Normal canine behavior
Dogs are animals that evolve within a social group and thus have many means of communicating with the members of their social group.
So two dogs who are "close friends" or part of the same household belong to the same social group and often groom each other, especially around the ears, an area they are unable to groom each other. groom alone. Within the same household, it is not uncommon for a dog to start grooming the ears of the family cat if they get along well. You yourself may also be en titled to proper grooming of the ear canals by your dog.
This behavior is completely normal in dogs, so it means "I am comfortable with you and I accept you as part of my family, my social group" , or even "I respect you and I like you”.
Note that by licking the ears of another dog, your pet also picks up chemical messengers that participate in intraspecific communication. The ears have glands, located underneath, which produce pheromones for sexual and social identification.
A ritual of appeasement
Body contact, such as ear licking, can also have a calming effect on your dog. Thus, it is not uncommon for licking to occur when your dog knows you are upset, after he has done something he knows is forbidden. The dog then usually approaches with its ears down, in a low posture and begins to lick your hands, ears and neck.In this particular context, licking your ears is part of his appeasement ritual. In doing so, he calms his anxiety and seeks to avoid conflict.
A penchant for the taste of earwax
The last explanation would be due to your pet's somewhat particular tastes. The latter may also simply have a particular appetite for earwax. The slightly s alty secretions of the ear canal can thus please him and flatter his palate and encourage him to lick the ear canals of another animal.
Dogs can also be attracted to the change in smell (and probably taste) of the discharge in an ear when an infection develops there. Thus, a sudden interest in the ears of another animal can reveal the occurrence of a he alth problem in the latter. Pay particular attention to it!
In any case, it is best to discourage this behavior so as not to trigger or worsen an infection through the saliva of your faithful canine.