Often, a dog licks its owner because it shows feelings for him. The habit of licking the one you love is instilled in the dog from puppyhood. The mother diligently licks her offspring, showing care, care and tenderness. Why a dog licks its owner and what it means – we will look into it in more detail.
Dog saliva for humans: benefits and harms
Until recently, there was an opinion that the saliva of animals contains much less harmful microorganisms than that of humans. However, numerous studies have refuted this theory.
Dog saliva for humans, benefits and harms:
- Dogs can eat excrement, pick up a variety of garbage, spoiled foods, so they often contain salmonellosis pathogens and E. coli in their mouths. Experienced breeders who carefully control their dogs' nutrition are not advised to allow their dogs to express affection in this way.
- If a person is completely healthy, there will be no harm from such kisses, but if there are some disorders, for example, a person suffers from skin diseases, scratches on the face, or reduced immunity, then such kisses can cause serious diseases.
- That is why take your pet to the veterinarian on time and destroy worms, as well as pathogens that the dog can carry.
Kisses
Serdyuk
Editor of the “Neurology” section
Leading surgeon, neurologist, neurosurgeon, head of the department of surgery at the Dog and Cat International Exhibition Center, St. Petersburg. Member of the European Society of Veterinary Neurology (ESVN).
Graduated from the St. Petersburg State Academy of Veterinary Medicine in 2009. For more than 10 years he worked in leading veterinary clinics in the city.
Postgraduate education:
- Internships in leading clinics in Moscow.
- Spring 2010 - course of practical and theoretical training at the School of Postgraduate Education in the surgical treatment of spinal diseases, Moscow.
- March 2012 - internship in neurology and orthopedics at the Jaggy clinics in Brno, Prague, Czech Republic.
- October 2012 - master class on neurology with Professor Richard A LeCouter, Moscow.
- October 2013 - internship in neurology at the specialized clinic “Aisti”, Vanta, Finland.
- November 2013 - master class on orthopedics and neurosurgery with Professor Noel Fitzpatrick, Moscow.
- 2019 - 32nd European Neurological Symposium, Wroclaw, Poland.
Takes active part as a listener:
- St. Petersburg surgical, neurological conference.
- National Veterinary Conference (NVC). Moscow Veterinary Congress.
- Baltic Forum of Veterinary Medicine. All-Russian conference on oncology and anesthesiology of small domestic animals.
Educational work:
- Lecturer at the St. Petersburg Surgical Conference 2011—2019;
- Lecturer at the Baltic Forum of Veterinary Medicine 2012, 2014, 2016;
- Lecturer at the National Veterinary Conference 2022;
- 2022 Purina Partners Surgical Conference Lecturer
Why does a puppy lick its owner?
There are several reasons why doggies do this. The ability to lick appears in dogs from birth. It is after birth that the mother licks her puppy, removing traces of mucus, blood, and stimulating intestinal function. It is believed that at birth, dogs’ intestines are not filled with the necessary enzymes to break down food; babies have virtually no immunity. By licking her babies, the mother transfers part of her saliva, along with protective functions, to the puppy's fur. Many people believe that this is a kind of declaration of love and an alternative to kissing, but in reality this is not the case. Below we will look at several reasons why a puppy may lick its owner.
Why does a puppy lick its owner?
- At an early age, puppies cannot defecate on their own, so they need a kind of massage. It is for this purpose that mothers lick their babies. If you look closely, the kids often reciprocate her feelings. But this is not at all an indicator or a declaration of love. Small pets try to attract attention, ask for food, affection. “Kiss” makes it clear that he needs attention and care from his mother.
- A way to get attention. Most often this happens early in the morning; the dog may approach the sleepy owner and lick his fingers. The dog wants attention, is hungry, and needs a walk.
- I like your smell. It can occur after a meal when the dog owner has consumed meat products, such as cutlets or sausage. The dog likes such smells, he can lick and beg the owner for a treat.
- This happens if the dog is not given such products due to possible problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Kisses
Diseases
Sometimes licking the owner and foreign objects indicates that the pet has health problems. The owner should consult a veterinarian if the dog licks the floor, the reasons for this behavior often indicate the development of pathologies:
- Gastritis. A disease in which the gastric mucosa becomes covered with wounds. The organ produces excessive amounts of gastric juice, which is accompanied by pain and discomfort. The animal begins to behave inappropriately, licking various hard surfaces;
- Pancreatitis. Inflammation of the pancreas contributes to insufficient production of enzymes that are involved in the digestion of food. As soon as the dog eats, it begins to lick furniture or the floor;
- Heart problems. When an animal's heart muscle function is impaired, frequent attacks of pain are a concern. To relieve the symptom, the dog instinctively tilts its head, and tongue movements occur uncontrollably, so it seems that the dog is deliberately licking the floor.
Why does a dog lick its owner's hands?
The dog is nervous and worried. Often, pets may lick their owners' hands before they leave.
