Mary Allen
Nothing beats the love for our four-legged friends! A poll conducted in the United States confirms this once again. It turned out that about 50 percent of dog owners kiss their dog more often than their partner.
How close are dog owners and their four-legged friends? This is exactly what the US dog food manufacturer wanted to know and asked owners about their “quality time” with Fiffy and Bello.
What came out of this should not surprise many dog owners at first: almost all respondents (94 percent) consider their four-legged friend to be one of their best friends – accordingly, they are affectionate towards animals. And for many, a ball of fur gets even more love than their own partner.
52 percent said they kissed their dog more often than their partner. And in the same way, many said that they would even better share the bed with the dog than with their partner. Bad news for partners of dog owners – but good news for dogs.
Kissing is Unnatural Behavior for Dogs
Do dogs love when we kiss them profusely? There are no exact scientific conclusions on this score yet. However, researchers know that kissing is unnatural behavior in dogs. But: Dogs can get used to kissing if they live with people.
But the fact that four-legged friends are used to this does not mean that they like it too. Many dogs will quickly feel threatened if you get too close to their face. In the worst case, the animal may even bite you in passion. Especially dogs that you do not know should not be kissed.
Your own dog may also have an aversion to kissing, depending on previous experience. So pay attention to how your dog reacts to your expressions of affection: is his body stiff and is his dog trying to fend off you with aggressive licking? Then you better stop kissing him so hard.
Dog Kissing Can Transmit Diseases
And dog kisses may not only be positive for you. Because, especially if you allow your dog to happily lick you through your face, you are exposing yourself to possible bacteria and pathogens. The chances of you getting sick from kissing a dog are quite low – for example, the US CDC still recommends washing your hands after every contact with a dog.
Especially if your dog has not been dewormed or vaccinated, or if it is sick, you should not kiss it. According to Heart for Animals, the same applies in the case of illness or immunodeficiency.
Instead of kissing, you can show your dog your love in other ways – preferably in a way that truly understands the expression, such as loving glances, facial expressions, and gentle touching.