Why Do Dogs Lick You?
Written by Small Door's medical experts
Dogs use many nonverbal methods to communicate with you, one of which is licking. The act of licking is a common way for dogs to express their instinctual needs, feelings, and desires — to both humans and other animals. While licking may seem to be a simple social action, there’s a wide range of reasons that lead your dog to lick. Read on to learn more about why dogs lick and what this behavior may mean.
In This Article:
Why do dogs lick you, or lick you when you pet them? Licking is a natural and communicative behavior in dogs. It’s a social “hello.” Most often, dogs will lick humans as a way for them to express their love and affection, like a kiss, or to seek attention through physical touch.
Dogs also clean and stimulate their offspring and themselves by licking, since it’s an innate behavior linked to survival that has been passed down through the species.
Here are some of the many reasons your dog may lick you or others:
Grooming, including social grooming and socializing
Exploring new or interesting tastes
Following instincts
Hunger
Nausea, stomach upset
Affection
Loneliness
Boredom
Seeking attention
To relieve itching
Pain
Anxiety (generalized anxiety or separation anxiety)
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Pica (a behavioral condition that leads to the ingestion of nonfood materials, which may include toys, fabrics, rocks, etc.)
Licking is a completely normal and natural dog behavior and form of body language, but how can you tell if it has become a problem? Excessive or repetitive licking may be an indication of an illness or behavioral condition. Sometimes stress and anxiety are the culprits, and it’s important to know if your dog is experiencing these conditions, or others.
To help determine the underlying cause of your dog’s licking, your veterinarian will first perform a thorough physical exam. Additional testing may also be needed, such as bloodwork, a urinalysis, radiographs, or an ultrasound. Together, these diagnostics can help provide a more well-rounded view of any potential issues with your dog’s health or help to identify an injury or location of a painful area that may be contributing to the excessive licking.
A veterinary behavioral specialist is a veterinarian who is board-certified in diagnosing and treating behavioral issues in animals. Veterinary behaviorists treat conditions including anxiety, aggression, urinary marking and inappropriate urination, just to name a few. Your regular general practicing veterinarian will be able to help determine if this is an appropriate option for your dog, as well as provide recommendations or referrals to a specialist near you.
In addition to being caused by an underlying issue, excessive licking may also cause other problems, such as skin irritation or infection. If you notice repetitive licking by your dog, it’s important to address it as early as possible to help avoid skin issues.
In most cases, it’s totally safe for dogs to lick you. It’s a common practice. In a survey of more than 700 dog owners in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 85.3% of dogs licked their owner’s hand and 49.3% of owners reported being licked in the face.
However, a dog’s mouth does contain various bacteria and microorganisms (including parasites). When a dog licks, there is potential infection from the transfer of saliva introducing bacteria to an open abrasion or wound. Zoonotic diseases, diseases which can be passed between animals and humans, may also be spread through the saliva of a dog. People with compromised immune systems, as well as the young and elderly, are at higher risk for contracting infections from licking. You may have heard that dogs' mouths are cleaner than humans, but this is a myth.
If your veterinarian has helped you identify your dog’s licking as a behavioral issue, there are different approaches to help stop unwanted licking. In general, owners may use a system of “Ignore-Reward-Distract” to replace the licking with other positive behaviors.
Some specific approaches are called command-response-reward exercises, counterconditioning, or distraction techniques. The techniques involve ignoring your dog when they are licking by turning away, rewarding your dog when they stop licking (which helps reinforce the desired behavior of not licking), and/or distracting your dog with exercise or extra playtime.
In some cases, behavioral licking may be caused by genetic factors. Certain breeds of dogs are predisposed to developing behavioral conditions, such as noise phobias, fear, aggression, and anxiety. In a large study of more than 13,000 dogs in Finland, published in 2020 in Scientific Reports, researchers found that hyperactive or compulsive behaviors, such as the ones that may lead to excessive licking, most often affected the following breeds:
German Shepherds
Staffordshire Bull Terriers
Border Collies
Behavioral conditions that cause excessive licking can sometimes be treated successfully through prescription anti-anxiety medications like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as fluoxetine (the generic for Prozac), or serotonin–norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) like clomipramine. Both of these medication classes may help your dog to feel more balanced and stop compulsive behaviors.
“Face washing” (licking another animal or human face) is actually an act of endearment. Allowing your dog to lick your face is a personal choice. However, it is important to be aware of the potential risks for bacterial or parasitic infection in dogs’ saliva.
If you do decide to allow your dog to lick your face (or even lick your hands), to help decrease the risk of transfer of bacteria or organisms, be sure to wash with soap and water afterward.
Dogs will lick you in the morning as a greeting to express they are happy to see you. This is an evolutionary behavior, as young puppies learn to lick their mother as a form of greeting.
Sometimes, however, a dog’s morning licking may be for personal enjoyment. Your dog might just want to lick your morning skin to taste any sweat or oils you may have secreted during sleep.
If your dog is licking you more than anyone else in the family, that may be a sign that they have the strongest bond with you or love you and your company the most.
Or, your skin could just taste really good to them.
Due to their super strong sense of smell, dogs will often want to lick their owners after they’ve eaten to taste or experience any leftover small particles of food on the face or hands. This is a completely instinctive behavior, as puppies will lick their mother when they are hungry as an indication they want food.
Dogs will also lick you when you pet them as a way of communicating to you their mutual affection and love.
Licking can be a sign that your dog may be sympathizing with you. A 2023 study in Evolutionary Human Sciences found that dogs can perceive human facial expressions and emotions, and will lick in response as a way of expressing empathy if they notice sad or negative faces.
Summary
There are many underlying reasons as to why your dog licks you. While a dog’s love and affection can be expressed toward their owner through licking, sometimes licking can be caused by other (treatable) medical conditions. If you have concerns about your dog’s licking habits, a consultation with your veterinarian can help you to further investigate the root of your dog’s licking behavior and determine the type of training or treatment that may be helpful.
