Dogs lick themselves in nature for several reasons. It helps them with healing, grooming, social interactions and even nurturing their young. Why do dogs lick us though? Are they giving us love or is it for another reason?
We can’t read dog’s minds, so we may never know the answers for sure, but we can make some educated judgements. Petplan here explores some of the possible reasons for your dog’s licks and whether you should let them carry on.
Affection
When dogs are young, their mothers spend lots of time licking them – it is a nurturing behaviour. Domestic dogs love to lick their owners, because they want to show them their love. It even feels good to your dog to do this; when they lick for affection, pleasurable endorphins are released in their brain.
Communication
In nature, dogs tend to be pack animals. Licking plays a large role in this, as they use it to communicate with one another. They can use their licks to tell each other they’re hungry, hurt, or even just to ask to be friends.
It is natural then that your dog licks you as an attempt at communication sometimes. The problem is we can’t understand those licks as well as other dogs can. If they are using licks to tell you something though, and not their bite, it’s probably safe to assume they’re saying something nice.
Reward
Often when dogs lick people, this interaction is reciprocated. You might start petting them, scratching them, or even give them some food. This reinforces the behaviour and dogs will lick you more, because they are aware they will get something enjoyable by doing so.
Exploration
A dog’s tongue is an incredibly sensitive tool. They can learn a lot more with it than humans can. When dogs lick you, they are taking in sweat from your skin. This contains water, ammonia, sodium, potassium and a whole host of other stuff that dogs can draw information about you from. When they lick you, they sometimes are just trying to learn a bit more about you.
Taste
It may seem a bit unpleasant to us, but our skin is home to a great many tastes. Particles of food we had for dinner, sweat and even just the grease and bacteria that exist naturally on our skin; this can all taste great to a dog. Sometimes, they’re merely enjoying the flavour they get from you.
What to do if you want your dog to stop
While the reasons for our dogs licking us are generally benevolent, there is no doubt that excessive licking can become an annoyance. If dogs are licking obsessively, you need to curb it as no compulsive behaviour is good for them. So, if your dog licks you constantly and you would like it to stop, do not feel guilty.
According to pet behaviourist Nick Jones, the most effective way to stop your dog licking you seems to be removing the positive affirmation of the behaviour and indicating your disapproval to your canine companion. In future, when your dog licks you, you should ignore them. Move away from them and turn your back. If they are jumping or moving whilst trying to lick you, keep turned away from them until they have calmed down and have all four feet on the floor. Once they have stopped, you can turn back and greet them as usual – whilst maintaining a calm dog in the process.
It can be hard to do this. None of us like ignoring our dogs but remind yourself that this will benefit them in the long-term. If this fails to change your dog’s behaviour and you feel they have a real problem with licking, a behaviour expert should be able to provide you with advice.
If you have any advice for getting your dog to lick more or less frequently, let us know in the comments below...