Why Do Dogs Lick You?

Dogs that lick their owners or other people are often seen as a sign of affection and that the animal is comfortable around you. While this can be true in many cases, in some cases there may be other explanations for their licking.

Why Do Dogs Lick You? Here we look at some of the reasons.

Affection and comfort

Talk to News week, a senior executive of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) behavioral science team, Sydney Bartson Queen, explained: “The meaning of a dog lick may depend on how the licks are offered to their people. , dripping kisses accompanied by a soft, rippling body are usually very loving gestures.

“Some small kisses in the mouth are sometimes calming behaviors, like the way some small puppies lick the mouths of adult dogs,” added the ASPCA official.

Dr. Mary Burch, a Certified Animal Behaviorist and Director of the American Kennel Club (AKC) Family Dog Program, says, “Licking can be a sign of affection. It can also give a dog a sense of security and comfort, just like the dog had it licked by its mother in the litter box. “

Queen added that licking can also be a way for dogs to gather more information, such as small licks near the mouth. “Licking helps the odors travel up to the dog’s vomeronasal organ.”

A need for personal space

Dogs may also offer a lick or two to calm the person down so they can be left alone. This tends to happen when a person brings their face too close to the dog’s face before they feel comfortable, Queen said. News week.

“Some dogs even unwittingly learn to give kisses as a way to create space between themselves and a person.

“A dog learns that you can pull a person’s face away from them by licking it when the person walks away after receiving their ‘kisses,’ she explained.

“Dogs may offer a soothing lick to show that they are not threatening, or may even do a lip lick or lick as a signal of stress and it happens to touch the person’s face,” he said. declared the person in charge of the ASPCA.

So how do you know if a dog’s licking is a sign of affection or something else?

The queen said News week the best way to put it is to “watch the dog’s body language and behavior.” If the dog looks loose and squirms and tries to reach your face, he is probably very comfortable.

“If they offer a lick and sneak away, or their body is tense, maybe they are asking for space,” she said.

Salt or other craving for food

Talk to News weekAKC Burch said licking a dog can also be more about salt craving than affection.

People have a slightly salty skin, especially after participating in physical activities. So when a dog licks you, the animal may just be after the salt on your skin, Burch explained.

According to Alexandra Horowitz, head of the Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College and author of the book Inside of A dog: what dogs see, smell and know, a dog can also lick you because he thinks you have “good taste,” AKC said News week.

Horowitz says wild canine researchers, which include wolves, coyotes, foxes and other wild dogs, report that the puppies lick their mother’s face and snout when she returns from a hunt. This is done for the purpose of getting the mother to regurgitate food for them.

This may explain why you might often find a dog licking your face after you finish eating, says Horowitz.

When excessive licking can be bad

When dogs excessively lick people, themselves, or objects, it can be a sign of behavioral problems, such as cognitive dysfunction in older dogs, according to the ASPCA.

Repetitive licking can indicate “compulsive and stereotypical” behavior problems that can “encompass a wide variety of behaviors with many possible causes,” explains the ASPCA.

The ASPCA says that when dogs feel frustrated, conflicted, or stressed, they can display “moving behaviors, which can then become compulsive over time.”

So, for example, if a dog suddenly licks himself after his owner calls him, it can be an expression of anxiety not knowing if he is being called for punishment. The dog expresses this anxiety by “doing grooming, licking his lips, yawning or sniffing the ground.”

ASPCA notes, “Drug therapy is usually needed to resolve compulsive disorder. But if you can identify the source of the conflict early on and reduce or eliminate it (such as conflict between your pets or inconsistent or delayed punishment on your part), behavioral drug therapy may not be necessary. “

News week has contacted the American Veterinary Medical Association, American Animal Hospital Association, and American Canine Association for further comment.