There is a common belief that licking behavior in dogs is their way of showing affection and that the licks are kisses. This is true to some extent, but there can be more that goes into this behavior besides a desire to show affection.
Understanding why dogs lick can give you better insight into your dog, as well as be a good indicator of any health problems that could cause licking behaviors.
Reasons Dogs Lick People
Although we may call dogs licks kisses, it is important to remember that kissing is a human behavior that we are ascribing to a dog behavior due to the similarities.
They are not entirely separate as wild dogs and wolves have been observed to give each other licks of greeting, so it is fair to think that your dog might also lick you in greeting when you return home after being gone. Mother dogs also lick their puppies as a means of grooming and comforting them and a lick could be your dog's way of expressing care for you as their mothers did for them.
Outside of these signs of affection, licking may also have a few less loving reasons, including:
- You Taste Nice - The sweat or food on your skin, or even your skin itself, could taste good to your dog, prompting him to like you.
- Your Dog Would Like You to Throw Up - In the wild when a wolf returns from hunting, she may regurgitate some of her food to her puppies. If your dog can smell that you have recently eaten, he might be prompting you to do the same.
- Your Dog Feels Anxiety - If your dog is feeling extremely anxious or in pain, licking could be an expression of what the dog is feeling. Anxiety may lead to your dog continuously you or other objects.
Unless your dog is licking out of anxiety, there is really no harm in it, although some dog owners prefer not to be licked. In this case, or if you are dealing with an anxious dog, redirection can be helpful in training your dog to stop licking. To redirect your dog's behavior, you could teach him to do a trick every time you catch him licking. By training and rewarding the trick, you can help both to ease your dog's anxiety and redirect his attention to something else.