Why does a dog lick its owner's hands?
- Dogs very quickly remember rituals and repeated events. If the owner, after waking up, brushes his teeth, makes coffee, and bangs his keys, this indicates he is leaving for work. This causes anxiety for the pet, because he understands that he will have to be alone for a long period of time. The dog begs for attention from the owner, enjoys the last minutes of being with the owner, or tries to beg him to stay at home.
- Dogs are pack animals that are used to living in a hierarchical society. In such a pack there are leaders and subordinates. That is why dogs very often lick the hands of their owners, thereby they show their submission, considering the owner to be the leader of the pack.
- This is especially important if this dog is of a dominant character, for example, a Jack Russell Terrier. With such dogs there are many difficulties in the training process. With dogs of these breeds you need to be quite strict and constantly prove your superiority. The opposite situation happens: the dog licks the hands of its owner, considering him his friend, his equal.
With kids
Nikolaev
Editor of the section “Dermatology”
Veterinary dermatologist at the White Fang clinic, member of the European Society of Veterinary Dermatology (ESVD), resident of the European College of Veterinary Dermatology (ECVD).
Born in Moscow. Like many veterinarians, as a child she read books by James Herriot, which could not but influence her choice of profession. Although until the last grades of school the whole family was sure that Lyuba would become an economist. However, the desire to treat smaller brothers still won, and in 2001 she entered the Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine and Biotechnology named after. K.I. Scriabin, and from the next year she already combined her studies with work as an assistant in a veterinary clinic.
Having successfully graduated from the Veterinary Academy, she became acutely aware of the need for postgraduate education, and began to specialize in skin diseases due to operational necessity - the clinic really needed a dermatologist. First of all, I acquired the “dermatologist’s bible” - the book Small Animal Dermatology - and plunged into one and a half thousand pages of English text; the abundance of new information was overwhelming. A master class conducted by Ekaterina Kuznetsova, Svetlana Belova and Anastasia Markina helped me master it. And soon the promising young doctor went to work at the White Fang veterinary clinic; To this day she considers Ekaterina Kuznetsova to be her mentor. Svetlana Belova also had an important influence on her passion for dermatology.
Lyubov Viktorovna is characterized by perfectionism - she likes it when everything is done perfectly, when the owners are happy, when the office is clean, when patients get better. She constantly improves her professional level by studying literature, attending international conferences and master classes; Since 2014, Lyubov Nikolaeva is a resident of the European College of Veterinary Dermatology (ECVD). She is interested in all areas of dermatology, and recently she has been studying immunology and skin histology in more depth: “In practice, most often we have to deal with allergies of dogs and cats, so you always expect a patient with some rare disease.”
Lyubov Viktorovna participates in domestic postgraduate education programs as a lecturer: she regularly gives lectures and conducts master classes on dermatology in various cities of Russia.
In 2012, she was awarded the public medal “For achievements in the field of veterinary science” in accordance with the Regulations on the medal, approved by the Department of Veterinary Medicine of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
At home she raises two miniature schnauzers and a cat; selected kittens appear periodically.
He is interested in traveling, dancing, and loves photographing landscapes and cities.
Why does a dog lick its owner's feet?
Sometimes a dog licks its owner's feet exclusively. You need to be careful about this habit of your pet.
Why does a dog lick its owner's feet?
- This may mean that the animal’s diet lacks chlorine and some trace elements. If there is not enough salt in your dog's diet, this can negatively affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The dog tries to make up for the deficiency by licking the sweat from its owner's feet. It replenishes sodium and chlorine deficiency.
- The dog is worried and afraid. This can happen after shouting or punishment, when the owner communicates with the pet in a threatening tone. The dog asks for forgiveness and expresses its submission to the owner. The pet does not want to be shouted at or punished.
- Perhaps you recently took a shower, or walked around the city for a long time, and your feet are sweaty. Dogs have a more developed sense of smell than humans. With its help, they can identify and capture even the most subtle odors. The smell of sweat, or vice versa, the aroma of soap, may seem unpleasant to the dog. He will consider this a threat to the owner. The dog is trying to rid his owner of an unpleasant smell, as he considers it dangerous.
Kisses
Licking wounds
Of course, the popular belief about the healing properties of dog saliva is a myth. However, some enzymes contained in the animal's tongue have a slight antibacterial effect - enough to slightly protect the wound when licking it on yourself or a member of the pack. Also, the very fact of monotonously licking a wound allows the dog’s tongue to “sweep” the germs out. The collective mentality of a dog within a pack will not allow it to calmly watch as its owner bleeds, and therefore, if the dog runs to lick even the smallest of your scratches, know that he really wants to provide some help.
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Why does a dog lick its owner's face?
Dogs may often lick their owner's face. This usually occurs due to prolonged separation. In this case, kissing a dog may mean that she misses you and is glad to be back.
Why does a dog lick its owner's face?
