Drooling is part of the package when you take dogs as pets.
There is simply nothing we can do about it because it is embedded in their system.
Much like the way they chase pesky squirrels and bark at strangers.
But we might notice them drooling much more every time they feel excited.
It might seem weird to us, perhaps why you are reading this article in the first place.
But there are plenty of reasons behind their excitement-triggered drooling.
In this article, we rounded up eight reasons to explain why dogs drool when excited.
8 Reasons Behind my Dog’s Excitement-Triggered Drooling
Different strokes for different folks
Through Dr. Larry Baker, it was how Alex explained the vastness of physiological reasons to describe a dog’s drooling.
In the same way that humans get their mouths all watery in the idea of some delicious gourmet meal.
There is much unknown science behind dog drooling, but we can make inferences to describe their behavior.
Here are 8 of them:
1. It is breed-specific
All dogs drool, while some of them display drooling much more than other breeds.
It is observed in breeds like the Bloodhound, Saint Bernard, and Mastiff.
The conformation and anatomy of their heads and lips make it challenging to contain saliva inside.
These breeds have extra skin in their lips and muzzles where the saliva deposits.
These trapped fluids can be either their mouth excretions or trapped liquids from when they take a drink.
The water may drip from their flews or the pendulous or hanging upper lips.
It usually occurs when they get excited and begin shaking their heads in exhilaration.
2. They anticipate food
Dogs share similar physiological responses with humans.
If we get our mouths watery when thinking about food, your dogs do too. And why not? Food is awesome.
One common cause of excitement is undoubtedly food, especially for sheltered dogs who can neither hunt nor cook.
So, expect a drooling session whenever you walk in the room with their feeding bowl rattling from the dog food you got for them.
Saliva builds up because the body anticipates food.
And we all know that the first step of digestion begins with the mouth as you let the food role in the fluids of your oral cavity.
3. They taste something disagreeable
How are disagreeable tastes belonging in an article about excitement?
Well, have you ever had that experience when you tasted food you thought was good and spat it out?
Dogs have those days too!
When you offer them food and react excitedly, they might also express their distaste with some drooling action.
But it is nothing serious, so please do not take it personally if your dog does not prefer your cooking.
Sometimes dog’s tastes just have not caught up with your style, and they might drool.
4. They feel nauseous
Believe it or not but dogs can feel nauseous too from too much excitement.
And nausea is not always triggered by negative things like stress and displeasure.
But when dogs respond aggressively to excitement stimuli, this can trigger nausea.
Nausea may be the underlying reason for your dogs’ excessive drooling, which is nothing serious, to be fair.
But let them get their high off first and recover, or this drooling predicament might turn into a vomiting spectacle.
We do not want that.
Learn More:
5. They see some good old pack members
Remember that dogs are pack animals. They find peace and joy whenever they get reunited with the pack or their dog friends.
Sometimes the cause of drooling is when they sense or see or smell some pack members close by, and they get excited to play with them.
If not other dogs, it might also be you. You are the treated leader of the pack, after all.
Take it as a compliment!
6. Tartar build-up or gum irritation
Now let’s get into the more serious reasons.
Dogs typically overreact whenever they feel excited.
It includes:
- Wagging of the tail
- Joyful barking
- Shaking of the head
However, the drooling issue might only be the tip of the iceberg for more serious and pressing issues.
Two of them include tartar build and gum irritation.
To address this, make sure to check your Fido’s mouth for any problems.
Especially every time after they eat. Brush their teeth regularly as well to remove plaques.
7. They might have epilepsy
Epilepsy, specifically limbic epilepsy, might be the trigger for drooling.
As hypersalivation, or excessive secretion of saliva, is one symptom of limbic epilepsy.
Be watchful for other corresponding symptoms of this type of epilepsy, as it might be more severe than you think.
Other symptoms aside from drooling include:
- Piloerection (erection of the fur)
- Stiffened tail
- Excessive face-washing
- Extreme wet dog shaking
It would be best to consult a professional if you observe such.
Usually, professionals would recommend an anti-convulsant like phenobarbital.
8. They might have eaten something toxic
There are many things we do when excited, and dogs are not so different.
We might have observed excitement and associated the drooling with it, but there has been something they did within that interval that perpetually triggered the drooling.
More often than not, dogs might have eaten something toxic like herbs or plants out of excitement.
Usually, aside from drooling, they would express other symptoms like vomiting, shaking, and lethargy.
It would be advisable to have them checked out to be sure that they are safe.
Key Takeaway
Drooling is generally a normal behavior for dogs, and it comes with the package when you get one.
There can be typical triggers for drooling, like excitement and hunger.
But some factors might also be a bit under the radar, especially those due to illness.
To be safe, if they exhibit excessive and abnormal drooling, have them checked out by a professional.
If dogs are drooling as they usually do, wipe their mouths clean and mop the floor.