{"id":194235,"date":"2023-09-27T16:50:59","date_gmt":"2023-09-27T16:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/?p=194235"},"modified":"2023-09-27T16:50:59","modified_gmt":"2023-09-27T16:50:59","slug":"why-do-dogs-lick-you-the-sun","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/world-news\/why-do-dogs-lick-you-the-sun\/","title":{"rendered":"Why do dogs lick you? | The Sun"},"content":{"rendered":"

DOGS are great pets to have due to their unconditional love, but this love comes served with a side of slobbery licks.<\/p>\n

While dog licks can be gross, it can be a sign they are trying to communicate something with you – here's what we know.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Why do dogs lick you?<\/h2>\n

Carolyn Menteith, an experienced dog behaviouralist and Kennel Club Accredited Instructor explained: \u201cLicking is a very natural and instinctive behaviour for dogs.<\/p>\n

"It helps them take in tastes and scents from things in their environment to help discover more about them, and can also be a way to show affection or interact."<\/p>\n

By studying their behaviour, and getting to know your pet, you can make some educated judgments on why your dog is licking.<\/p>\n

They are showing affection<\/h3>\n

One reason for the slobbery kisses from our canine friends is to show us affection.<\/p>\n

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When dogs are young, their mothers spend lots of time licking them \u2013 it is a nurturing behaviour.\u00a0<\/p>\n

So when domestic dogs lick their owners, they imitate this behaviour and demonstrate the love they have for them.<\/p>\n

This is also a sign of empathy as dogs will attempt to lick their owners if they see they are sad or crying, in order to comfort them. <\/p>\n

It even feels good to your dog to do this; when they lick for affection, pleasurable endorphins are released in their brain.<\/p>\n

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If your dog is licking you regularly it probably just means they love you.<\/p>\n

They want your attention<\/h3>\n

When in nature and dogs travel in packs, licking plays a big role in the way they communicate.<\/p>\n

They can use their licks to tell each other they\u2019re hungry, hurt, or even just to ask to be friends.<\/p>\n

If your dog comes to lick you then you will respond by fussing them or speaking to them, from here they can communicate whatever they need. <\/p>\n

By responding to the licks with the correct solution, your dog will learn that licking is an effective way to get you to help them and the behaviour will be reinforced. <\/p>\n

You taste good<\/h3>\n

It may sound a bit gross, but our skin is home to a range of tastes.<\/p>\n

Particles of food we had for dinner, sweat, and even just the grease and bacteria that exist naturally on our skin can all taste great to\u00a0a dog. <\/p>\n

Make sure you don't have remains of something inedible to your dog where they are licking, such as melted chocolate, as this puts them at risk of poisoning. <\/p>\n

If you spot your dog licking somewhere excessively they've probably found a patch that is particularly tasty so just make sure it is safe to lick. <\/p>\n

Sometimes, they\u2019re merely enjoying the flavour they get from you.<\/p>\n

As a reward<\/h3>\n

When your dog licks you, you might start petting them, scratching them, or even giving them some food in return. <\/p>\n

This reinforces the behaviour and dogs will lick you more because they are aware they will get something enjoyable by doing so.<\/p>\n

This can be a two-way street as they want to show you that your response to their needs was correct, so they lick you. <\/p>\n

Dogs don't understand that humans don't lick to communicate so they are just using the tools they know to speak to you. <\/p>\n

They are exploring<\/h3>\n

A dog's tongue is a particularly sensitive tool and can help them learn a lot about their surroundings.<\/p>\n

When dogs lick you, they are taking in sweat from your skin. <\/p>\n

This contains water, ammonia, sodium, potassium and a whole host of other stuff that dogs can draw information about you. <\/p>\n

It may be they are just trying to learn a bit more about you.<\/p>\n

They feel anxious or unwell<\/h3>\n

Excessive licking can be a sign that your dog is feeling anxious or ill. <\/p>\n

Dogs vary in how much they lick anyway so look for changes in this behaviour to indicate something is wrong. <\/p>\n

Your dog may be seeking comfort when they lick you or be trying to alert you that something is wrong. <\/p>\n

If your dog begins licking lots more than they usually do, you might need to check in with a vet and monitor what they are eating. <\/p>\n

Plain food will help an upset stomach but if they have eaten something dangerous you should take them to the vet immediately. <\/p>\n

How can you stop a dog from licking you?<\/h2>\n

While we trust dogs mean well when they lick us, it can get annoying or make us feel uncomfortable. <\/p>\n

You shouldn't feel guilty as no compulsive behaviour is good for them, including licking.<\/p>\n

Carolyn said: \u201cWhen dogs lick, they get a release of \u2018feel-good\u2019 hormones – which is highly reinforcing for them, so encourages them to keep on licking!\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you really don\u2019t like your dog licking you, you can reduce it by ignoring the behaviour, and interacting with them only when they keep their tongue in their mouth.<\/p>\n

"You can pre-empt their licking by asking them to do something else instead \u2013 for example, you could teach them to touch your hand with their nose \u2013 and reward them with a treat or toy, for doing that instead.\u201d<\/p>\n

In future, when your furry pet licks you, you should ignore them or train them to perform other behaviours instead.<\/p>\n

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It can be hard to do this as none of us like ignoring our dogs but remind yourself that this will benefit them in the long term. <\/p>\n

If this fails to change your\u00a0dog\u2019s behaviour\u00a0and you feel they have a real problem with licking, a behaviour expert should be able to provide you with advice.<\/p>\n

Source: Read Full Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

DOGS are great pets to have due to their unconditional love, but this love comes…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":194234,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28134],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhy do dogs lick you? | The Sun - Tokens Talk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/world-news\/why-do-dogs-lick-you-the-sun\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Why do dogs lick you? | The Sun - Tokens Talk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"DOGS are great pets to have due to their unconditional love, but this love comes...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/world-news\/why-do-dogs-lick-you-the-sun\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Tokens Talk\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-09-27T16:50:59+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"mediabest\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Why-do-dogs-lick-you-The-Sun.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"mediabest\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/world-news\/why-do-dogs-lick-you-the-sun\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/tokenstalk.info\/world-news\/why-do-dogs-lick-you-the-sun\/\",\"name\":\"Why do dogs lick you? 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