i know as a kid i had to wash my fash my face and hands before i whent to bed...
as 'gross' as you think it is it is perfectly natural and safe behaviour, not only is it their evening 'bath' but its also a bonding exprience and is a way of them reestablishing pack dominance.
ive noticed people tend to belive that in a multi dog household once the alpha is picked thats the way it stays but this isnt the case, every movement made by each dog in some way is responsive to pack behaviour and they are constantly reminding eachother where they stand, this bedtime cleaning behviour is also part of that. by making it icky for them your also confusing them. and it can cause confusion in the pack which can cause rifts and fights... so your best bet is to
get used to it...
if your guests have a problem with it just explain its their way of saying i love you. if they have such big problems with it...then why they in a house with dogs.
*NOTE: chihuahuas are NOT the only breed that does this, infact every species of animls that lives in groups will groom its pack/pride/flock mates. cats dogs birds monkey even humans...the only difference is we have opposable thumbs, they dont so they use the next best thing...their tounges.
sry im an animal behaviourist lol. does it show much?!
as 'gross' as you think it is it is perfectly natural and safe behaviour, not only is it their evening 'bath' but its also a bonding exprience and is a way of them reestablishing pack dominance.
ive noticed people tend to belive that in a multi dog household once the alpha is picked thats the way it stays but this isnt the case, every movement made by each dog in some way is responsive to pack behaviour and they are constantly reminding eachother where they stand, this bedtime cleaning behviour is also part of that. by making it icky for them your also confusing them. and it can cause confusion in the pack which can cause rifts and fights... so your best bet is to
get used to it...
if your guests have a problem with it just explain its their way of saying i love you. if they have such big problems with it...then why they in a house with dogs.
*NOTE: chihuahuas are NOT the only breed that does this, infact every species of animls that lives in groups will groom its pack/pride/flock mates. cats dogs birds monkey even humans...the only difference is we have opposable thumbs, they dont so they use the next best thing...their tounges.
sry im an animal behaviourist lol. does it show much?!
