Puppies and adults alike are frequently seen nibbling on each other’s ears to express affection or submission. They could possibly be grooming each other to keep ear mites at bay or nibbling on each other’s ear wax.
Dogs are social animals who communicate through body language. As a result, chewing on each other’s ears has a wide range of connotations. Dogs chew and lick each other’s ears to show affection and entice each other to play. Due to the lack of opposable thumbs, dogs frequently use their lips and teeth to attract one other’s attention and to playfully grip other dogs.
Dogs use their mouths to communicate with the outside world. Puppies, in particular, inspect objects with their lips, including other dogs. Ears are a simple target that is unlikely to provoke hostility. However, a too active tongue can sometimes penetrate too far into the ear canal, causing an ear infection, thus dogs’ ears should be checked for brown discharge or an unusual odour on a frequent basis.
Strange odours and tastes, as well as the saltiness of the ear’s lining, attract dogs. Dogs who chew on the ears of other dogs may just enjoy the flavour. Some trainers, on the other hand, consider ear biting to be a kind of mouthing and recommend training puppies to stop biting their ears.
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