Lip Licking in Dogs

Dogs lick their lips when they are drooling or when they have just eaten a sloppy meal, but what about when there is no food involved? They suddenly begin licking their lips continuously. They usually have their ears lowered, and sometimes their tails lowered as well. According to "Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook" (Debra M. Eldredge, DVM, et al, 2007), this is for health and behavioral reasons.

  1. Health

    • Dog will lick their lips and lower their ears when they are feeling nauseated. They might also begin gulping and looking about in an agitated manner.

    Significance

    • If a dog starts licking her lips in this manner, she is just about to vomit. Either get her outside quickly, or place newspapers under her to clean up any mess.

    Behavior

    • Dogs will also lick the lips of other dogs in greeting. This is one reason they try to lick people's faces and mouths.

    Considerations

    • Unfortunately, dogs licking lips of other dogs and people is a good way to spread disease. This is thought to be how disease spread so quickly among African wild dogs in the 1990s, nearly wiping them out.

    Puppies

    • Young puppies will lick the lips of their mother to encourage them to regurgitate so the puppies can eat. This is another reason why a dog might lick a person's face.