Four reasons why dogs lick their mouths

1. Hunger

The most obvious reason for a dog to lick its mouth is when it wants to eat. When a dog "expects" to eat like humans, they often open their mouth, which can also increase their saliva production.

2. Fear

When a dog's tongue quickly licks its lips back and forth, it usually exhibits a sense of comfort. You can judge from the dog's mouth movements whether it feels nervous rather than just being hungry. For example, when a dog is restrained, it not only licks its mouth but may also shake its head excessively. Try to calm its emotions.

3. Anxiety expression

If you separate a dog from its owner for 30 minutes, 2 hours, and 4 hours, the behavior will be different when you meet again. The study found that the longer the separation time, the more lip behavior the dog will have when it reunites with its owner, and it may also shake its body. Dogs can also alleviate their stress, which usually occurs along with licking their lips.

4. Illness in dogs

If a dog excessively rubs its lips and salivates a lot, it may be a symptom of physical or gastrointestinal discomfort, and consultation with a veterinarian should be sought as soon as possible.

5. Calling other dogs to calm down

Dogs communicate with each other through various body languages, and the lips are one of them. Dogs have developed at least 30 "signals," most of which are used to pacify each other's emotions (whether it's other dogs or humans), and licking their lips is one of them.