Dogs Licking Other Dogs

Question
I have 3 dogs that are 11, 10 and 8.  The two older ones have been together
pretty much their whole life.  Recently, the oldest dog has been licking the 10
year olds hair and I am not sure why she would start doing this all of a sudden.  
Does anyone have any thoughts?  Thanks

Answer
Hi Kim,

Sometimes a dog will lick another dog when there's a sore, or an injury. Have you examined the dog who's being licked to see if there are skin problems?

It's also possible that the dog that's doing the licking is the more dominant dog, and is reinforcing it's position in the "pack", or making a play to become the dominant dog, if he or she isn't the dominant one already.

If the dog who's being licked doesn't have any health problems which your other dog is "attending to", there really is no harm in the licking. The only thing you really need to watch for is licking ears, as damp ears set up a perfect breeding ground for infections.

If the licking is becoming a habit, just divert the one that's doing the licking. When you see the licking occurring, give that dog a command, such as "sit" or "here" and then reward him.  The main thing is to divert him from the unwanted behavior, to a wanted behavior with reward.  

Best of luck,
Patti