Let’s uncover the truths behind dog licking and what this behavior means. Dogs lick their pack members and themselves for many reasons, and if you want to curb the behavior, it helps to understand its cause.
The same advice goes for dogs who lick human wounds. Although dog saliva has some healing properties, the risks outweigh the benefits. It is likely that your dog’s mouth contains bacteria that could cause infections. And although it isn’t necessary to punish your pup for licking your wounds, it’s important that you don’t encourage this behavior either.
Pay close attention, though, to how much your dog licks himself. Moderate licking is normal behavior, but excessive licking may be caused by an underlying medical issue. Specifically, continuous anal cleaning can indicate that the glands need to be expressed. Consult your vet for possible reasons and solutions for your dog’s licking.
Although licking is a sign of fondness toward you, there may be a point when the kisses become too much for you. If you want your dog to stop licking you, simply ignore your dog and walk into another room whenever this behavior begins. Eventually, your dog will learn that licking causes you to leave and that this isn’t what they want.
So although it’s possible your dog is licking you out of affection, there’s also a great chance he’s licking because he loves the taste of your skin.
As a sign of affection
The first thing a mother does for her puppy when it’s born is lick it to clear its nostrils so that the puppy can breathe, this will also stimulate the blood flow when they are born. Often, the litter will lick the puppy too which will improve their packs bond.
Both puppies and adult dogs naturally show affection by licking both people and other dogs.
To show submission
For very similar reasons as the communication section, as puppies instinctively lick their mother’s mouth for food, licking other’s mouths is used as a form of interacting with other dogs and letting them know they’re superior to them or they mean no harm. A very subtle, but effective, way of communicating as a dog.