Wednesday, March 8, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Paw
Prints
Jodi Schneider McNamee
Columnist
Why do dogs lick?
You may treasure the
slobbery greeting your furry
friend gives you upon your
return home each day, but do
you ever wonder why they
do it?
Dogs use their tongue
to explore objects, animate
or inanimate. Just as you
are connected to the world
through your senses, canines
use their sense of taste
to identify and recognize
things around them.
Dogs lick their pet par-
ents, other dogs, themselves
and sometimes anything that
smells tasty for a variety of
reasons ranging from love
and an expression of sub-
mission to a possible medi-
cal condition.
Here are some common
reasons your pooch might
be offering up canine kisses:
Dogs are affectionate
animals and display their
love for humans in many
ways, but mostly by licking
us. Licking out of affection
causes your dog to release
pleasurable endorphins that
calm and comfort him. Dog
licks aren’t the same thing
as kisses, but they can still
be signs of affection or
approval.
How many times have
you seen your dog licking
his bowl or the floor after a
spill? You might conclude
that he simply likes the taste.
Your furry friend might be
licking you just because
you taste good! This may
be caused by traces of food
on your skin or just the taste
of salt and scents on your
skin.
Dogs lick other dogs to
tell them all sorts of things.
Everything from “I’m hun-
gry” to “I submit to you”
to “Let’s be friends.” Dogs
who are already friends will
trade licks. Two strongly
bonded canine pals will lick
and groom each other. They
give each other “smooches”
in displays of affection
and friendship. These dogs
know and trust each other
and their social hierarchy
is not an issue. Licking can
be normal, social behav-
ior, but when done exces-
sively on a specific area of
another dog it may signal a
medical problem that needs
investigating. A good place
to start is to have the licked
dog checked by a vet to rule
out medical issues. Dogs
have shown an uncanny
ability to recognize medical
problems.
Sometimes a dog will
lick people to attract atten-
tion. There are many ways
Rover might attract your
attention, including a tap
using his paw, a nose nudge
and barking. But possibly
if your furry friend notices
that you do not pay attention
to these attempts, he may
resort to licking.
Your dog could also be
licking to show submis-
sion. Wild puppies lick
their mother’s mouth as a
signal for her to regurgitate
the meat she’s hunted and
as a way of demonstrating
subordination.
Your dog may be lick-
ing you simply because he
is hungry. Wild dogs tend
to lick the face of their
pack leader to beg for food.
Additionally, puppies will
lick their mother’s lips when
hungry.
Did you know that dogs
are concerned with hygiene
and often lick themselves,
just like cats? However,
pay close attention because
excessive anal cleaning can
indicate that his glands need
to be expressed.
Dogs also lick to heal
themselves. Dog saliva has
enzymes that kill off bac-
teria, and when a dog licks
himself, it helps to get rid
of dead tissue and clean dirt
from wounds.
Of course, there are those
times when licking may
become excessive. If you
notice that Rover is licking
the same object or area over
and over, it might be time
to seek medical help. While
licking can be a healthy
Celebrating 20
Years in Sisters!
Recently certified from the
International Cupping Therapy
Association and also certified as a
Cranial Sacral Therapist
Helping with sinus, TMJ,
sciatica & shoulder pain.
Three Sisters Chiropractic
& Pain Management
Dr. Inice Gough, DC, CCT, CCST
541.549.3583
Thank You!
To the Sisters Athletic Club
for the generous donations
that helped us to provide food
for The Bethlehem Inn
Homeless Shelter, and Ed
Cook with 3 Sisters & Cook
Contracting for their
donation that helped us
provide food to the Sisters
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Chips!
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March 8th - March 14th
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Sat.................. Chicken Tortellini
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us for great
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17
PHOTO BY JODI SCHNEIDER MCNAMEE
Mia grooming herself. Licking behavior can mean many different things.
stress-reliever, obsessive
licking reinforces anxi-
ety and makes the problem
worse.
Dogs are practically
licked into life. Upon enter-
ing this strange world of
ours, the first sensation
newborn puppies feel is
their mother’s nurturing
tongue. Mom uses it to clear
away her litter’s nostrils and
encourage each puppy to
breathe. From that moment
onward, the licking really
never stops.