5 reasons why dogs lick their owners

It’s their way of showing you how happy they are when you come home. They jump on you and lick your face. However, they can also do it to communicate with you, to reproduce situations from their childhood, out of habit, or even to deal with stressful situations.

Find out why 5 possible meanings of dog licking on their master:

1. Show their affection

The reason that seems the most obvious to many dog owners behind this behavior is the display of affection. What master (s) has never known the happiness of returning home after a long absence receiving a warm welcome from his dog with a few licks on the face.

Let’s say it, all skin areas within reach of the tongue. On the other hand, take care that this behavior is not systematic, because it can be problematic (in particular in terms of hygiene) for those around you or any person your dog will come across.

2. Communicate

Communication can be bodily, such as when the dog wags its tail or barks. He tries to tell us something through these gestures. It’s the same when he licks; your dog may want to tell you that he needs to eat. Indeed, the puppy has a habit of practicing licking on his mother in order to tell her that he is hungry and that he wants to obtain food. He, therefore, reproduces it by mimicry in adulthood, thinking that you will understand him as his natural mother.

3. Get your attention

Dogs not only want to love but also want to be loved. They love to receive your attention and will do anything for it. Lick you, jump on you… These are all attempts to get your attention. Your role and responsibility in this type of licking should not be underestimated. It is you who will encourage this practice simply by the reaction you will have to the licking. If at each lick, you react systematically (whether it is to give him a caress or an admonition), your dog gets what he wants: a reaction from you. This is only what he is looking for and you give him satisfaction.

4. A gesture to soothe a stressful situation

For dogs, licking can also be a marker in an attempt to soothe a situation in which they are feeling stressed. The dog does it by mimicry in memory of his childhood. When he was a puppy, his mother used to lick him and his siblings to defuse a conflict or reassure the litter in the face of an anxiety-provoking event. Thus, it may happen that your dog licks you when you are scolding him (as a sign of appeasement) or when he finds himself in the middle of an argument between you and a loved one. It is moreover a ritual of appeasement that it can also reproduce with an aggressive congener in order to attenuate the conflict.

5. Develop their senses

Dogs are hunters by nature. They are endowed with unusual senses for exploring places and discovering objects. Their language also serves as an investigative tool. So he can lick you just because he likes the taste of your skin. Sweat can satisfy his taste buds just like moisturizer or still scented water after leaving your shower. Many dog owners are amazed to see their pet rush to lick their legs when they get out of the shower, the secret is finally revealed.