Fido is lying asleep in his bed. I reach over and scratch his ears. Pet his head. He wakes up and rolls on his side for a nice petting. We’re bonding. Man & dog, friends forever. Norman Rockwell needs to immortalize the moment.
Then Fido buries his muzzle in his privates and starts licking away. Dude! We were sharing a special moment here. Remember me? Your master and the guy that feeds you? Hello! Remember our moment together just now?
Why is it dogs always seem to start licking there first? Why does ear scratch, head pat trigger a desire to lick their privates?
It seems like licking is triggered by excitement or stress. Most dogs I’ve encountered start licking the privates first and then other areas like their leg or foot.
Two guys are attending a University of Georgia football game when they notice the mascot, an English Bulldog, licking his privates.
Guy 1 - “Man, I wish I could do that!”
Guy 2 “Oooo, that dog would bite you!”.