Why Does My Dog Lick Me?

From an early age: Licking as a social interaction

Licking is one of the first social interactions that dogs are aware of. Shortly after birth, the mother dog licks her puppies extensively. This is used for maternal tying, cleaning the puppies and massaging the abdomen after meals. The puppies imitate this and lick each other. From this point on, licking is part of the dog’s behavior. Some dogs continue to use it willingly as they get older. Others rarely use their language. Whether your dog expresses his affection by licking is a matter of his personality.

Why is my dog ​​licking me?

There are several reasons why our four-legged friends lick their people – or each other. If you pay attention to the rest of the dog’s body language and watch the whole situation, you will better understand your dog. Then you can assess in the best possible way why your dog is licking you.

The dog shows affection

Dogs express their affection for humans more often through licking than cats. Likewise, we can often observe mutual licking in a herd of dogs when they are resting. Whether it is a relative or a human species, licking is used as a friendly greeting as well as a sign of joy or a spontaneous expression of friendship.

Calming lick

Between them, the dogs of lower hierarchy lick around the muzzle of a senior member of the herd to appease it. This behavior is also possible when interacting with people. For example, the dog will show if the person is arguing loudly or is very tight. Human behavior does not need to be related to the dog. Some dogs lick their bipedal friend when he disagrees with someone else – or when he sings loudly and crookedly. The dog wants to calm him down. Sometimes licking also serves to calm down. For example, at the vet or in other situations that stress the four-legged friend.

Call for play, fun and caresses

Why is my dog ​​licking me? Sometimes dogs want to achieve something by licking. Some four-legged friends have learned, for example, that their man turns to them when he licks their hand. They want to get a caress this way. Or they get bored and draw attention to themselves by licking. Licking can eventually push the dog owner toplay with them or give him onedelicacy . Remember: your reaction to licking will determine the urge your dog associates with it. So think about whether your behavior should create a habit of licking.

Taste experience

Have you eaten something delicious or have you petted another dog? Your four-legged friend would love to know exactly what you did! Licking serves the absorption of odor and taste molecules. Many dogs want to learn more about interesting scents by licking them. This way, they can literally “lick” the smell of other dogs from your hand. In addition, salty human sweat and other body odors are magically appealing to many dogs. It’s just the good taste that leads to licking.

Can dogs transmit diseases through licking?

Many people like it when their dog licks them. Others find licking rather disgusting – especially when the dog’s tongue passes boldly over their face. Contact between mucous membranes should be avoided. This way, the dog does not transmit disease-causing germs. Intestinal parasites are transmitted mainly through feces. But if the dog has previously licked his anus and then licked his human face, this is also a mode of transmission. Dogs can also transmit various bacteria. One of them is Pasteurella multocida. Infected four-legged friends show no symptoms of disease, but can infect humans. At worst, they can lead to blood poisoning or meningitis. Infection is very rare. However, if a dog has licked your hands, you should wash them before preparing food or before rubbing your eyes. This hygiene rule applies especially to immunocompromised individuals and children.

My dog ​​licks me: How do I react?

As is often the case, reinforce the desired behavior and ignore the unwanted one. Teach your puppy if you want him to lick you or not. Because what may be sweet to a little St. Bernard puppy may be less enjoyable to an eight-year-old St. Bernard dog. If you do not want your dog to lick your face, turn it away. Then do not pay attention to it for about 30 seconds. In this way, the animal learns that licking your face has the opposite effect. That is, it interrupts social interaction. Likewise, you need to make sure that you do not endorse “licking for reward” but ignore it. Otherwise, petting is an animal-friendly “response” to your dog’s affection.