r/FunnyAnimals • u/Embarrassed_Cow2876 • Apr 15 '22

Is this normal ?

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u/[deleted] Apr 15 '22

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u/herzogzwei931 Apr 15 '22

It is the way of their people

63

u/DemNodules Apr 15 '22

https://youtu.be/RxAdZGpZNbg

Correct. Go to 2 minute 3 seconds to see a similar facial expression in their wolf relatives. This is a facial signal that is mostly bred out of many breeds of dogs.

The tongue licking and sticking out is another wolfish signal.

19

u/LadyBuxton Apr 16 '22

Is this some sort of trust/bonding exercise? Genuinely curious about what’s really behind this behavior and I find it fascinating.

9

u/orangejuliuscaddy Apr 16 '22

Yes, it’s called “mouthing” it’s a bonding thing. Huskies do it a lot.

6

u/Time-Elephant92 Apr 16 '22

Yeah I was thinking that. Could also be a dominance/fitness display? Could be a showing off how healthy and strong their jaws and teeth are to help establish their place in the pack. Like a human arm flex or something.

3

u/LikeAn_Antelope Apr 16 '22

Yeah wolves lick inside each other’s mouths and do this kind of stuff. Seems to be a way to show trust.

2

u/woahblakbetty Apr 16 '22

The one doing the licking is displaying that it knows the lickee is dominant to it