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Dogs are social creatures with different behaviors. For instance, you might have noticed that your dog loves to lick you. Perhaps you’ve been wondering why they behave this way. Is it a sign of affection, or are they prompting you to feed them or go for a walk?
Understanding the Behavior: A Dog’s Tongue
Dogs use their tongues for a variety of important functions. While often associated with panting and drooling, the tongue also plays a role in grooming, exploring their environment, and communication.
Dogs may lick themselves as part of normal grooming, although this behavior is usually much less pronounced than in cats. Additionally, the tongue helps regulate body temperature; dogs pant to cool down, especially in warm conditions.
Lastly, the tongue is a communication device that lets the dog express themselves. That’s why when they want to communicate with you, they sometimes use the tongue. Licking can be used to show affection, seek attention, explore, and respond to the environment. However, it’s just one part of a dog’s body language.
Understanding why your dog licks can be important, especially if the behavior changes or becomes excessive. That’s often why you need to know the reason behind every lick. Another important aspect is knowing when and where not to let your dog lick you, avoiding your face or any skin cuts, to reduce the risk of possible infections, especially in children, seniors, or immunocompromised individuals.
The 10 Possible Reasons Why Your Dog Licks You
1. It’s a Habit
Like humans, dogs can develop habits through repetition and reinforcement. Licking is one behavior that can become habitual, especially if it consistently gets a response from you.
The behavior can also be driven by a need to express affection, seek attention, or even experience mild anxiety, which, over time, may turn into a habit. It’s a bittersweet thing having a dog with a habit of licking you all the time.
2. Expressing Anxiety
An anxious dog may lick their owner as a way to calm themselves down and feel more relaxed. Try not to dismiss your dog when they’re licking you because they might be nervous. Dogs become anxious for numerous reasons.
The first may be separation. Your canine friend may be used to having you around and gets super-anxious when you leave. The second is during thunderstorms, when there are loud noises that often scare dogs. The third is being in a new environment that the dog isn’t familiar with.
Perhaps you move houses, and the dog can sense unfamiliar dogs around the neighborhood. These reasons can make some dogs anxious, causing them to start licking, seeking reassurance that all will be okay, while others may bark, whine, pace, exhibit destructive behaviors, or hide.
3. Lack of Exercise
When was the last time you took your dog out for a walk or to spend the day at the park? Sometimes, a dog may lick you to get your attention, especially if they want something like a walk or playtime. However, licking is just one of many ways dogs communicate. More commonly, they may pace, bark, wait by the door, or bring you items like a leash or toy.
Many dogs, especially young, healthy, and active ones, can build up excess energy if they don’t get enough regular physical exercise and mental stimulation. As a result, they may show undesirable or attention-seeking behaviors, sometimes including licking around the time they expect to go outside, but more commonly chewing furniture or barking.
4. They’re Hungry
Have you gone past feeding time because you were a bit preoccupied? It happens, but your dog won’t let you forget for long. You notice they’re restless, maybe whining, licking their empty food bowl, and coming to you for attention, giving you a persistent lick.
The dog is saying it’s lunch or dinner time. Please come and feed me. Often, such licks may be accompanied by whining or excited barking.
5. Oral Issues
A canine with oral health issues may show signs of pain such as drooling, repeated or exaggerated swallowing, or pawing at the mouth. For instance, they may have a sore tooth or something lodged on the roof of the mouth. You notice them licking their lips, or even other objects, including you.
When you notice such behaviors, check the mouth if it can be done safely. If there is any doubt about a possible health issue, you need to call the vet to book an appointment.
6. Pleading for Your Food
As a dog parent, you know most dogs love eating whatever you are having. As soon as they can smell it or see it, they get closer, hoping for a few bites. When you don’t notice them, they may nudge you and start licking you. The dog can smell what you are eating, and they want a few bites.
7. Sign of Affection
As you play around the house, your dog’s pretty standard is to get up close and personal. You end up slobbered with saliva when they give you lick after lick.
By then, they are a bundle of energy, full of excitement, and want to show you how much they love you. All the licks that come your way when you are playing games are a sign of affection and love.
Another way to put it is ‘dog kisses‘ for their favorite person in the whole wide world. This is how they express the feeling they have towards you. The least you can do is sit there and enjoy them, right?
8. You Taste Salty
Are you fresh from a workout and haven’t had a shower yet? That may be why your dog is giving you lots of licks. Dogs enjoy licking the saltiness on your skin when you sweat.
9. Appeasement Behavior
At times, licking is a sign of appeasement. Puppies lick their mother’s mouth to show submissive and appeasing behavior. Similar may happen with owners, especially when the dog licks you during stressful situations.
Perhaps you’ve reprimanded them for undesirable behavior, and they want to get on your good side. You notice them approaching with a lowered stance and licking you as a way to signal appeasement and reconciliation.
10. Calm You Down
Dogs can often pick up on your emotions, and when you are under lots of stress and in need of some comfort. They can sense when something isn’t right, especially if they see you crying. Their attention and licking can provide comfort and help you feel calmer.
How to Stop Dogs From Licking You (5 Strategies)
Even though dogs enjoy licking their parents as a way to communicate, not everyone enjoys the behavior. Maybe you are busy with some work or are on your way out. Licking the face or broken skin can also increase the risk of infections in immunocompromised individuals, children, and older people. It’s better to find ways to stop the dog from licking you to curb the behavior.
1. Give Them a Toy
One way to distract your dog from giving you lots of kisses is to give them a favorite toy. Having something in their mouth to play with redirects their attention.
2. Play With Them
Do you have a backyard with a good fence to keep the dog safe? It might be better to go outside with them to play so they can run around and get rid of some energy. Take them for a long walk, hike, or playtime in a dog park, or engage them in mental and physical activities such as agility and scent work. Doing this regularly will keep them feeling fulfilled and content. You can then resume your tasks without constant licks.
3. Take a Shower
When you get home from a workout, head to the shower if you don’t enjoy dog licks. It may greatly deter your canine friend from licking you because you don’t taste as salty.
4. Don’t Reinforce The Behavior
Ignoring your canine friend and redirecting them to an appropriate toy is an excellent way to teach them not to lick you all the time. However, most importantly, do not reinforce the licking behavior with attention, be it positive, like praise and laughing, or negative, like telling them off. Reinforcing the behavior makes your dog more likely to lick you.
5. Take Them to the Vet
Some dogs may lick their owners when they have an oral health issue and are trying to get some relief. Not to mention you catch them licking their lips, drooling, pawing at the mouth, or having a bad breath. If you notice any of this behavior, take them to the vet for a checkup.
Conclusion: Why Does Your Dog Lick You
Dogs enjoy licking because their tongues play a primary role in their lives. It’s a behavior that they cultivate as one of the ways to communicate with you. Therefore, it’s good to know the reason behind every lick from your canine friend.
That way, you can act accordingly. Also, you can take action to change the behavior when you don’t enjoy frequent dog licks. The truth is as affectionate as licking is, it can be a health hazard.
- Related Read: Why Does My Dog Lick the Bed? Canine Behavior Explained
Featured Image: Gladskikh Tatiana, Shutterstock
