5 Reasons Why My Dog Doesn’t Want to Lick Me
When you adopt a dog, you have certain expectations based on prior dog experience or watching friends interact with their dogs.
For example, you expect that your pooch will greet you enthusiastically when you come home from work or that your dog will love to play cool games.
You also assume that your dog is going to lick you every chance he gets and you plan on how to deal with it.
Then you get a pet, and the dog doesn’t want to lick you at all. Does it mean that your dog hates you? Let’s find out.
#2 Your Dog Has Been Trained Not to Lick
Another possible explanation of why your dog doesn’t want to lick you is training.
Not all dog owners like it when their pooches give wet kisses all the time or wash them thoroughly with tongues.
As such, if you have adopted or rescued the dog from the streets, your pooch might have prior training in this area.
Puppies are very fast learners, and with some simple training strategies, you can stop a dog from licking.
#3 Your Dog Hasn’t Picked up the Behavior
Licking is an instinctive behavior and a major way for dogs to communicate from the moment they’re born.
The mother licks the puppies to stimulate them to breathe, and they lick her in return to communicate their needs.
However, puppies who grow up without a mother might not pick up that specific behavior.
Or the mother might be too young to know what to do with the puppies.
So, such puppies might grow into dogs who don’t lick or are not as enthusiastic about it as others.
Most dogs lick you on the face and hands because you taste good. In most cases, that’s because you have some tiny food particles left, and your dog wants to lick them clean.
In addition to this, human skin is slightly salty. Most dogs love the taste of salt and can’t get enough of it.
That’s one of the reasons why dogs love to lick you on the face.
When your dog is not interested in licking you, it might be because he doesn’t like how your skin tastes. No offense.
It might be due to some cosmetic products you’re using, such as make-up, skin creams, or perfume.
Stop using these products for a while and see if your dog starts slobbering over you.