Why do dogs lick you? Is it normal for dogs to lick you? Can it be a sign of something wrong? PSDA Vet Nurse Shauna Walsh explains <\/p>
There are a number of reasons why your dog might lick you – from a sign of affection to helping alleviate stress to even showing they are in pain.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p> Licking is a completely normal and natural behaviour for dogs. For them, it\u2019s a way of grooming and bonding with one another and with you, too and it\u2019s also a way for them to gather information. It goes right back to their puppy <\/a>days when their mother would lick her puppies to keep them clean as well as comfort them.\u00a0<\/p> Here are the top reasons why your dog might start licking you:\u00a0<\/p> As much as we might wish they could, our dogs can\u2019t speak so licking you in the morning or when you return home from work may be a sign of greeting you. It could be their way of saying hello, and that they are happy to see you again.<\/p> It also helps our dogs find out what we\u2019ve been up to through all the smells and tastes we\u2019ve picked up on our skin through the day \u2013 it\u2019s a bit like them asking you how your day has been!\u00a0<\/p> If your dog licks you, you\u2019ll probably start to make a fuss over them, whether that\u2019s through stroking them, talking to them or even start playing with them. This will encourage them to lick you even more as they will associate it with positive actions. Even if you don\u2019t like the licking and actually tell them off, they\u2019re still getting your attention!<\/p> Dogs\u2019 senses are far stronger than ours and they can smell and taste everything including sweat when we exercise, food on our hands after eating or lotion on our faces after moisturising. Licking makes a dog\u2019s already amazing sense of smell even better, so you may find your dog giving you a good sniff and following it up with a lick.<\/p> Licking can also be a soothing behaviour for our dogs that helps them feel more at ease. If they\u2019re stressed or anxious, licking you, or each other, or themselves, might help alleviate that worry. They also might lick you as a distraction when they\u2019re unsure what to do \u2013 it gives them some time to decide while also telling you that they\u2019re not entirely happy.\u00a0<\/p> As with any new behaviour, if your dog has suddenly started licking you, or themselves, a lot more than usual, then you should book an appointment with your vet. Obsessive licking that is difficult to stop could be a sign that they are anxious, or suggest that there is something wrong. <\/p> Dogs will lick someone to let them know that they\u2019re not a threat, so if your dog is licking a person excessively it may mean that they aren\u2019t comfortable and may be trying to comfort themselves, find out more information, or ask the person to move away.<\/p> Make sure your dog can\u2019t lick any areas where you have applied prescription ointments as the ingredients may be toxic when ingested.\u00a0<\/p> If your dog is constantly licking a specific area of their body, they may be uncomfortable, or itchy, or even in pain. Dogs will lick at a sore spot, but they may also use licking to distract themselves from discomfort elsewhere in their body. Dogs can sometimes lick themselves so much they irritate and damage their skin, so it\u2019s worth keeping an eye on and getting it checked if you are worried.\u00a0<\/p> Why do dogs lick you? Is it normal for dogs to lick you? Can it be a sign of something wrong? PSDA Vet Nurse Shauna Walsh explains <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":33658,"template":"","categories":[1],"acf":{"readingTimeMinutes":"4"},"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/12\/why-do-dogs-lick-you.jpg",2121,1414,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/12\/why-do-dogs-lick-you-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/12\/why-do-dogs-lick-you-300x200.jpg",300,200,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/12\/why-do-dogs-lick-you-768x512.jpg",768,512,true],"large":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/12\/why-do-dogs-lick-you-1024x683.jpg",800,534,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/12\/why-do-dogs-lick-you-1536x1024.jpg",1536,1024,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/45\/2023\/12\/why-do-dogs-lick-you-2048x1365.jpg",2048,1365,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"importmanagerhub@sprylab.com","author_link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/author\/importmanagerhubsprylab-com\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Why do dogs lick you? Is it normal for dogs to lick you? Can it be a sign of something wrong? PSDA Vet Nurse Shauna Walsh explains","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed\/33657"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rss_feed"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/rss_feed"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33658"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33657"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbccountryfile\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33657"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Why do dogs lick you?<\/h2>
To say hello<\/strong><\/h3>
Attention<\/strong>\u00a0seeking<\/strong><\/h3>
We smell and taste good\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>
They\u2019re stressed or anxious<\/strong><\/h3>
When should I worry about my dog\u2019s licking?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>
More pet advice<\/strong><\/h3>
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