Have you ever wondered just what your dog gets out of licking you?

Most dogs are so intent on the licking process that you know there has to be a good reason for doing it.



Some people say the dog’s licks are canine kisses that prove the dog likes or loves you. Fido is showing you that he cares about you. While this may be one reason that dogs lick people, it is clearly not the only reason why they perform this act.

Another theory is that dogs lick you because they were taught to do so by their mother from birth. Female dogs that give birth lick the new puppies to stimulate them to start breathing and to clean them up. Licking is important to the survival of puppies. The licking process is a natural instinct that they quickly learn from their mothers.

Licking is also a submissive gesture. In the wild, the more subordinate dogs will lick the more dominant ones. This helps to maintain harmony among the members of the pack. By licking you, the dog is showing you that you are the dominant being and you are in charge.

Another reason that dogs lick humans is to gather information about them. Dogs use the scent receptors located in their nose and mouth to process information about a person. A person who is secreting sweat from his or her body is actually unknowingly sending information about him or herself to the dog. This is one reason why a human’s feet are so attractive to a dog. Human feet contain many sweat glands. Eccrine glands release moisture that contains salts, water and waste products. Some dogs love the taste of salt.

Sebaceous glands, which are found near hair follicles, release sebum. The combination of the sweat and sebaceous gland secretions provide a lot of detail about you to an inquisitive dog that can tell if you are afraid, stressed or happy.

Dogs also enjoy licking because the act releases endorphins that allow the dog to feel pleasure and a sense of security and comfort.

In some cases, a dog will go all out to lick his or her owner’s face, hands or legs when strangers are around. Experts believe that this could be the dog’s way of showing that you are important to them and that they care more about you than they do the stranger.

While dogs do have good reasons for licking people, some folks don’t understand nor do they care to try to grasp why they are being slobbered on. It is important to train your dog in a manner that he or she does not get carried away with the tendency to lick people.

Heys guys
so lately Jay has been licking my hands, but also my mouth when he can, my feet, toes and anything he can, I wanted to know why?

People say its love but I didnt fully believe its a love thing, I think it was sometimes affection depending on his facial expressions and body language, sometimes comfort for himself, sometimes he likes the smell on the thing he is licking or the taste.

( never thought my toes would taste so good :) haha )

anyway I thought id do some digging around to find out on an animal level what out dogs want to communicate with us when they lick us.

I found out Licking releases pleasurable endorphins which gives dogs a feeling of comfort and pleasure — like the feeling people get when they are biting their nails — it relieves stress.  If your dog's licking is purely a sign of affection, one way to decrease this is to ignore the licking. Licking never gets attention.  If  your dog licks you, then you immediately stand up and walk into another room. You want to teach your dog that licking means the person will leave the room.  When you pet your dog, if he starts to lick, the petting stops and you walk away. With repetition the licking will stop.

If a dog is chronically licking himself, it can be because he is bored, anxious, has skin problems such as allergies, or could be feeling pain either in their paws or elsewhere in their bodies.  You should make sure your dog is getting enough stimulation and rule out any infections or allergies by visiting your vet. 

I personally dont mind the licking, it isnt excessive in jays case and it does seem to be an affection thing.

But there is more ...

Right from birth that is how the mother communicates with her new puppies, how she stimulates them to start breathing and how she cleans them when they are born, so it's very important to the survival of puppies.  In the wild and in domestic dogs, you’ll find they will lick around the mother’s mouth as newborns and puppies still retain that instinct.  It’s also sort of a submissive gesture — the more subordinate members of a pack will lick the more dominant members and that’s important in maintaining pack harmony. 


For the most part, it’s a sign of affection. From the day they were born, their mother licked them to clean them and stimulate them. Because of that, licking is connected to their very earliest social bonds, so it’s a significant part of their social signals. People aren’t exaggerating when they call it puppy kisses – a dog who licks you is showing you love. It’s why your dog licks your hand happily when you walk in the door, and why many dogs will lick you after you’ve been petting them. They’re returning the friendly gesture.

 

Another reason why dogs lick you is to learn about you. Smell may be their strongest sense, but they learn a lot from what they taste as well. That’s why they lick other dogs in greeting, and why they lick people. In the wild, wolves lick other wolves’ mouths to determine if they’ve eaten and if a food source is nearby. Taste tells them a lot more than just how to fill their belly, however, especially in domesticated dogs. What they taste when they lick you tells them about your chemical composition, which can clue them in to other things about you. Human hormones and chemicals vary based on everything from our health to our mood, so they may be able to tell a lot about our state of being by licking us.

 

Dogs may lick people because they like the taste. My friend has a dog who loves the taste of lotion – she would eat it from a bowl if she could – so she’ll lick lotion off people’s hands and feet as long as they let her. Another dog i know loves the taste of metal and tries to eat all metal items, thats not such a good taste to become addicted too. Dogs also tend to like salty, savory flavors. Human sweat is loaded with sodium, so if you’ve ever noticed your dog licking your feet after a workout, it’s because of the flavor.

  ( see there we go again, kinky dog liking our feet)

Licking is also a sign of respect and submission for dogs. They’ll lick higher-up pack members to show acceptance of that member’s higher rank. If your dog lays down and licks your feet, that’s likely their way of showing respect for your authority.

 

Occasionally, licking is a sign of anxiety. Dogs enjoy licking, so they will sometimes lick as a way of comforting themselves. It usually shows itself as licking themselves or licking objects, but they may lick you for relief as well. If you think your dog has anxiety, consult your vet for confirmation and how to handle it.

Overal don't worry to much about your dog licking it is affection to us, comfort to them, learning for them, signs of submission, just keep a look out for when it becomes excessive or compulsive, then you may need to step in.

for now learn love and enjoy your moments together.