What does it mean when your dog licks you in the mouth

Does your dog’s excessive licking ever leave you wondering, “What does it mean when a dog licks you?”

Dogs have a lot of strange habits, and if your pooch spends more time giving you kisses than playing with their toys or chasing squirrels, you’ve probably wondered to yourself, “What does it mean when a dog licks you?” Here are some other reasons behind your dog’s weird behavior.

What does it mean when a dog licks you?

Well, the behavior isn’t that bizarre for dogs. Canines lick each other as a submissive sign or when mothers clean and bond with their newborn pups. “Now that people make up most of a dog’s pack, licking behavior has been transferred to us,” says Dr. Jennifer Coates, DVM, serves on the advisory board for Pet Life Today. “Dogs often lick people to show affection, as a greeting, or to simply get our attention. Of course, if you happen to have a little food, lotion, or salty sweat on your skin, that may play a role as well.” Along with affection, these are some other things your dog actually wants from you.

What does it mean when a dog licks your face?

Dr. Coates says that if you watch dogs interact with each other, a lot of licking is focused on the face. This is related to the fact that when dogs are puppies, they lick their mom’s mouth to get them to regurgitate food for them to eat. So, dogs lick human faces to try to get food—and also probably some leftover flavor from the last meal you ate.

Is it harmful for dogs to lick humans?

“Dog licking doesn’t pose much of a danger to people as long as you don’t have any open wounds and your immune system is functioning well,” says Dr. Coates. “That said, bacteria can be transmitted through dog licks, so the behavior is not completely without risk.” Dog saliva does contain a bacteria called Capnocytophaga in their mouths that in very very rare cases can cause an infection in humans with weakened immune systems.

On the other side of things, make sure that if your dog is licking you, that you don’t have any chemicals or these foods that are toxic for dogs on your skin.

What does it mean when a dog licks themselves in a certain spot excessively?

Dogs will sometimes lick a certain part of their body or even a particular part of the couch or floor in your home over and over. “Itching or pain can cause dogs to lick themselves, while anxiety or a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder may lead to licking directed towards themselves or towards objects in their environment,” says Dr. Coates. “Excessive licking of surfaces has also been associated with medical, especially gastrointestinal, disorders.”

They can also smell where food or a drink has been spilled on your couch or floor, even if it was a while ago. Cleaning up the area thoroughly should make them stop licking.

How do you teach your dog to stop licking you?

“If you want your dog to stop licking you, do your best to ignore the behavior; calmly get up and go into another room behind a closed door if you have to,” says Dr. Coates. If your dog stops licking you make sure to give them lots of praise and attention for listening so that they won’t repeat the behavior in the future.

“Over time, the licking should fade away as your dog realizes that it is not providing them with any sort of reward,” says Dr. Coates. “Talk to your veterinarian if you think your dog’s licking could be related to a medical problem or behavioral disorder.” Now that you can answer the question, “What does it mean when a dog licks you?” learn about the secrets your dog wishes you knew. Plus, learn the answer to this dog behavior question: Do dogs cry?

If your dog loves to lick you, it's for a few reasons: they're very affectionate, looking for your attention, or acting on their wild instinct. A dog licking its owner is so common, dog owners usually call it "giving kisses" and consider it a sign of affection.

It's usually relatively harmless to let your dog lick you, but some dogs seem to lick people more than others. This behavior is usually harmless, but we break down exactly why dogs like to lick people, if it's safe for them to do so, and how to train your dog to lick less if it's becoming an annoyance.

Why Dogs Lick People

Affection: There's a pretty good chance that your dog is licking you because it loves you. It's why many people call them "kisses." Dogs show affection by licking people and sometimes even other dogs. Licking is a natural action for dogs. They learned it from the grooming and affection given to them as puppies by their mothers. Dogs might lick your face if they can get to it. If not, they might just go for any available patch of skin, such as hands, arms, legs, and feet. Some dogs tend to lick less than others. This does not necessarily mean that a dog is less affectionate if it does not lick. It might have just learned things differently as a puppy or just not prefer licking.

While we don't know for certain why dogs lick, most experts agree that there is probably a combination of reasons. Licking is not considered a serious behavior problem unless it bothers you. Knowing the reason for your dog's licking might even change the way you feel about it.

Attention-Seeking: Licking behavior that starts as affection often gets reinforced by a person's reaction: laughing, smiling, petting, etc. Maybe your dog is bored or lonely. There you are and it wants your attention. Even negative attention can encourage licking. When a dog is seeking attention, it will feel rewarded by any kind of attention, even the negative type. Pushing it away, saying "no," or even punishing it still means you're not ignoring it. This can encourage licking.

Instinct: When wolves (and sometimes dogs in the wild) return to their pups after a meal, they regurgitate meat from the hunt. The pups, too young to hunt on their own, will lick the meat from around the mother's mouth. It is believed by some that this licking behavior has been passed down in the DNA, causing dogs to instinctively do it sometimes.

You Taste Good: Once that dog gets to licking you, it might realize you have an intriguing human taste that is a bit salty. Dogs love anything that has an interesting taste. Plus, licking is a way for your dog to explore his world. You're part of that world after all.

Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior: Although it's rare, dogs can suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, often brought on by prolonged stress and anxiety. Licking that occurs constantly (and usually involves the licking of objects, surfaces, and self in addition to humans) may be a real problem. Talk to your veterinarian about your concerns about your dog. Your vet might refer you to an animal behaviorist for help. Your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist may also prescribe medication to help relieve anxiety. Though you may think medication should be a last resort, it's important to understand that animals cannot learn while in a high state of anxiety. Medication may be used as a tool in conjunction with training. Pharmaceutical treatment may even be used temporarily while your dog goes through training and behavior modification.

Is It Safe for Dogs to Lick You?

It's usually relatively harmless to let your dog lick you. However, don't believe the old myth that dogs' mouths are cleaner than humans' mouths. Dogs' mouths contain a lot of natural bacteria, which is part of the reason dog bites are so dangerous. However, this bacteria probably won't cause harm unless it gets into an open wound. But hey, you might just think it's gross. And that's okay.

How to Get Your Dog to Stop Licking You

You might think dog kisses are disgusting. Or, you might just feel like enough is enough. Getting your dog to stop licking you (and others) is usually a matter of denying attention when it does it. Stop touching your dog or looking at it. Turn your head away. Get up and walk away if you need to. As soon as the licking stops, reward it with attention, affection, or even treats. In time, your dog will usually get the point, that licking is undesired behavior.

If you want the occasional gentle kiss from your dog, you can train your dog by attaching a word or phrase such as "kiss" or "gimme sugar" to the behavior. Reward the gentle kiss, say on the cheek or chin (or maybe just your hand depending on your preferences). Then deny attention if the licking it gets out of hand. If you need help with this and other training, consider hiring a dog trainer.

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