Your face, along with your hands, is the part of your body that is exposed to the outside world the most, so it takes in a lot of unique tastes and scents. Additionally, since you probably touch your face frequently, your dog will have even more opportunities to lick your face!
Both types of sweat glands are located on your face, as was previously described. Dogs are sure to like the salty taste left by the eccrine glands on your cheeks and forehead. However, the apocrine glands in your eyelids and nostrils give those locations a moderate but distinctive odor that your dog’s highly developed nose can easily detect.
Your mouth and lips contain a variety of tasty and appealing smells for your dog as a result of the food you eat, which may help to explain why some puppies really want to place a slobbery kiss directly on your lips!
Apart from all the aromas and scents your face offers, your dog is probably licking your face out of habit. Licking your face is a genuine indication of affection since dogs groom and communicate with one another by licking each other’s faces.
When my dog licks my face, what does that mean?
The habit of adult dogs’ mouths being licked by wolf puppies to induce the regurgitation of partially digested food led to the development of the common dog face-licking behavior. Puppies make the transition from nursing on their mother’s milk to eating partially digested food to consuming more substantial food in this manner.
A typical social behavior is to lick the face of a human or another dog. Licking can be an indication of a dog’s social deference and an attempt to appease. Additionally, it may be a request for food, greater social interaction, a display of affection, or attention.
Dogs may lick their faces or other body parts when grooming. Your dog might lick your face, the face of another dog in the home, or other body parts. Your dog might lick the closest body part to your face, such as your hand, arm, or leg, if he can’t get to your face. The act of licking may occasionally be viewed as an expression of love.
Some dogs may attempt to lick the face of a complete stranger. Why do they act that way? It might be an effort to placate the visitor in hopes that they won’t do something dangerous or threatening to the dog. Children’s faces may be licked by dogs as a display of affection, to appease them, or merely to remove food residue.
Do my dogs have a right to lick my face?
“There will be very little absorption through the skin when canine saliva contacts undamaged human skin, especially in a healthy individual, thus it is exceedingly unlikely to create any difficulties,” stated Dr. Kaplan in an email.
However, a person’s nose, mouth, and eyes have mucous membranes that can absorb a dog’s saliva and viruses more easily. Despite the rarity of infections being spread in this way, Dr. Kaplan advised against letting your dog lick specific areas of your face.
According to The Hippocratic Post, John Oxford, a professor of virology and microbiology at Queen Mary University of London, stated he would never permit a dog to lick his face.
He stated, “It is not just what is carried in saliva.
Dogs spend the majority of their lives with their noses in unsanitary areas or close to canine waste, which leaves their muzzles covered in a variety of bacteria, viruses, and other germs.
Why is my dog licking my face so persistently?
- Many dog owners see dogs’ kissing or licking as an expression of affection.
- Obsessive licking could be a symptom of deeper problems, such as anxiety, boredom, or fear.
- Trick training is a powerful tool for rerouting problematic licks in a constructive direction.
What could be better than getting a puppy’s kiss when you go home? The majority of dog owners view licks from their pets as expressions of love. The closest thing your dog can come to kissing, in other words. But is that true? What can you do if your dog is excessively licking things?
Is Licking a Dog’s Way Of Kissing?
What a dog licking actually means is up for debate. Unbelievably, what you would mistake for affection could actually be your dog urging you to vomit your meal in their honor.
According to Alexandra Horowitz, director of the Horowitz Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard College and author of the book Inside Of A Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know, “Researchers of wild canids, wolves, coyotes, foxes, and other wild dogsreport that puppies lick the face and muzzle of their mother when she returns from a hunt to her denin order to get her to regurgitate for them.
Similar to how your dog can just think you taste good. Dr. Mary Burch, a certified expert in applied animal behavior, notes that people have slightly salty skin, especially after working out. Consequently, such licks might have more to do with salt-seeking than with showing affection. According to Horowitz, if your dog enjoys licking your face, it will probably do it right after you’ve had a wonderful meal. Also, any food will do.
