This is part of the dog’s communication vocabulary, but also one of the most subtle low level signs and easily missed.
In studies of behaviour, the lip lick is seen as an appeasement gesture. It is a subconscious physical response triggered by the autonomic nervous system when a dog feels a slight spike in cortisol brought on by stress, uncertainty, unease, feeling uncomfortable.
By doing a quick lip lick communication, the dog can tell us it is not sure or comfortable in a situation, it needs space, time and also that it is not a threat.
There are two main reasons why a dog might lip lick:
Food! This is usually a broad, sloppy lick involving the whole tongue, often accompanied by salivation. The eyes are focused on the food, and the body is forward and eager.
The stress lick is a quick flick sometimes just the tip of the tongue hits the nose. We can see this sometimes when we try to take their picture as an example.
If you ignore a lip lick and continue the behaviour that’s bothering them (like hugging them or letting a stranger pet them), the dog learns that their quiet low level communication doesn’t work. This is how we can cause dogs to eventually increase their communication levels —they feel they have no other way to be heard.
helpathanddogbehaviour #dogs #dog #dogcommunication #dogbehaviourist
