genital area after urinating as a means of cleaning the area. This is often accompanied by loud yawning which has nothing to do with her being tired. If not they might just dog for any available patch of skin such as hands arms legs and feet. A normal physiologic response to food is for the salivary glands to start flowing in anticipation of a snack.
According to the SPCA of Texas licking is done not only to clean and groom themselves but the packmates around them.
My dog licks his lips a lot of the time when I pet him and Ive read that this is a stress signal but he doesnt seem stressed at all. Some dog owners allow their pets to lick their hands or faces others dont. As well as for many other reasons dogs can lick their lips due to physical conditions. If for example someone is yelling at your pet they might first lick their lips in order to get the yelling to stop. What is Licking and Why Do Dogs Lick. For example a male or female dog may lick the genital area after urinating as a means of cleaning the area.