As a dog owner, it’s normal to get a kiss after a long day of work which makes us happy, forgetting all the problems we faced throughout the day. But what does it mean when a dog licks you? Even we assume that it is a way of kissing but are licking a dog’s way of kissing? The answer is dependent and different from one dog to another.
Yes, of course, it is a sign of showing their affection. Still, also there are many other behavioral, medical, and psychological reasons that can cause this behavior.
It is an instinctive behavior of dogs to lick as a sign of showing affection. This behavior starts since birth with the mother licking the puppies helping them to take their first breath. So this is one of their natural ways of showing affection.
Also, normally, all of us respond with a reward after the dog licks us even if we try to get them off they get that as a reward.
What does it mean when a dog licks your face?
If you are a wonder, what does it mean when a dog licks your face? You can understand, according to the experts, as licking a face is one of their ways of communication and showing submission.
Puppies lick their mother’s mouth when they wanted to feed and adult dogs use this method to understand other dog’s intentions. Also, they use this method to show their superiority to others or tell them that there is no harm. So maybe they want some food or they are communicating affection with you.
But despite all these reasons they can lick you simply just for their enjoyment because they are bored or maybe they are investigating the surrounding with the excessively sensitive tongue.
However, you should be careful as some medical and psychological reasons cause this behaviour as licking can be a sign of psychological issues like boredom fear or even anxiety in dogs or some physical issues like allergies that are causing paws and skin itch or parasite infections that cause itchiness or some unidentified pain from an injury or arthritis can cause licking. So, these can be reasons why a dog licks paws.
Not only that if your dog is licking strange surfaces like sand, charcoal, etc., but it can also be a sign of a gastrointestinal issue within their body. If you see these kinds of signs, it’s good to show your dog to a doctor for further treatments.
Is it harmful to dogs to lick humans?
Licking humans is considered relatively harmless for them. But if you have open wounds, you have to be careful as some bacteria in dog’s saliva can infect your wound.
Why dogs lick their private areas?
This is one of the most common problems dog owners have about dogs’ behavior, as licking private areas in public is embarrassing most owners. But experts explain that there isn’t any sexual aspect that means this behavior, and that is just the grooming behavior of the dogs. For example, they are cleaning themselves after urinating.
If you observe some excessive licking, that can also be an above mention medical along with urogenital issue. If you observe different areas good to take your doctor for treatments.
How do you teach your dog to stop licking you?
Not all owners like to wipe their face with dog’s saliva. So if you want to prevent your dog from licking, just try to ignore the behavior or if you can, go away and stay in another room for some time.
By the time the dog will realize that you are not going to give any reward for his behavior. Also, you can use trick training. You can replace the behavior with a good habit and give your pet desirable treats.
