Gee, my dog is licking my face again. Of course I love my baby but her wet sloppy kisses as well as the raspy tongue that laves my nose, face, ears with her icky drool is a less than pleasant show of affection. Licking is a normal behavior of dogs but with the way my pet is licking me every time it gets the chance, this pooch is probably the world’s greatest licker.

Licking is a habit learned by dogs from puppyhood. Mother dogs would lick the puppies clean. After defecating and urinating, the anal area of the puppies will be licked by the dam. Mother dogs licking is aimed to aid in the circulation and digestion process of the puppies. On the part of the puppies, the licking can be a plea to be allowed to nurse. About to be weaned puppies will lick the mother dog’s lips to encourage regurgitation. Obviously, the most common reason for licking is to show affection. Mother dogs would instinctively lick puppies that have crawled away from the littermates. Being affectionate creatures, puppies would lick not only the mother dog but also the littermates.

Dogs would normally show their affection by licking. Dogs that have closely bonded with their owners consider humans as their family. Humans become the family of the dog thus, the licking that is a manifestation of affection will now be given to the family. The dog licks you because you are now his family. It will be noted that dogs that do not receive the same care and affection from their owners would not have the inclination to lick their owners.

Dogs are pack oriented animals. You may have made your dog understand that you are the alpha male – the leader of the pack. Your pet recognizes you as the leader of the pack because licking is a sign of submission. Dogs are known to lick the master to gain attention or approval. This is most common in households with two or more dogs. Licking can be the strategy of one dog wanting to get an edge over the other pet for the master’s affection.

You may be annoyed by the dog’s licking behavior because you know that the pet also has the habit of eating disgusting things like feces and rotting animals. The licking habit of the dog would be even more annoying if you see the dog lapping the water in the toilet bowl. These are disgusting habits and naturally you would want to stop the pet from licking you.

Learn more about why dogs lick at Sarah’s Dogs.