[Dailydrool] DD: "Drool licking behavior

[Jeff Deane]

Molly is our only dog but she has been well socialized with a variety of
other neighborhood dogs including Goldens, mixes, Labs, and a couple other
bassets.  She is 14 months old, so really still a puppy.  She gets very
excited when we visit or when the other dogs come over with their people.
She tends to calm down after a little play time and fits nicely into a place
in her several packs except with the other basset who is a 5 year old neut.
Male.  She incessantly follows him and licks his jowls and/or licks his
drool.  Anthropomorphizing this behavior has us thinking that she does
identify more with the other basset as she treats him with hyper activity.
He spent the weekend with us a few months back while his people were out of
town and it took the better part of a day for her to calm down and stop it
although when excited she starts up again.  You can tell he is annoyed as he
has the "give me some space to breathe" look on his face, but he has not yet
really dominated her and made her stop.  He usually just gives a rough bark
and hip checks her to get some breathing room.  Once they do calm down they
can play and chase and do not fight.   We have assumed this was a puppy
trait that she will have to be taught out of it by the other dogs.  Since
she does not do this behavior with humans should we even step in or just let
the dogs sort it out?  The reason I am asking is that we are taking in our
first foster Sunday and he is a 10 year old male and I expect her to do this
to him.  My hope is that they will sort it out, but do want to step in if I
am supposed to do something.  Any ideas?

 

Jeff Deane

 

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