Dogs can mean a lot of different things when they lick. Believe it or not, licking is a form of communication for dogs, as well as something dogs use for grooming and eating. So it can serve multiple purposes. That makes it complicated and a little hard to figure out at times.
Licking begins in the whelping box, along with most of the behaviors that your dog displays. A mother dog licks her pups to stimulate them when they’re first born. Licking encourages their circulation, it rouses them, it removes the membrane covering them when they’re first born, and it stimulates them to nurse. Later on the mother will lick them to encourage their bowel movements and to wash them. Of course, to someone observing a mother taking care of her pups, all of this probably looks like maternal love! And it may be, but it still serves many purposes.
As they get older, puppies will lick their mothers (and other adult dogs) around the lips to try to stimulate them to regurgitate partially digested food for them. This is quite normal for wolves and wild dogs, but our domesticated dogs can do it, too. This behavior — licking a mother figure around the face — may be retained later in life. Perhaps this is the reason why dogs try to lick people around the face? In some cases this could be true.
As communication, puppies will lick around the faces of their elders to show their submission. A dog may also lick their owner’s face for this same purpose.
Dogs also engage in licking behavior out of nervousness or because of feelings of anxiety. Licking may help to relieve the nervousness. A dog may lick as a way to try to appease someone higher in the “pack” and the pack may include their owner. If your dog is nervous or anxious, or fears that he has made you angry, he may try to lick around your face as a way to make up with you.
Dogs can also lick people as a way of getting attention. Like other behaviors, licking can be learned and become a habit if you reinforce it. For instance, if your dog licks you and you think it’s cute, you may laugh or pet your dog. This will encourage your dog to lick you again in the future because he’s getting positive attention (or any attention) for performing this behavior. If your dog is very socially bold he may become very pushy about this behavior and try to lick your face whenever he feels like it. It can be difficult to break this habit once it gets started.
Some dogs can lick things compulsively. This licking is usually directed at their own grooming but it can also include things such as woodwork or furniture. In some cases it may also include the owner. Dogs may lick toes, feet, hands and faces in a compulsive way. You may need to talk to your veterinarian about medication to help with these compulsions and you will need to work on changing your dog’s behavior.
Dogs may lick someone’s face for a lot of different reasons depending on the individual dog. If you want the behavior to stop, try to figure out what’s motivating your dog. Is he nervous? Is the licking a habit? Is he trying to get attention? Once you know why your dog is licking you, then you can work on what to do about the behavior.
What about your dogs…tell us why they lick your face.
Until next time……….
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
My dogs lick all the time. I do turn my head and tell them NO..but they don’t care. I think I do or did pet them and now that incouraged them to do it more.
I think I should start getting up or pushing them down off my lap when they do the licking, perhaps this will change their minds.
I’m pretty comfortable with being licked (so long as our dog remains calm and not pushy about the action–the minute she gets overly excited I stand and turn my back to her, and she gets the message), but my husband only wants to be licked when *he* wants the attention. So what I did was, whenever my dog would lick my face I would repeat “Kisses” over and over in a happy but calm voice. Now, whenever we’re hanging out and watching TV, my husband can lean over and say to our dog, “kisses,” and she’ll happily walk over to lick him. When he pulls back to relax in his chair, our dog backs off and returns to her chew toy.
Every evening when my husband comes home as soon as he gets still our four year old female Brittany (Liberty) begins licking my husbands toes of his right foot. Liberty basically sticks to the three smaller feet and does so as if she is on a mission. My husband doesn’t really like it but we don’t want to hurt her feelings. Why might she do this and how might we get her to stop nicely.
My dog loves to lick. I guess we have re-enforced this behaviour by being happy and petting her back.
She sleeps with me at night. She gets up with my husband in the morning, but when I come down for coffee she HAS to lick me she is so excited to see me.
It is a bit of a bother, but she is so happy when she licks you.
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