Why does my dog lick his lips?

Why do dogs lick their lips when there is no food around? Find out what this type of body language means and how to deal with lip licking in dogs. read more

Dogs will lick their lips non-stop as an appeasement gesture when feeling threatened, anxious, or nervous, or when they experience a health-related problem, such as nausea, oral discomfort, allergies, or internal pain. read more

So, the dog offers an appeasement gesture by licking his lips and averting his gaze. This is the dog's way of saying that he isn't a threat to the person or animal behaving in an aggressive manner. Sometimes dogs exhibit appeasement gestures like lip licking and yawning when they are frustrated or confused. read more

The lip lick is yet another part of the dog vocabulary as observed and researched by Turid Rugaas, which she calls a calming signal. This is not to be confused with the licking that your dog does when self bathing or giving you (or a complete stranger) some affection and loving. Lip licking is a quick flick of the tongue. read more