Yuck – Fido licked my Face Again
Dogs are known to have a loving characteristics. This is one of the reasons why dogs are branded as man’s best friends. Dogs also have the tendency to follow their masters around thus they were given the name Velcro animals. Dogs are hugged and kissed – these animals are indeed well loved pets. And dogs also have the propensity to lave the face of the owner with sloppy kisses.
Do you have a pet that licks face too? The dog’s licking habit is ignored by some pet owners. Dogs are known to drink from the toilet bowl and has the habit of eating feces thus owners that are licked by the pet on the face will naturally be disgusted. Whether the owner is disgusted or not by the pet’s habit it would still be necessary to understand why the dog likes licking faces.
Would you believe – the disgusting habit of slathering your face with saliva can be the pet’s show of affection. Licking is a natural behavior learned by dogs from their mother. After a puppy is born, the dam would lick the newborn to remove the afterbirth with its tongue and to stimulate circulation. The mother dog’s habit of licking the puppies strengthens the bond between the dam and the puppies. A dog considers the owners as its family. Dogs are intelligent animals and the care given by the owner will be repaid by an affectionate pet by licking the person that provides its care.
Dog behaviorists explain the habit of licking the face as a sign of the dog’ submission or deference. Dogs are pack animals. Even in the wild, the dominant dog is respected and treated as the head of the pack. Licking the face of the leader of the pack is done by dogs lower in rank to show submission. Dogs consider the owner and the other family members as higher in rank thus the pet will lick the face to show submission.
A lot of dog owners consider the pet as their babies thus the saliva that covers the face when the dog licks is ignored. However, the licking can be an unsanitary habit given the dog’s habit of raiding the trash and eating feces. The dog’s licking habit would be even more dangerous if a child is at the receiving end of the dog’s tongue. Dogs and children often falls in love at first sight and because of the affection, the kid would not mind a face-licking pet. The face-licking habit is dangerous if a kid is at the receiving end as the kid can be exposed to the bacteria in the dog’s mouth..
Why do dogs lick your face and feet. Why do they lick their own feet, genitals and possible wounds? These and other dog behaviour questions are answered at Sarah’s Dogs.
Tagged with: animals • dog behaviour • dogs • pets • why do dogs lick
Filed under: Train Puppy Dog
Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!