- A dog may kiss if it is faced with stress. This occurs due to fear or anxiety. Anxiety can be observed during a visit to the veterinarian, or when uninvited guests come home.
- Care. The dog wants to sweep away the burden of a hard day from you, and also cleanse the surface of your face from pathogenic microorganisms. She shows her love and care.
- She shows her admiration, submission and obedience. This is a manifestation of a special instinct that was formed during the existence of the pack.
With the mistress
Submission
In the wild, licking is often a sign of submission—as a lower-ranking wolf might lick an alpha male to show his submission and willingness to submit. With proper upbringing of pets, the relationship between the pets and the owner should resemble a pack, in which the person, of course, is the leader. So a dog can happily lick a person, thus demonstrating that it accepts him as its leader.
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The dog licked it - what to do?
Of course, kissing a dog is not only harmful to humans, but also beneficial. Despite the content of some pathogenic and opportunistic microorganisms in the saliva, a dog, along with kisses, gives a person a significant amount of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin. Hormones are responsible for happiness, improving the owner’s mood, making him cheerful.
The dog licked it, what to do:
- If a child gets a dog in childhood, the risk of allergies and asthma is reduced. The child tolerates various viruses and diseases more easily.
- Strengthens the immune system. Indeed, a dog’s saliva may contain some opportunistic microorganisms that the human immune system fights. Due to constant communication with the dog, human immunity improves and the body’s resistance to various diseases increases.
- Don't deny yourself dog kisses. However, you should not allow your dog to lick his lips or mucous membranes. Nothing bad will happen if the dog licks his cheek, chin or nose.
With the owner
Old habits
Licking is a part of every dog's life from the moment it is born to its very first breath. The mother licks her puppies to “wake them up”, clean them and guide them to feeding. As they grow up, licking will become a key part of communication between siblings, as well as an expression of affection for their mother. So if your relationship with your pets resembles a family in which everyone is equal, the dog’s desire to lick its “mother” or a similar “brother” (even if it is a cat) is understandable.
Why do dogs lick people?
However, dogs can lick not only their owner, but also strangers. This happens for several reasons.
Why do dogs lick people?
- They are collecting information. Each person has a certain smell, the dog gets to know its owner by licking the surface of the skin.
- The dog tries to mark the person so that during further communication he can understand that this is a familiar person.
- The dog is nervous. Usually in crowded places where there are a large number of strangers, the dog licks not the strangers at all, but the owner. The pet is worried because the owner may forget about him surrounded by so many quality people. In this case, a kiss is a way to attract attention. It’s as if he’s saying: don’t forget about me, I’m still here.
With a dog
Communication
If a dog is hungry, has been alone all day, is in pain, or needs to go outside, he may decide that licking is a great way to get his owner's attention. Less aggressive than barking and obviously more gentle. Of course, in most cases the message will be simple: “I like you,” but it is still worth being attentive in the case of unexplained licking and trying to understand what exactly the pet wants.
How to stop a dog from constantly licking its owner?
After conducting research, it was found that dogs are better than many modern devices in determining the presence of diseases in the owner. If your dog begins to frequently kiss a certain area on the body, you should consult a doctor. Together with human sweat, various substances are released, the composition of which varies depending on the state of health. Therefore, if a person gets sick, the composition of his sweat changes and dogs feel it. There are several ways to stop your pet from licking loved ones frequently.
How to stop a dog from constantly licking its owner:
- Review your dog's diet; it may be lacking some nutrients or not getting enough food. A kiss is just a request to feed her.
- Try to avoid stressful situations, walk with your dog in a certain and familiar place. Many dogs do not accept new places and do not want to meet new people. Try not to walk with a fearful pet in new, unfamiliar places. It is desirable that he be surrounded by the same people and animals.
- A dog may lick its hands frequently due to fear. Therefore, you should not use too aggressive training and education methods. Try to use as little physical force as possible and do not punish your pet over trifles. Some dogs react this way to overly aggressive training or rough handling. For them, licking is a way to calm down or ask for affection.
- As soon as your dog approaches you to lick you, make loud noises or clap. It could be an ordinary bell. Never hit the dog or push it away from you. As soon as the dog hears the clap, it will reflexively move away. Stroke her, praise her, don’t let her lick you. As soon as your dog opens his mouth to lick his hands, remove them and clap your hands again. Repeat the manipulation during periods when the dog wants to lick you. Just a few such trainings, and the dog will understand that the owner does not want to be licked.
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If the dog kisses you often enough, it gets boring and stressful, you need to fight this manifestation of love.
Attachment
In most cases, it becomes obvious that the dog is showering you with love simply because he missed you and is very happy to see you again. These active, slobbery kisses, backed by boundless energy, are quite comparable to human expressions of love and are associated with the desire to receive pleasure. Sometimes for a dog, the simple act of licking provides a powerful release of endorphins, and if it is also combined with the sight of a loved one, the happy licking can continue for quite a long time.
