Mother dogs kiss their pups to wash them and encourage them right after babies are born. Through the first few weeks in their life, pups are stimulated to urinate as well as to urinate by their mother’s gentle licking. Thus, puppies learn very early on that tongues can be useful instruments for communicating and interfacing with their environment.
Puppy licks are a way to soothe older dogs and even their mother and to make way for safe social interactions. Dogs will kiss one another to show their affection and also to help themselves and, sometimes, their littermates.
Dogs Lick People to Enhance Smell
The act of licking can also increase the canine’s sense of smell. Similar to humans, dogs savor salty, bitter, sweet, and sour. However, due to their limited number of taste buds, they rely on their sense of smell more than their sense of taste to decide which food items to lick or chew. This is probably why dogs like licking parts of our bodies that are strong in taste and smell, like our faces, hands, feet, ears, and looks.
To better understand why dogs love licking specific areas in our bodies, have an overview of the anatomy of sweat glands in humans. There are two types of sweat glands, namely eccrine and the apocrine.
Eccrine glands produce an extremely thin, odorless, clear fluid that is made up of protein, salt, etc. They are located in large numbers on the soles of feet, on the forehead, the palms, and cheeks, as well as within the armpits.
The apocrine glands produce a thicker fluid that reacts with bacteria in the skin to produce body odor. They are located in the groin and armpits. However, they also reside inside the ear canals, the eyelids, and nasal passages.
With all this enjoyable physical physiology, how do dogs not lick parts of us that have the most scent and taste?
Why Do Dogs Lick Your Hands?
While you travel around all over the globe, you’ll find your hands accumulate aromas and flavors that your dog will want to explore when you get home. There are times when you touch animals or people and, most likely, contact food items. Your hands act as a map for your puppy that tells the tale of your day. They’ll want to smell and taste every “destination” your hands visited.
Your hand also sweats. This leaves behind a sticky residue of salt on the skin of your dog to love.
Why Do Dogs Lick Your Face?
Alongside your hands and face, it is exposed to constantly exposed to the outside world, which means it absorbs a wide range of intriguing smells and tastes. Additionally, you’re likely to touch your face often, which gives your dog more reasons to kiss your face!
The face is home to both kinds of sweat glands. The glands that sweat on your forehead and cheeks give off the scent of salt that many canines will love. However, your nostrils and eyelids have apocrine glands, which provide these areas with a subtle but distinct smell that your dog’s powerful nose can easily recognize.
Because of the food you consume, your mouth and lips contain various appealing scents and flavors for your pet. This is why some dogs are prone to putting the kiss of slobber right on your lips after having eaten.
Apart from the smells and tastes your face can provide, Liking your look is likely to be an instinctual behavior to your puppy. Dogs will lick each other’s faces for grooming affection and to show their appreciation or a sense of harmlessness. Pet owners who adore their dogs when they lick them might also encourage the behavior by exuberant reactions.
Why Does My Dog Lick My Ears?
Your dog might be licking your ear to try them out, to keep your ears clean, or to give you a little extra affection.
The apocrine glands that line your ear canals release an oily fluid that produces an unpleasant smell when it mixes with the natural bacteria found on your skin. Together with the ceruminous glands, which have the earwax, your ears provide the possibility of tempting scents and flavors.
Dogs will lick each other’s ears to rub them. It’s also a sensitive interaction; dogs who allow this will probably feel very at ease with each other.
Why Does My Dog Lick My Feet?
All those glands that are located in your feet produce lots of sweat, and that sweat is the source of lots of salt. Your toes and feet provide salty treats for your pet. And if you’re happy, this can also be an entertaining game between you and your pet.
If you are smiling or laughing when your dog is licking the soles of your feet, then you might be promoting an incentive to the dog’s behavior. The dog quickly realizes that licking your feet earns your attention. It could not just prolong the licking time but increase the likelihood that it will occur when your feet with no socks come out in the future.
Why Does My Dog Lick My Legs?
If you’re just out of having a shower, then your pet might desire to rub the water droplets off your skin. It doesn’t mean that your dog is thirsty, but rather, they’re enthralled by the different smells and tastes that you’re taking out from the shower.
Body wash, shampoo, and shaving creams will leave a distinctive smell and a distinct taste on your face. The act of shaving yourself could also draw people’s attention since dogs use licks to clean up wounds.
If your leg is licking, it does not have anything to do with your shower routine. It could be an application of a lotion or a salty skin after exercising or something else completely random you didn’t know you were in contact with.
When Is Licking a Problem?
Dogs are known to lick their fur for a variety of reasons. They might lick to express boredom, in which case increasing the amount of enrichment may decrease the behavior. Activities such as lick mats give a way to distract bored dogs that like to lick their tongues.
But, sometimes, that licking can indicate a problem both behaviorally or medically. In terms of behavior, licking that happens often as a result of something but is hard to stop can be an indication of anxiety. The excessive licking of a person could indicate that the dog isn’t at ease with the person they are with and may be trying to relax themselves, collect more information, or even move the individual away.
Licking is a dog’s soothing signal, or it could be a behavior of displacement. When a dog is feeling anxious, stressed, or confused about the best course of action, they might employ a behavior to purchase some time and signal that they’re not prepared to participate. Licking, because of its effects on the body’s endorphins as well as dopamine, is a great way to relax in stressful social situations. It’s also a frequent habit that can be a trigger for compulsive disorders.
