Why Does My Dog Lick Me?

Though most of us love nothing more than a doggy kiss, there are several reasons why our dog's might lick us.  We shall look at them below;  

Attention

Sometimes your dog may lick you to get your attention. This is why when someone who doesn't appreciate being licked by your dog, protests with cries of disgust, your dog may actually try and lick them more! Your dog is likely to find it difficult to
understand the difference between a good verbal reaction and a bad one. Either of these outcomes positively reinforces the licking as a way of accessing attention, so if licking is something you want to discourage, you are best to ignore it if possible, to show your dog there is nothing to gain from doing so.

Anxiety

Licking is a natural stress reliever for our dogs, so if they are feeling a little bit uncomfortable or anxious, they may lick us to try and calm themselves down. This also works the other way around, so if you are feeling anxious or stressed, your dog may lick you to try and make you feel better. Dogs that are licking because they are
anxious, may do so almost constantly in a desperate bid to feel calmer. If this is the case, try to distract them with something fun and stress free for them, to take their mind off their troubles.

Communication

Dog's use licking as a form of communication too. Though this tends to be seen more commonly between others dogs, they can replicate this behaviour on us humans as
well.

They may lick us as a greeting, particularly when we have been apart from them. This explains why lots of dogs are keen to greet us with a kiss when we arrive home from work!

Our dogs may also lick us as a sign of appeasement, in an attempt to diffuse a stressful or volatile situation calmly. If you were to shout at your dog, they may lick you then to try and show you that they are not a threat and do not want any confrontation.

Investigation

Your dog may also lick you to discover more about you and your current mood. Humans are covered in sweat glands all over our bodies and our dogs utilise these to find out how we are feeling. Although our dog's taste buds are much less advanced than ours, they are still capable of distinguishing salty and acidic tastes. As human sweat contains mostly salty and acidic elements, this may explain why our dogs are keen to lick us when we have been exercising or when we have just got out of a hot shower.

Taste

Your dog will also be encouraged to lick you if you have recently finished eating or drinking, simply because they don't want to miss an opportunity for a tasty treat! Microscopic food particles will remain on your hands, lips and mouth which is what your dog is detecting, so you may well just taste good to them at the time.

Also, as our skin tends to be naturally salty, this can also be appealing to our dogs as well. Moisturisers, lotions, creams and body sprays can also be appealing to some dogs too, though care must be taken to make sure they do not ingest these if they contain ingredients which may be harmful to them.  

Comfort

As we previously mentioned, licking is a natural stress reliever for dogs as endorphins are released as they lick. Endorphins are 'feel good' chemicals in your dog's brain and body which comforts and calms them. Mothers lick their puppies to bond with them and reassure them that they are there so that they will settle and sleep. This behaviour is sometimes replicated by our dogs to us, as they are seeking the same reassurance and comfort they once had from their canine mothers.

Affection

Licking may simply be your dog's way of showing affection towards you. Allowing your dog to lick you can actually increase the bond you share with them, as you will both receive hits of feel good hormones in the process.


However, if you have a dog that is not a natural licker, it does not mean that they are not bonded with you or they love you any less, they just simply prefer not to show this by licking.

If you would like to learn more about how to successfully interpret your dog's communication efforts, you can find more information in my book, Canine Contentment - The Essential Guide.   

To keep up to date with my latest blog posts, you can find me on Facebook - Charlotte Garner - Canine Author.