The Rationale for Canine Nose-Licking

The rationale for canine nose-licking: a prospective observational study
by Buster B. Brown

Introduction

The licking of certain body parts is a familiar yet understudied behavior among canines. This self-referential licking is distinct from inter-species licking, chiefly of the canine-human variety. In rare instances, human licking of canines has also been reported, but Dad has never licked me, which speaks volumes for his mental health.

Target body parts for self-referential licking include nearly every square centimeter of flesh. Licking is most commonly reported in the areas of the twig and berries, paws, and nose. Unless the berries have been removed, in which case the twig is of only passing interest to the canine licker. Trust me on this one.

This study focuses on the nose as target body part for canine licking. Several extant theories have been reviewed, including the 'nervous dog' theory, the 'nervous stranger' theory, the 'licking as affection' theory, the 'aversion to obnoxious popular music' theory, and the 'spreadable legumes' theory. These have proven inadequate to explain the reason for this persistent and puzzling behavior because the theorists behind them aren't dogs, so they're only guessing.

This study is the first to explore this behavior in depth.

Methods

I asked some dogs why they licked their noses. Then I thought hard about what they said.

In other words, open-ended questionnaire to a convenience sample and qualitative analysis.

Results
It's important to note that most dogs had never considered the question. Nose-licking is a habitual and unconscious behavior, so dogs find it challenging to attribute a cause. Nevertheless, they made valiant attempts, which resulted in interesting comments on my blog and also the Googling of 'Primula squeezy cheese' (PSC) because I want some.

Several themes emerged from the data.

Theme #1: The proximity of nose to tongue. The nose also serves as a substitute, albeit inadequate, for the missing berries. I'm calling this the Mount Everest Theory ('because it's there') and the Inverted Mount Everest Theory ('because they're not there').

Theme #2: Good things to eat. The most common reasons proposed for nose-licking were concerned with actual or potential comestibles: yummy-looking food, nibblets in the area, salmon treats, bully sticks, rawhide treats, and actual dog food including tuna oil. Not to mention PSC. I drooled on the keyboard writing this paragraph.

Theme #3: Illness or injury. Two respondents mentioned illness- or injury-related causes for nose-licking. I hope the nosebleeds stop for good, on the one hand, and, on the other hand, I also hope Jozsi and Momo never have to have medicine-hiding peanut butter again.

Discussion
Limitations of this study include the convenience sampling methodology. Perhaps dogs who didn't respond lick their noses for entirely different reasons. We'll never know, and it's their loss to not participate in this ground-breaking study.

Despite this limitation, it's evident that dogs lick their noses for a variety of reasons. This disappointed Dad, who was pretty sure at the outset that dogs only lick their noses to 'get them wet so they can smell better.' Once again, this is an example of humans guessing wrong about the complex reasons for canine behavior. We're deeply mysterious and ultimately unknowable creatures. Unless there's food involved, in which case, we're completely transparent and predictable.

In conclusion, nose-licking is something that dogs do because they darn well feel like it.

Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Denni$, Charlie Morph, Zigana, Laila, Brisztow Jones, The Regal Vizsla (s), and Rocket

Funding for this study was provided by Dad.