Why does your dog lick you?

There is often more to it than a token of love

Created: 12/28/2022, 2:28 p.m

By: Anne Hund

It doesn't matter whether it's a puppy or an adult dog: four-legged friends seek contact with people.

By touching them, they can build a bond with their mistress or master.

Many dog ​​owners experience it regularly: when they come home, their dog is so happy that it licks their cheeks, ears or hands as a greeting.

If this is the case, the owner can be happy: With this form of communication, the dog expresses its close connection and affection for master, mistress or another reference person.

Find out here what else the gesture can be about.

1. Why does your dog lick you?

Gesture as a sign of affection

Licking the face is a way of showing a dog's love for a familiar person.

The situation is similar when the dog licks the hands, which for many people is more pleasant than the face for hygiene reasons because they can simply wash their hands thoroughly afterwards.

So feel free to extend your outstretched hand to him.

On the other hand, you should never turn the dog away, because it would not understand and the communication between you and the dog could suffer in the long run.

Dog experts see the gesture of the four-legged friend as an important step in terms of the bond between him and the human being.

Because: the mouths and tongues of animals are roughly comparable to our hands.

Young puppies are licked by their mothers to make them feel safe.

Dogs also sometimes groom each other.

If the dog licks its hands, it is a sign of familiarity and affection.

Puppies in particular are increasingly looking for contact - this is how a bond can be built between dog and human.

© Christian Deutzmann/Agency 54 Grad/Imago

2. Why does your dog lick you?

Animals want to appease

If a young dog meets an older dog, you can often see the puppy licking the dog's mouth.

The behavior can also sometimes be observed between adult dogs, which often emanates from the lower-ranking dog.

Dog connoisseurs interpret this as a gesture of subservience.

In addition, the four-legged friend often makes himself small in front of the other dog or turns to the side - a gesture of appeasement, like

further explained on the behavior of dogs.

So if the dog licks the hands of the owner or owner after you have scolded him or maybe you are tense yourself, this would be interpreted as follows when transferred to the communication of the four-legged friend to the human: “You are the boss and have the say ", says the report.

On the other hand, if your dog is constantly licking its paws, you should consult a veterinarian who will clarify whether the cause is medical.

Understanding dog language: This is how dogs signal their love - physical contact, sleeping place, licking

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3. Why does your dog lick you?

Four-legged friends want to draw attention to themselves

Another phenomenon can be observed: if the dog is bored, licking its hands can also be interpreted as an invitation to play.

Or to put it simply: the four-legged friend wants to try to attract attention with the gesture, as

, among other things.

It is well known that young dogs in particular can be a bit stormy and are increasingly looking for contact and touch.

Sometimes they also lick their mistress' or master's hands as a sign that they like being petted more.

Then you have done everything right.

Of course, older dogs should also be praised extensively, played with and pampered with petting.

On the other hand, you can find out here in which situations, as a stranger, you should refrain from spontaneously stroking dogs.