However, there is also proof that licking might occasionally be an indication of love. According to Horowitz, licking has evolved from a food-seeking activity to a ritualized welcome for many dogs. Wild members of the dog family may lick one another to welcome them home. Therefore, those daily slobbers may simply be your dog’s way of letting you know that he enjoys seeing you.
Dr. Burch says, “Licking can be a gesture of affection.
The same sense of security and comfort that the dog had when its mother licked it as a puppy may likewise be provided by it.
When Is Licking a Problem?
Most dog licking is harmless and often encouraged as a form of self-expression. Burch asserts that there is no cause for concern that it represents a type of dominance—quite the contrary, in fact.
She claims that one view is that the licking is an indication of submission.
The theory is that submissive canines will lick a more dominating group member.
However, there are specific circumstances in which you might want to prevent your dog from having a drool fest. The first has to do with human comfort; some people just don’t enjoy being licked. It’s better for your dog and your friend if you can change your dog’s behavior if you have a germaphobic friend who gets nervous whenever your dog comes close.
However, licking could occasionally be a sign of a more serious issue. It could be an indication of worry, boredom, or pain if your dog is licking themselves, you, or things excessively to the point where it appears to be a self-stimulatory habit. Self-licking out of obsession can also be an indication of allergies or other medical conditions.
What Can Dog Owners Do About Problem Licking?
Have your dog’s veterinarian examine them and take care of any medical issues or discomfort if they are self-licking excessively. Behavioral remedies are an option after medical causes have been ruled out.
“According to Dr. Burch, one solution is to refocus your dog. ” Change the activity when they lick. Choosing a behavior that is incompatible with licking, such as solving an interactive puzzle to obtain a treat, is an excellent alternative. Additionally, you can educate your dog to perform tricks or play with a ball.
Without ever employing negative reinforcement, you can progressively reinforce the lesson that you don’t want your dog to lick by repeatedly performing this redirect.
A particularly effective approach to transform a persistently undesired action into a chance for positive reinforcement is trick training. Have the dog sit first, which may cause the licking to cease on its own. Then, reinforce the behavior with a goodie. Why not train your dog to give you a hug so you can take advantage of their affection? or to speak when called? You may even practice sitting up, crawling like an army, or weaving your legs. You might even look into Trick Dog competitions if you and your dog decide that trick training is truly fun.
Whether you decide to start teaching your dog tricks or not, you should always make sure that he receives a lot of love and exercise. Unused energy in excess might result in excessive licking as well as other more harmful habits.
Do you need assistance training your dog? In spite of the fact that you might not be able to attend live training sessions during COVID-19, we are still available to you electronically through the AKC GoodDog! Helpline. With the help of this live telephone service, you may speak with a qualified trainer who will provide you with unrestricted, personalized advise on anything from behavioral problems to CGC preparation to getting started in dog sports.
Early-life bonding
The early months of a puppy’s existence, also referred to as the “socialization stage,” have a significant influence on its growth. As a result, during this crucial period, dogs frequently develop strong, lifelong ties with whoever feeds, plays, and generally looks after them the most.
Even if the person they developed a link with has passed away, a dog may still appreciate those who are similar to them. For instance, even if their new human parents are women, they can seem to prefer men if their primary carer while they were puppies was a man.
Are you concerned that your adult dog might have been raised to prefer someone else? The following element may help you win your dog’s approval.
Time, attention, and affection
Dogs tend to form deep relationships with those who provide them the greatest affection and attention (such as through feeding, training, and playing). And keep in mind that in this case, quality matters more than number.
A fun game of fetch or a demanding workout will have a greater positive impact on your relationship than binge-watching Netflix together and other idle pursuits. Check out our breed-specific guide on speaking your dog’s love language if you’re unsure of the kinds of things your dog would find meaningful.
