What’s better than coming home to a kiss from a happy pup? Most dog owners interpret licks from their dogs as a sign of affection. In other words, the closest your canine companion can get to kissing. But is this accurate? And what can you do if your dog’s licking is out of control?
Why does my dog lick my husband or boyfriend but not me?
Below are a number of possible causes and what would make each of them more likely to be the main reason.
Dogs will often lick when they are being submissive. The reason why your dog has been licking your husband more might actually be that your dog is being submissive. This would be more likely if your dog tends to do it when your husband is annoyed with it.
If your husband is the one that feeds to gives exercise to your dog, it is likely that it is showing more interest in him because it wants food or exercise. This would be especially likely if it tends to show more interest in him and lick him before getting food or exercise.
Another possible cause could be that your husband gives your dog more attention. If he does, it might be the case that it wants to reciprocate the attention back to your husband. In this case, it might help to give it more attention by training it, playing with it and exercising it.
Another possible cause is that your husband gives your dog treats. This would be more likely if you have seen your husband giving it treats or his food and if your dog tends to give him more attention when he has food or is eating.
Another possible cause is that your husband trained your dog to give him attention. This would be more likely if you know your husband has been training it and if you did not give it much training yourself.
Things to consider about your dog licking your boyfriend or husband more
Below are some things you can consider to help figure out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.
If your dog did not always lick you less, it would help to consider what else happened when it stopped licking you. If it stopped doing it suddenly, it might be due to things such as if you stopped feeding it, exercising it, training it, or giving it treats.
If your dog does lick you sometimes, it would help to consider what is different when it does lick you. For example, if it does lick you when you pet it, a part of the cause could be that your husband gives it more attention overall.
9 tips to stop your dog from licking you
The reason I’m advising you to first visit the vet is to see whether there’s a medical issue at hand. Some neurological problems could cause licking behavior.
Also, if your dog is strressed out for some reason, you should know whether it’s health-related.
FAQ
Why does my dog lick my boyfriends face?
Is licking dominance in dogs?
Why does my dog lick people but not me?