Why Does A Dog Lick Its Nose?

This is such a clear calming signal from a dog if you can spot it! A dog  nose licking can happen so fast at times you may not know it had actually happened. On the odd occasion it can be slower and easier to see, but fast or slow it sends a clear message out.

why does my dog lick its nose

When a dog licks its nose it is generally calming itself down. Whereas the last blog post we covered a dog yawning which is normally asking other dogs and humans (if understood) to calm down.

Once you learn to spot this tell tale calming signal from a dog, you will notice it in your dog and in other dogs too. You can use it too if you feel uncomfortable in a situation with another dog. It is a universal signal that all dogs understand whether they are in the UK or anywhere else around the world.

Dogs generally lick their nose when they feel unsure or uncomfortable. You may lean over your dog and it happens then, you may see a dog being cuddled tightly and it does the same thing. You may see the nose licking in the park while a dog is approaching another to help itself calm down before saying hello.

If you can start understanding these different calming signals from a dog you are on the way to grasping what a dog is trying to communicate in certain situation and knowing this will help you as a dog owner immensely.  Remember though that all signals are answered with a signal so keep your eyes peeled and see if you can work out what is being said through a visual language!

Next time we will be looking at head turning and why dogs perform a head turn to communicate. Keep checking back for the next post. Alternatively click the rss feed link to the top right and you will be updated immediately when my next blog post happens, or sign up for the email list and you will be notified that way too.


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