Why Do Dogs Love Licking?

[angelinaparker86 0]

I need to know as to why dogs are so much into licking their owners in particular; my dogs love licking as well.

[deadmad7 4]

I'm pretty sure that they lick other people to show their affection and to say that they like you... that's just what i think. Or they wanna mark you with their scent or something... to say "its my human! get your own" or soemthing like that. The world is a better place when you think its the first one

[anwiii 17]

well, i've been around dogs all my life. i think you are right in a way deadmad. dogs DO show their affection by licking but licking doesn't mean a dog is showing their affection. i think this topic is debatable. i personally think licking is instictive by nature. most dogs love me, yet half of them don't lick me. i think it has more to do with communication than anything else. dogs communicate differently just like humans do. it could mean they are showing affection, it could mean they are greeting someone, it could mean they are marking their scent, it could mean you smell and taste good. heck. it could mean they want to clean you....just like when monkeys instinctively pick your hair. it could mean many things.to really know why a dog is licking you means you have to know the dog or dogs in general and pay very close attention to detail and their demeanor.

[rob86 2]

Interesting question, but I have a more disturbing one. Why is Deadmad7 LICK~ing everyone?Dogs lick for a variety of instinctual reasons, and trying to understand them is always going to be difficult. Dogs often lick their owner to show submission. Sometimes while playing with my dog, he'll hurt my finger by accident and I'll yell out in pain "Ow! Stop it, foo!". Whether he feels guilt or not is debatable, but he does realize something went wrong and he'll lick me in a submissive looking way. My dog also licks when I attempt to pull painful things out of his fur. Licking seems to be a prelude to aggressive biting. He doesn't really understand I'm trying to help and will often show his discomfort by growling and hiding in a corner and if I don't stop bothering him he'll start gently nipping at my hand and licking it intensely. Then when that fails, he might resort to some minor biting on the 'official' bite scale.. They also do groom like cats do. I assume most dogs groom themselves somewhat (not as much as a Cat), but some dogs seem to groom other pets and people more than others -- perhaps it's a maternal instinct, I don't know. My male dogs have never attempted to groom me.I think with the exception of grooming, licking in it's many varieties is a sign of submission. I don't think being submissive HAS to be some dramatic display with a tail between legs etc, it can be just a daily reminder that your dog is comfortable in it's position of the 'pack'. Every dog is unique even though they follow guidelines set by evolution.It's hard to describe it as a sign of affection because affection is kind of a human dramaticism of instinctual behaviors. I'm not sure what my opinion of Human affection is, let alone dogs. To quote, "What is Love? Baby, don't hurt me!". It CAN be a dramatic display though, I think licking is intensified when there's a fear response. Whether it's licking something or licking their lips. It's kind of like when you have a rough friend or family member who's choking the life out of you and you're panicking even though you know they're not really going to strangle you to death they're just being a jerk. A person will start freaking out irrationally trying to stop the scary moment.Or maybe, you just have peanut butter on you :)And Deadmad I doubt they are marking their scent on you LOL. I don't think dogs are supposed to pee on their family but that sure would be a touching display of affection wouldn't it? Have fun with your dog aNGELINA!

Edited January 25, 2011 by rob86 (see edit history)

[deadmad7 4]

And Deadmad I doubt they are marking their scent on you LOL. I don't think dogs are supposed to pee on their family but that sure would be a touching display of affection wouldn't it?

It's not like they're peeing on them... but spit and pee is kinda alike aren't they?

[web_designer 7]

well, even personally, i don't like dogs very much. but i like to read a lot, and i know they do that, particularly to their owners because this is their way to show their love and caring. as we all know, dogs can't speak or do anything as we, human do. so naturally they lick others to show their love towards the ones they like. even it is a disgusting way of showing love in my point of view, but what can i say, dogs are dogs after all .

