Should you encourage your dog to lick your hands?
Yes! If you don’t mind a little slobber it is totally okay to let your dog lick your hands. You should not punish your dog for licking you. If you punish your dog for licking it is similar to pushing away a partner or child who wants to give you a hug or kiss. That isn’t the message you want to send to your dog! As we mentioned, licking is an important method of communication too, so if you push away your pup when they are licking you might be shutting down their communication with you.
That said, not everyone likes to be covered in slobber at all times.
Why does my dog like my hands?
Dogs are motivated by their senses. … Dogs like to lick your hand not only to greet you and say hello but also to get a taste of your delicious salty skin. We taste good to dogs and they like to show us that we are something that they enjoy being around with a big, sloppy lick on the hand.
Why do dogs like to lick your hands?
Of the many reasons why a dog might lick your hand, most of them tie into this idea that your dog sees you as part of the pack.With dogs being part of the wolf family, their instinctual pack behavior manifests in their relationships with their owners.
Typically, all packs have an “alpha” who is in charge of all the other wolves. In order to show their submission to the alpha, the other members of the pack lick them.
Subsequently, as our dogs’ caregivers and protectors, it makes sense that they would view us as their alpha and try to demonstrate their obedience and submission to us.
Why Does My DOG LICK My HANDS? (5 Reasons)
While this might seem like a bit of an odd question at first glance, a dog that loves nothing more than to nibble, chew, and constantly bite their owners hands is a very common occurrence.
And even though its considered natural, normal behavior during puppyhood, the story quite often changes when a fully grown adult dog decides to sink their teeth in.
Dont get me wrong, a dog with an obsessive nibbling habit could very well be an innocent playtime gesture.
But a dog with a negative attitude and an underlying aggression issue is quite another. Which is why its also a habit that can take a turn for the worst if left unchecked.
Anyway, like most behavioral issues, biting is one of those things that needs to be nipped in the bud sooner rather than later.
The fix? …teach your dog to be calm and in control of their emotions. Especially if they bite out of excitement, aggression, fear, or anything else that is emotionally triggered.
So before you do anything else, Id recommend checking out the 5 step-by-step calming exercises by Dan Abdelnoor over at The Online Dog Trainer. (see video below)
To put it bluntly, these specific exercises have stood the test of time when it comes to getting ANY dog to stay calm and in control.
The added benefit of this emotional control is that your dog will also become highly responsive. This basically means theyll be far less likely to react to any situation that would normally cause them to bite in the first place.
So watch the video, implement the exercises, and you should see a vast improvement in your dog behavior for the better.
Heres the video link to take a look: 5 Step-By-Step Calming Exercises To Stop Your Dogs Obsessive, Annoying Biting Habit…