Do you speak dog?
tongue flick
lip lick
If you notice a dog licking his lips or flicking his tongue out in a social situation, he’s likely either uncomfortable himself or responding to another dog or person’s discomfort.
Both of these are oral self-soothing behaviors, much like thumb-sucking in toddlers.
When a dog licks his lips or flicks his tongue out, he’s giving you valuable information. If you notice your dog looking at you and giving either of these signals, you can signal back to him by licking your own lips, effectively telling him, “I see that you’re unsure, and don’t intend you any harm.”
What situations cause your dog to lick his lips or flick his tongue out?
![Milka [the Great Dane]](http://1.gravatar.com/avatar/d9e19f77e43f0cd109a382e5d4d341e3?s=30&d=wavatar&r=G){kind=avatar}
correction! If she feels I am disappointed in her, she throws her ears back, head down, she wags her whole rear end, and licks her lips. It’s a very effective tactic for getting back in my good graces ;)
Thank you for the post, I had heard a tidbit about this signal elsewhere but didn’t know what it meant. Can you tell other ways it is useful for the trainer?
Sometimes my dog yawns. Someone told me it is because he doesn’t understand or is confused about something, but I think he rarely licks his lips.
Yes! Good article, people need to pay attention to what their dogs are telling them. My dog licks her lips a lot when she is nervous, especially around other dogs.
My dog does this ALL the time.