[anwiii 17]

my dog is like robs. my dog doesn't normally lick me except when i am playing rough and he sometimes hurts me. i'll say "ouch!" or something and he'll start licking the spot he thinks he hurt. i trained him as a pup the word "attack" and when he was biting too hard, i would say "gentle" and he would start licking instead of biting.in this sense, i think licking is more of a protective nature. i will never believe though that if my dog doesn't lick me, he isn't showing his affection. i don't think that is the major reason why dogs lick. but again, this is only my opinion. the whole dog licking thing can be debatableand yes, i think licking sometimes has to do with attaching a dogs scent to something. i didn't say the dog needed to pee on someone or another dog. that would be something else entirely but still has meaning...

[sheepdog 10]

Dogs lick for a variety of reasons. One is that it is a nurturing, motherly instinct. Dams will lick their pups to keep them clean and healthy. Did you know that a newborn puppy cannot poop until it's mother licks it's backside to stimulate defication? Sounds weird, but you have to remember that dogs were not always domestic animals. Mothers used to have to go out and catch food for themselves and their pups. If the pups crapped all over themselves while the mother was gone off hunting, the smell would alert preditors to the pups location, and they would become lunch for some other creature. If the pups had to hold it till mom got back she would clean them all up and prevent the oder problem.Dogs also lick each other when there are injuries involved and one dog cannot reach his own injuries. It is common to see dogs licking each other ears, a common place for not only injuries, but dirt accumilations. Obviously, one cannot reach his own ears to lick them, the same holds true with the eyes, which often accumilate matter around them. Licking is a major sourse of doggie hygene, since they can't use a washrag and turn on the hot water. As for dogs licking humans, I think it for the most part is a show of affection and the dog thinks we need cleaning. Or attention to an injury. In some cases there is the food thing, if we have just eaten a cheeseburger, our dogs do enjoy getting that little bit of wonderful flavored grease off our fingers. But for the most part it's how they interact with us humans on their own doggie level. In a previous post, I mentioned George, the cancer sniffing Standard Schnauzer. Dogs can detect cancer cells, and they also recognise other ailments that effect human health. If you notice your dog continuing to sniff or lick one certain part of your body, it may be time for a check up from a human doctor. Dogs can sense even the smallest change in our body chemistry.

[web_designer 7]

Dogs lick for a variety of reasons. One is that it is a nurturing, motherly instinct. Dams will lick their pups to keep them clean and healthy. Did you know that a newborn puppy cannot poop until it's mother licks it's backside to stimulate defication? Sounds weird, but you have to remember that dogs were not always domestic animals. Mothers used to have to go out and catch food for themselves and their pups. If the pups crapped all over themselves while the mother was gone off hunting, the smell would alert preditors to the pups location, and they would become lunch for some other creature. If the pups had to hold it till mom got back she would clean them all up and prevent the oder problem.
Dogs also lick each other when there are injuries involved and one dog cannot reach his own injuries. It is common to see dogs licking each other ears, a common place for not only injuries, but dirt accumilations. Obviously, one cannot reach his own ears to lick them, the same holds true with the eyes, which often accumilate matter around them. Licking is a major sourse of doggie hygene, since they can't use a washrag and turn on the hot water.

As for dogs licking humans, I think it for the most part is a show of affection and the dog thinks we need cleaning. Or attention to an injury. In some cases there is the food thing, if we have just eaten a cheeseburger, our dogs do enjoy getting that little bit of wonderful flavored grease off our fingers. But for the most part it's how they interact with us humans on their own doggie level.

In a previous post, I mentioned George, the cancer sniffing Standard Schnauzer. Dogs can detect cancer cells, and they also recognise other ailments that effect human health. If you notice your dog continuing to sniff or lick one certain part of your body, it may be time for a check up from a human doctor. Dogs can sense even the smallest change in our body chemistry.

wow, thanks for the useful information sheepdog. in fact, i was waiting for you to reply to this thread and glade you did. as they say:" take it from the expert " right??

thanks for sharing those information with us, i will keep them in mind.

[PhoenixGFX 1]

I believe it's a natural habit.Dogs normally lick to show that they trust you and have affection towards the owners and even other dogs. Sometimes dogs overdo it though... this just shows that they need some extra attention and a sign of bad training.It can be seen as soon as a pup is born, mother dogs usually lick to clean their puppies and by doing this create a bond between the pup and it's mother!