Since they are puppies, dogs use licking as a form of hygiene and communication, mothers who have just given birth lick their puppies to clean them and care for them, a primary instinct that they will never forget.
If your dog licks you, it can be due to several reasons, from an expression of affection and a sign of calm to a request for food or even a way to heal yourself if he perceives that you are sick or have an injury.
From Dogsis we will review all the reasons why a dog licks its human and how it should be interpreted. Are you ready?
Index of contents
- 1 My dog licks my face, mouth and ears
- 2 My dog licks my hands or feet a lot
- 3 My dog licks my wounds. Is it good for me to do it?
My dog licks my face, mouth and ears
If your dog licks you in the face it is because he wants to transmit a signal of affection, if you stop to think a little, when our dog licks us in the face we usually laugh or pamper him.
They immediately capture that positive energy, learning that it is something we like. That is why many times they lick our face, our mouth or even our ears, they are all experts in making us feel good.
In canine language between dogsWhen a dog licks the face or mouth of another dog it transmits a calm signal that everything is fine and there is no reason to be nervous. Dogs also use that signal with us, it is a sign of tranquility.
Another reason why a dog licks our faces, mainly our mouths, is because it detects food remains or food odors. We all know how gluttonous they are and many times just savor what we have eaten or in their own way, ask us for a little of that food.
My dog licks my hands or feet a lot
In cases where a dog licks its hands or feet a lot, there can be two main possible causes. The first of these is hygiene, dogs lick their paws to clean them and in the same way, They try to cleanse us by licks, even if we are clean.
It is a loving way to sanitize ourselves, they do not know that we are clean, they just groom us how they do it themselves with their legs and body. If it bothers us that they lick us so much, we should not scold them, we will simply call their attention with a game or a teddy so that they are distracted.
The second reason your dog licks your hands or feet is out of respect, it’s a sign of calm. Canine language is much more complex than humans think.
Licking a human’s hands is a sign of respect and calm, even submission. Indicating that he is very comfortable with you and that is why he transmits that signal of calm and tranquility, of respect.
My dog licks my wounds. Is it good for me to do it?
Dogs instinctively lick their own wounds constantly to disinfect you, their saliva is somewhat antiseptic although that does not mean it is beneficial to humans.
That your dog licks your wounds is very positive because he is trying to heal you, it is a way of expressing his love and respect for you, taking care of you. However, and although we should not scold them for doing it or trying to do it, we must avoid distracting them with something else like a toy or food.
Dog saliva is beneficial for dog wounds, but not for human wounds. Humans need to use other things to disinfect our wounds like hydrogen peroxide or iodine.
If a dog licks our wounds, it is very likely that they will end up becoming infected, so we must prevent them from doing so. Not through punishment, but through distraction. On the other hand, it is scientifically proven that dogs are capable of detecting diseases.
If your dog sniffs or insistently licks any part of your body such as your back or an area close to the kidneys, etc… It is possible that you are sick and you don’t know it yet. However, he will have already detected it. Go to the doctor and get a review.