eclairs mom

Its been 7 weeks since we rescued Ethel, who's phnumonia and past trauma is appearing to be a thing of the past. Any way, she and her sister Eclair are really growing to be close buddies, they play, sleep and play some more together, almost constantly.

Over the past week, after play, Eclair has taken to bathing Ethel, by bathing I mean lick washing her. She starts with her eye corners (which are clean and clean with no boogies) then does her ears, head, withers and back. Ethel sits there and savors it but never returns the favor.

It looks like love to me, but never owning 2 dogs that are such buddies with each other, I just want to make sure its nothing more.

Both are females and have very laid back personalities. Eclair does not do it to our Alpha Golden retriever male (he's the alpha, in a very mild, senior citizen way) or our male cocker, who is the most submissive of the pack to the dogs an cat)

Maybe its just me looking into things more!

Mikey T

the only time it is a problem is if the dog being cleaned does not appreiate it.

roscolaylamommy

Rosco will clean Layla's eyes and after she's been snorkeling (aka drinking from the water bowl) he will lick the excess water from her face. He only does it to her and I've never seen her do it back to him. It must just be a companionship thing.

Yogi's Mom

Gunny our GSD does this to Yogi all the time. Cleans his eyes and often kisses him on the top of his head. Often times when I am out with Yogi alone and come home, Gunny will come over and kiss his head! I think it's kind of cute actually and Yogi doesn't seem to mind at all.

barneysmom2510

Sadie my dachshund has lola and and daisy trained to bath her. They she loves them esecially to lick her eyes. She will also force her ear to their faces and they lick those. This goes on all the time Sadie loves it but never returns the favor. Almost daily she will cuddle up to my face and try to get my mouth near her ears sometimes really putting pressure on my face. I have never once given in in 10 years but she still tries everyday.

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-LISA


Mini daschunds Sadie Lou & Daisy dukes
Chihuahua Lola
Bassett Hound Barney

jaleely

Bowser does this to Daisy. She has never been a kisser...rarely licks people and never other dogs. But bowser started when he was little, and would try to clean out her ears for her. At the time it was really annoying, actually, because she had this constant ear infection we couldn't get rid of ($800 dollars later, the answer was a $4.99 bottle of foot powder to put into her ear once a week. Her ear has never been cleaner).
He does lick her every now and then, now, but won't go for the ears since now it smells like foot powder *lmao*

I think it's more of a mothering instinct kind of thing. I've had a male before, growing up, that was a better mom than the female who birthed the puppies.

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Baby Bowsah's Bwog

Penny Arcade

Penny will bathe the chi-mix that lives with us (my roommate's puppy). He'll sometimes try to clean her, but if he does it when she's chewing on rawhide or eating, then she'll growl at him to make him go away and stop. She loves him and is irritated by him at the same time. Basically, I'm sure Penny is glad she was spayed. xD

iheartbassets4

My hounds bathe each other all of the time! Like an above poster stated, as long as the dog getting bathed doesn't have a problem with it, it's perfectly fine and natural behavior.

Lightning&Stomps

Stomps (ATB ) used to do that to Lightning all the time. Lightning seemed to like it, so I never tried to stop it. But Lightning never licked Stomps. I thought that was a bit odd.

LuciaB

My Chihuahua bathes us all obsessively, it drives me crazy but my fiance and daughter let her lick them. She doesn't bathe the other dogs though, but I have seen them bathing her. Her puppy in particular, who is 3 so not a baby anymore, will wash her face while she sits like a queen with her eyes closed seeming to enjoy it.

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~Lucia~