Even though our dogs are our dearest family members and best friends, we don’t always understand them. While some of their actions, such as wagging their tails in happiness or scratching at the door to go outside, are fairly simple to understand, others can leave us perplexed. As we reflect on our love for our dogs this Valentine’s Day, it’s important to try to comprehend their expressions of affection.
The answer to the question of whether a dog licking your face or hands is affectionate is both yes and no. Yes, because your dog has learned the behavior, licks frequently denote affection. You may like or appreciate the licks by giving your dog cuddles or praise in return. So to make you happy, the dog will lick more. Even more fundamentally, puppies frequently use licking to signal to their mothers that they are ready for food. Therefore, a dog may lick you to indicate hunger, receive a dog biscuit in response, and learn that licks result in a contented owner who gives out food.
Your dog may be giving you a kiss as a sign of respect because in the pack, lower-status dogs would typically lick higher-status dogs. However, sometimes it’s simpler than that. Your dog might lick you just because you smell or taste good.
In any case, it’s acceptable to compliment your dog for this social interaction if you enjoy dog licks. However, you can easily teach your dog that biting is not acceptable if you don’t like them. Be consistent in your responses to licks, as you would with any training, to help your dog learn what is expected of him.
Dogs can express their love for you in a variety of other ways physically, or if not, they can at least do so by being at ease and trusting you. Some common dog signs of relaxed comfort include:
Dogs can also express their love by engaging in a behavior you’ve taught them. Dogs may repeat these actions even if not asked because they want to please you.
Similar to people, dogs also have a wide range of emotional expression and social behavior. One dog might enjoy face licks and couch cuddles, while another might sit aloof on the opposite side of the room from you. The behavior frequently varies by breed, with some breeds desiring close human contact more than others. This varied behavior is simply different ways of expressing love based on the dog’s personality and does not necessarily signify a difference in affection. That being said, if your dog has always acted a certain way and then starts acting differently, this could indicate a problem, and you should think about seeing your veterinarian.
Is It Safe for Dogs to Lick You?
Its usually relatively harmless to let your dog lick you. However, it is a common misconception that dogs have cleaner mouths than people. Dogs’ mouths are filled with natural bacteria, which contributes to the danger of dog bites. However, unless it enters an open wound, this bacteria probably won’t harm anyone. But hey, you might just think its gross. And thats okay.
Are Dog Kisses Actually Signs of Affection?
Unfortunately, there is no simple explanation for why dogs lick their owners, but it seems to depend on whether the dog is looking for you or if you are looking for the dog.
According to Hof, “It’s helpful to look at the context of the licking to better understand and pay attention to other signals besides the licking or the kiss, such as the dog approaching the owner and choosing to engage in the behavior despite having the option to move away or leave; or was the dog thrust upon and looking away and licking his lips as well?” Hence, forced affection on the part of the guardian can distort the true intention of a dog’s kiss – a
The following crucial reminder is provided by Hof: “Always invite your dog to approach you so that you feel more confident they’ve made that decision voluntarily.” You’ll notice that your dog behaves more at ease and confidently when you start to respect their autonomy. As a result, you can trust that the way your dog interacts with you is real.
Hof asserts that it is not advised for people to put their faces up to the faces of their dogs for safety reasons (and this is a difficult one for many of us who share our lives with dogs). Although we frequently do this as a sign of affection, our dogs frequently find it intrusive, and they might not like it. Here is where dogs most frequently “kiss” or lick their owner’s face to defuse a potentially dangerous situation.
This “Kiss to Dismiss”, as coined by the Family Paws Organization, is often paired with a look away from the person and licking of lips. If you would like to have a close moment with your dog, invite them to do so with you, and if they want to come up to your face, they will – but if not, respect it when they say ‘no’. Obviously we want our dogs to be comfortable so it’s important to be thoughtful of how we physically show emotions to our dogs, so that our dogs don’t feel pressured to appease us through kisses.
Fact #2: Dog Kisses Indicate Social Status
According to Khuly, dogs will kiss each other to show that they, the kissers, are “lower” than the kiss recipients.
She adds that canine-human relationships mirror canine-canine relationships in this way (and other ways, too) and that “these social cues are important for dogs in a pack setting to help establish a solid social structure with minimum strife.”
FAQ
Is dog licking equivalent to kissing?
“Generally speaking, a dog will lick you as a sign of affection.” The dog may be showing signs of stress if it licks someone who is agitated or excited. They are attempting to relax by licking that person because they are aware that it is a kind gesture.
Do dogs really show affection by licking?
Yes, because your dog has learned the behavior, licks frequently denote affection. You may like or appreciate the licks by giving your dog cuddles or praise in return. So to make you happy, the dog will lick more.
Do dogs understand when you kiss them?
Dogs don’t comprehend human kisses in the same way that humans do, say animal behaviorists. Young puppies haven’t yet learned to associate kisses with affection, so you might not notice any signs of recognition at all when giving them a kiss.
Why does my dog kiss me on the lips?
Your dog’s natural method of expressing affection is by kissing you on the mouth. You get to choose whether you want to support this or not. Set your own personal limits to avoid sending your dog conflicting signals. Dogs only want to bring you joy and inquire about you when you get home.