Many dogs gladly lick not only their humans but also strangers. Behind it lies a somewhat less appetising explanation.

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However, before you despair because of your pet, let us state: the gesture, aka your dog licking primarily serves a contact-establishing function, and it mostly counts as a greeting. It’s essentially a social behaviour that comes from their evolutionary history, – explains Dr Emily Blackwell, lecturer on the behaviour and welfare of companion animals at the University of Bristol.

Sniffing and licking are important parts of the dog’s communication / Photo: azenkutyam.hu

Since we’ve already mentioned evolution, let’s also cover why licking became a form of greeting. As the expert explains, the puppies greet their mother in this way, but beyond friendliness, they have a much more important goal with it: they want food. The mother animal then offers their young regurgitated food. Yes, this would be the less charming part of the explanation. However, this only bears significance in the puppy–parent relationship – your pet’s approach should simply be taken as kindness.

Neoteny – Are dogs eternal children?

What is also very interesting about the phenomenon is that it is strikingly rare for an adult dog to lick or repeatedly lick another adult dog. Among each other, they don’t use this greeting. So why do they turn to humans this way? According to Dr Blackwell, the explanation is that as an owner, you continuously fulfil the parental role in your dog’s eyes. As she points out, this is a kind of lifelong puppy behaviour on the part of domesticated dogs.

This also appears in vocalisation. According to studies, the vocal signals of domesticated adult dogs resemble those of puppies much more than those of wild dog species. The phenomenon is called neoteny. It can also be observed in other domestic animals – for instance, in cats, kneading can be seen in this way.

By caring for them, you become the most important person / Photo: azenkutyam.hu

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Can it cause a problem if the dog licks?

After all this, an important question is whether it’s a problem if your pet greets you with a kiss. According to the behaviourist, there is no consensus on whether dogs should be encouraged or, on the contrary, discouraged from this leftover behaviour.

As long as you have no open wounds, the dog’s saliva can’t cause physical harm. (Unless you don’t ensure proper parasite protection – some of which can be dangerous to humans). However, if it is unpleasant for you, then teach your four-legged friend not to do it.

The most important thing is to never scold them for it (negative reinforcement is still reinforcement!), and certainly don’t punish them. Instead, prevent the gesture and offer an alternative. For example, pet them or ask for a pawshake while speaking kindly, and you can even reward them. If you tolerate a slobbery kiss on the hand better, then you can substitute that for the lick on the face.

Find another form of greeting! / Photo: azenkutyam.hu

Don’t expect too much from your pet!

What Dr Blackwell emphasises, however, is that as an owner, you mustn’t have too high expectations towards your four-legged friend. She means the common expectation among pet owners that the dog should endure solitude and the owner’s absence quietly and calmly. The fact that they see you as a parent clearly shows what an important role you play in your pet’s life. So, it’s not reasonable to expect them to handle it well when you have to be apart for a long time.

Of course, it is unavoidable to be separated from time to time – for example, during working hours – but the dog can be accustomed to this. As we’ve also written, some breeds tolerate loneliness better. But in general, we can say that too much alone time is not good for any dog. It is a breeding ground for various mental and behavioural problems if you cannot devote enough time to the animal.

Nothing can replace quality time / Photo: azenkutyam.hu

However, it is also not okay if the dog reacts excessively to separation. The phenomenon called separation anxiety is very common. Dogs suffering from this handle their Human’s absence extremely poorly, which manifests in barking, noise-making, destruction, and house-soiling problems. These can in no way be considered normal, and if necessary, a professional should be involved to find a solution.