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Is my dog licking my puppy's mouth for affection or another reason?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Australian Shepherd | Male | unneutered | 2 years and 4 months old

My dog keeps licking my puppies mouth and stares at her. I checked her mouth and it looks fine. Is he trying to just be a good big brother or is it something else?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Elizabeth

Answered By Dr. Elizabeth

Veterinarian

Published on September 27th, 2019

Dogs will lick other dog's muzzles for many reasons including a display of affection. This is likely the reason for the behavior in this scenario. A low ranking dog will lick the mouth of a higher ranking dog and a puppy will lick it's mother's mouth to encourage regurgitation. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
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