Why do dogs like licking peoples mouths?

If your dog loves to lick you, it's for a few reasons: they're very affectionate, looking for your attention, or acting on their wild instinct. A dog licking its owner is so common, dog owners usually call it "giving kisses" and consider it a sign of affection.

It's usually relatively harmless to let your dog lick you, but some dogs seem to lick people more than others. This behavior is usually harmless, but we break down exactly why dogs like to lick people, if it's safe for them to do so, and how to train your dog to lick less if it's becoming an annoyance.

Affection: There's a pretty good chance that your dog is licking you because it loves you. It's why many people call them "kisses." Dogs show affection by licking people and sometimes even other dogs. Licking is a natural action for dogs. They learned it from the grooming and affection given to them as puppies by their mothers. Dogs might lick your face if they can get to it. If not, they might just go for any available patch of skin, such as hands, arms, legs, and feet. Some dogs tend to lick less than others. This does not necessarily mean that a dog is less affectionate if it does not lick. It might have just learned things differently as a puppy or just not prefer licking.

While we don't know for certain why dogs lick, most experts agree that there is probably a combination of reasons. Licking is not considered a serious behavior problem unless it bothers you. Knowing the reason for your dog's licking might even change the way you feel about it.

Attention-Seeking: Licking behavior that starts as affection often gets reinforced by a person's reaction: laughing, smiling, petting, etc. Maybe your dog is bored or lonely. There you are and it wants your attention. Even negative attention can encourage licking. When a dog is seeking attention, it will feel rewarded by any kind of attention, even the negative type. Pushing it away, saying "no," or even punishing it still means you're not ignoring it. This can encourage licking.

Instinct: When wolves (and sometimes dogs in the wild) return to their pups after a meal, they regurgitate meat from the hunt. The pups, too young to hunt on their own, will lick the meat from around the mother's mouth. It is believed by some that this licking behavior has been passed down in the DNA, causing dogs to instinctively do it sometimes.

You Taste Good: Once that dog gets to licking you, it might realize you have an intriguing human taste that is a bit salty. Dogs love anything that has an interesting taste. Plus, licking is a way for your dog to explore his world. You're part of that world after all.

Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior: Although it's rare, dogs can suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder, often brought on by prolonged stress and anxiety. Licking that occurs constantly (and usually involves the licking of objects, surfaces, and self in addition to humans) may be a real problem. Talk to your veterinarian about your concerns about your dog. Your vet might refer you to an animal behaviorist for help. Your veterinarian or a veterinary behaviorist may also prescribe medication to help relieve anxiety. Though you may think medication should be a last resort, it's important to understand that animals cannot learn while in a high state of anxiety. Medication may be used as a tool in conjunction with training. Pharmaceutical treatment may even be used temporarily while your dog goes through training and behavior modification.

It's usually relatively harmless to let your dog lick you. However, don't believe the old myth that dogs' mouths are cleaner than humans' mouths. Dogs' mouths contain a lot of natural bacteria, which is part of the reason dog bites are so dangerous. However, this bacteria probably won't cause harm unless it gets into an open wound. But hey, you might just think it's gross. And that's okay.

You might think dog kisses are disgusting. Or, you might just feel like enough is enough. Getting your dog to stop licking you (and others) is usually a matter of denying attention when it does it. Stop touching your dog or looking at it. Turn your head away. Get up and walk away if you need to. As soon as the licking stops, reward it with attention, affection, or even treats. In time, your dog will usually get the point, that licking is undesired behavior.

If you want the occasional gentle kiss from your dog, you can train your dog by attaching a word or phrase such as "kiss" or "gimme sugar" to the behavior. Reward the gentle kiss, say on the cheek or chin (or maybe just your hand depending on your preferences). Then deny attention if the licking it gets out of hand. If you need help with this and other training, consider hiring a dog trainer.

There are many reasons why a dog would lick someone, licking is an instinctive behaviour that dogs are born with. Many people think that every time their dog licks them it’s out of affection but it could be because of a variety of reasons such as affection, taste, communication, for a reward/attention, to show submission, a medical reason, enjoyment, grooming or simply to investigate.

Dogs love to lick people and many dog owners think they’re giving kisses and affection, but that’s not the only reason they do it. The amount a dog licks people varies from dog to dog, some love to lick and some aren’t as communal with their tongue. Just keep in mind excessive licking in the same spot might be a bigger issue that you should consult your vet about. Read on to find out some of the reasons why dogs lick people 👅

As a sign of affection

The first thing a mother does for her puppy when it’s born is lick it to clear its nostrils so that the puppy can breathe, this will also stimulate the blood flow when they are born. Often, the litter will lick the puppy too which will improve their packs bond.

Both puppies and adult dogs naturally show affection by licking both people and other dogs.

Taste

Dogs tend to use their nose and mouth to pick up a lot of information and because of this, they will sometimes lick another dog's urine or faeces as a way of understanding what they're smelling more. Probably one of the biggest factors is that you taste good. Our skin can be quite salty or have some residue on it from the food we’ve just eaten and dogs love this. It’s an interesting taste that dogs love to explore.

Communication

In the wild, wolves would lick their mothers face when they wanted to feed as the mother would regurgitate food from their hunt. Dogs nowadays will often lick the mouth and face of dogs they meet as a form of communication. They may lick their owners or the face of a stranger or other dog to figure out their intentions too. This is not just for dogs either, you'll often see dogs lick the face of people too to try and work out what their intentions are or to show submission.

For a reward/attention seeking

When a dog licks us, we’ll tend to respond in a positive manner often paying attention to the dog and giving them a pet. Even if you’re just trying to get them off you, it’s more encouragement for the dog. To further this, when a dog licks it releases endorphins which makes the dog feel calm and comforted.

For very similar reasons as the communication section, as puppies instinctively lick their mother’s mouth for food, licking other’s mouths is used as a form of interacting with other dogs and letting them know they’re superior to them or they mean no harm. A very subtle, but effective, way of communicating as a dog.

For a medical issue

If your dog is repeatedly licking the same spot this may be something more sinister. This could be something like anxiety or something a bit more serious like sensitive skin or an allergic reaction. If you see your dog doing this, it’s best to consult a vet and get a proper diagnosis. These can often be figured out and treated quite well, for example, sensitive skin or an allergic reaction can be very much down to diet.

Enjoyment

Dogs can get bored or lonely and licking can provide a little bit of enjoyment from the endorphins released but also brings whoever they’re licking into the situation. It brings them attention and gives them something to do.

Grooming

Your dogs have a much better sense of smell than us humans, they may lick you to get some dirt or something smelly off your skin. Similar to how a mum will lick their finger and wipe your face before you go out, a dog will lick you to clean you too.

Investigation

Dogs are naturally inquisitive, and their tongues are packed with sensors. Their sense of taste and smell are very much connected and work in tandem with each other. You'll see them on a walk running around smelling and tasting everything. They are able to taste and smell a huge range of things after they lick you including where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing.