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What Dogs Are Really Saying When They Lick Their Lips Is it always unhealthy for dogs to lick their lips? Moisture collects on the lips, making it an ideal breeding ground for dangerous bacteria. In addition, your dog’s lip folds can become foul-smelling, inflamed, unpleasant, and bloated, causing him to lick them to relieve the discomfort. Maintaining these folds is so critical for your dog’s health! When dogs are relaxed, why do they lick their lips? When dogs are anxious, they lick their lips to soothe themselves. They use this as a form of appeasement to defuse a threat of aggression. To put it another way, they’re terrified and anxious.