Dog is chewing other dog and cat ears

Question
We have a three year old Beagle who is repeatedly chewing on our thirteen year old beagles ears.  He just sits there and gnaws on her ears and licks her face and head a lot.  He seems to only do it before she goes into heat, but yet he does it to the cat too.  How do we stop this behavior and why is he doing this?

Answer
The obvious answer is that your dog is responding to the female's escalating estrogen and approaching heat cycle.  It may also be a signal of affection.  I certainly hope you are carefully watching your 13 year old beagle for signs of mammary cancer and heat related problems, one of which can be life ending.  Spaying and neutering are part of responsible dog ownership.  If you wish to stop the male beagle's display, interrupt the behavior and direct him to a trained behavior you can reward.