My dogs keep licking each other's ears. Is this normal or a concern?

Hi and thank you for posting your question on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ear licking between dogs is a normal grooming behavior dogs who are within the same family or pack do to one another. However, if you notice Charlie is doing this to one of your other dogs in the household more frequently to the point where it is starting to become obsessive, this can be a sign of a behavioral problem. It is possible Charlie wishes to lick the other dog's eat due to an ear infection in the dog, so you might want to have ears examined by a veterinarian to rule this out. However, next time you notice Charlie doing this to another dog in the house, get his attention immediately with another activity like an interactive toy or a session of play time. Try and do this consistently for best results. If however behavioral intervention is not working well and ear infections have been ruled out, it is possible Charlie may have an obsessive compulsive disorder that may require Rx medications from your veterinarian. Best of luck to you and Charlie and thanks again so much for posting your question!

I don’t know that I’d say it’s normal but I wouldn’t be concerned that this is a sign of illness for the dog getting all of the attention. If that dog has diarrhea or if you see him scooting I’d recommend having your vet examine him.

I'm not sure I understand your questions completely. If you are asking why the dog licks your son's ear or face, that's' just what some dogs do as part of general grooming. Dogs will lick each other's ears, eyes and mouths to keep them clean and bond. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Dogs can definitely do this as part of normal grooming behavior, or maybe a bit excessively sometimes. It's also possible that something is irritating him down there. This could be something like an infection, allergies, or impacted anal sacs. It's a good idea to have a vet check him for any medical problems leading to the excessive licking. It's definitely possible that there is a reason for this, which can be corrected. I hope that helps.

That could be completely normal, but sometimes (not very often I have to admit) is related to ear infection/inflammation. If you see any signs of possible inflammation (head shaking, scratching, discharge from ear, redness of skin..) then a check up is needed, otherwise I would consider it normal. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Ear infections (unless your pet has mites, which are not as common in dogs) are not contagious. Also I would recommend discontinuing the hydrocortisone spray because it is merely a bandaid and does not treat for any possible infection in the ear itself. If your other pet does lick Diesels ears, then the moisture could set up for yeast to then grow in the ear and cause an infection. So make sure to dry the ears out and use a good Ear drying cleanser (available at your local pet store) as often as needed. Then it is best to get your other pets ears actually treated with ear medication (antibacterial +/- antifungal) through your vet. Using steroids on the skin long term can also cause issues and lead to unwanted side effects (i.e. hair loss, infections, etc).

Dogs like to lick humans. https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-dogs-lick-hands/ It is a sign of affection and is natural for the dog. The best things you can do is train him not to do that and push him away when he does. I hope this helps.