Why Do Dogs Lick You?

Are you wondering why your dog keeps licking your, hand and face?

Here we explain how dogs communicate through licking and what you can do if your dog wants to lick their face.

Have you ever been asked by friends what it means when the dog licks your hand? Many non-dog owners worry about hygiene in particular.

Licking my hand means I like you and you’re the boss.

Canine communication

Licking is a natural behavior of dogs.

Dogs use the tongue for grooming, feeding, and social communication. Dogs love to involve humans in this communication and like to lick hands or even faces.

It is easy to explain why this is so. You just have to look at the behavior among dogs.

What does it mean when the dog licks your hand?

Communication between us humans is not easy. Misunderstandings quickly arise because people simply misunderstand each other.

It’s easy to guess that communication between humans and their favorite pet dog is much more complicated.

The behavior of our four-legged friends is sometimes not so easy to see through.

It often happens that the dog shows a well-intentioned gesture and the human simply sees it as a stupid habit. One of these “bad habits” is licking your hands or even your face.

Licking promotes relationships

This licking begins right after birth. The puppy sees the light of day and is immediately licked lovingly by its mother. This not only ensures drying the pup.

Licking stimulates the child’s circulation. As a result, the mother perceives the smell of her newborn very clearly.

After meals, the offspring is also licked. This stimulates digestion. At the same time, the mother-child relationship is cultivated.

The puppy submits

When the puppy is already more independent, it learns the importance of licking in a pack.

Young animals that are not yet hunting themselves lick the snouts of adult dogs. This gesture encourages the adult dog to regurgitate the pre-digested food for the puppy to eat.

Licking is important for feeding, but it also signifies submission and affection.

Licking the hand is a positive gesture

Even if we pet the dog, it interprets this as a positive gesture and enjoys it. So it’s no wonder that the dog also wants to show this devotion to humans very clearly.

If the dog licks the hands or the face of its human, this is a very positive gesture.

Dogs show that he trusts this person, feels comfortable, and accept the leadership of the pack by their owner.

If the dog now licks your hand, he wants to show you that he likes it. But he can also draw attention to himself in a very endearing way.

He would like something. He shows it very carefully. This can mean, for example, that he wants something to eat or wants to be petted.

Requesting pats or food in this way shows that the dog is aware of its position in the pack and accepts it.

A dog that thinks it is the leader of the pack or even is, would be much more demanding.

Hygiene is important on the face

Understandably, you are probably thinking first and foremost about hygiene and everything that the dog puts in its mouth or even eats during the day.

These concerns are also perfectly fine. You should avoid your four-legged friend licking your face or that of other family members.

However, you should not prohibit him from licking completely. The dog wants to show you his affection. A ban would completely upset him.

Offer hands to lick instead of face

When your dog is having a “love rush,” just hold out your hands and let him lick to his heart’s content. This protects the face and with good soap, the hands are quickly and hygienically clean again.

So, among dogs, licking is an expression of trust, affection, submission, and a quest for nurturing.

If you observe your dog closely, you will know which tactics your four-legged friend is following.

Things are a little different when the dog licks an infant. In this case, he expresses that he will also take care of the offspring of the family and would even defend them if necessary.

It is therefore very important not to prohibit dogs from this gesture, even if it is sometimes difficult.

Licking is a very positive behavior. If the question “Why do dogs lick you?” comes up again in your circle of friends, simply explain what your dog is trying to convey.