Positive associations
Probably familiar with the adage “what gets rewarded stays in fashion. This adage holds true whether you’re trying to teach your dog a new trick or just improve your relationship with them. There is a reason why vets are so eager to hand out dog treats; they are attempting to foster goodwill because what follows may not be very pleasant.
The easiest approach to train your dog to link you with pleasant things is to always have a tasty reward available when you greet them. Additionally, you want to avoid negative interactions like stern correction or reprimanding. (In addition, the majority of dogs react far better to praise.)
Personality alignment
Have you ever observed that dogs frequently bear some resemblance to their owners? It has been scientifically demonstrated that individuals favor dogs that are physically similar to them in some way; this is not just a coincidence.
The same is true for personality, which is strange. Dogs often have personalities that are similar to the individuals they enjoy spending time with. A Golden Retriever, for example, might get along best with an outgoing, vivacious individual. However, a Basset Hound would probably feel more at ease with a distant or reserved person.
The more in common you have with a dog, the more likely it is that you will develop deep friendships, much like in human relationships.
Breed tendencies
Let’s discuss about breeds while we’re talking about personalities. Dogs have been developed for specialized tasks throughout history, from eradicating pests to protecting property. As a result, depending on their ancestry, pups frequently have different temperaments. This affects both how they develop relationships with humans and the types of pets they produce.
Why do you think your dog loves you?
You can know if your dog is loving you by looking for the following signs:
They can’t wait to see you. This scene is one that all dog owners have seen. When you open your front entrance, a playful fur storm greets you. It’s possible that your dog will leap up on you, lick your face, and wag its tail. One way to know someone loves and misses you is by their excitement and joy when they see you.
They want to be touched. The infamous lean, a short nuzzle, or a cuddle are all examples of this. These are all indications that your dog wants to demonstrate affection. The best course of action is to let them complete this on their own terms, so resist the impulse to tightly hug them.
They wish to rest close to you. Dogs naturally sleep adjacent to each other in packs. They put their noses to the breeze to detect any odors that might indicate danger. Your dog is expressing trust and security when it curls up next to you or wants to sleep in your room.
They look at you sweetly. Dogs reserve the ability to maintain eye contact with someone they love and trust since it is a huge move. Direct eye contact is an aggressive action in the wild. They employ this strategy to scare one another and assert their supremacy. Your dog is staring affectionately in your direction when they meet your right in the eyes and maintain eye contact without their pupils expanding.
They inquire after you. cooking, watching TV, and using the restroom Your dog tries to be there for you throughout the entire experience. Your dog might visit you in bed once or they might follow you around the home all the time. One of the many ways your dog displays affection is by checking in on you. They are checking on your wellbeing!
When they lick you. There are a variety of reasons why your dog might lick you, but in the end, it’s always out of affection. They want to talk to you and get your attention. They can be getting ready to play or simply giving a kiss before a snuggle. They want to let you know they care in either case.
Their toys are shared. When your dog wants to play, they may occasionally tease you with their toy, but when they truly want to show their love, they’ll give it to you as a gift. They want to give the person they care about their most precious thing. It certainly sounds like a lot of love.
Only when there is food involved are you second. A dog that loves you will put you before everything—even a full bowl of food. Only then will they fall head over heels in love with anything else.
Do dogs understand human kisses?
When you kiss your dog, you might see indications that they regard the act as an expression of love.
However, as dogs age, they could begin to relate kisses and cuddling to their owners’ happiness because stroking and goodies frequently follow.
Dogs may also get excited and wag their tails while running around you. When you kiss a dog, many of them will look right into your eyes, and you can usually tell how much they trust you because of this kind of affection.
When giving their pets kisses, many dog owners speak to them in a sweet or kind way. The dog therefore comes to associate the kisses with a warmer tone, which could cause them to react as such.
Dogs can gradually come to understand that kisses are pleasant messages even though they do not fully understand what kisses mean.
Wagging their tail, looking alert, licking your hand or face, acting excitedly, and running around are a few signs your dog may exhibit. If your dog doesn’t react this way, it’s best to find another way to express your affection.
