Why Does My Dog Lick Me?

As you may have noticed, dogs just love to lick humans! Why all this licking and should you stop your dog from doing it?

- The jury is out on what a dog’s licking actually means. Believe it or not, what you interpret as affection might, in fact, be your dog encouraging you to throw up your lunch for them. Researchers of wild canids (wolves, coyotes, foxes and other wild dogs) report that puppies lick the face and muzzle of their mother when she returns from a hunt to her den, in order to get her to regurgitate food for them. This is how puppies transition from suckling their mother’s milk to eating partially digested food to more solid food. So sometimes your dog wants something when he licks you.

- Similarly, your dog could simply think that you taste nice. Humans have slightly salty skin, especially after sweating during exercise. Some dogs will lick your hands or legs after you’ve applied lotion.

- The behaviour is deeply ingrained in a dog. It’s visible early on, when puppies will lick each other as a way of interacting and of grooming each other. When your dog cannot reach your face, he may lick the closest body part, which may be your hand, arm, foot or leg.

- Licking another dog’s face or a human’s face is also a normal social behaviour. Licking can be an appeasement gesture that signals a dog’s social deference. It can also be a signal to solicit more social information or to solicit attention.

- Licking can be a sign of affection and has now become a ritualized greeting for many dogs. Some wild species in the dog family will lick pack members just to welcome them home. So, those daily slobbers really might just be a sign that your dog is happy to see you. It might also give a dog a feeling of security and comfort, just as the dog had when licked by his mother in the litter.

- Some dogs may try to lick a complete stranger’s face. This may be in an attempt to appease the stranger so that the stranger does not do anything harmful or threatening to the dog. When dogs lick the faces of children, it can be a sign of affection, appeasement or simply the act of cleaning food residue off their faces.

- He might lick you as a way of playing with you (instead of biting you, which is how he plays with other dogs). Some researchers say that licking is just another way that dogs explore their environment.

- If your dog is licking himself, you, or other objects excessively, to the point that it seems like a self-stimulatory or self-soothing behaviour, this might be a sign of anxiety, boredom or pain. Obsessive self-licking (AKA over-grooming) can also be a sign of allergies or other health problems. If your dog is self-licking excessively, start by having your veterinarian check him out and address any medical problems or discomfort. Once you’ve ruled out medical explanations, you can turn to behavioural solutions.

One thing is for sure: The more you respond positively to your dog’s licks, the more likely he is to repeat the behaviour. It sure is one way of getting your attention! And if your pup licks you on the face or mouth when you are eating, and you give him a piece of your food, you are encouraging the behaviour to continue. So if you don’t like it or don’t want to encourage it, don’t reinforce it by responding positively.

One idea is to interrupt the licking and redirect your dog’s attention to another activity. A good option is to choose a behaviour that is incompatible with licking, such as providing a long lasting chewy or an interactive puzzle toy to get a treat. You can also have the dog engage in other behaviours such as ball play or trick training. By repeating this redirect, you’ll gradually reinforce the idea that you don’t want him to lick humans.

For most healthy people, dog licking should pose minimal health risk. However, in cases where an individual has a compromised immune system, there is potential for the bacteria to cause an infection. If you are concerned, then do not let dogs lick your mouth or anywhere near an open wound. It is best practice to wash your hands after petting any dog.