Despite that lamer It is one of the most characteristic habits of dogs, it is still unknown what exactly drives them to do so. There are many theories that we find in this regard, and they refer to different aspects: it can be from a show of affection to the symptom of a behavior problem. Here are five of these reasons.
1. Get attention. Sometimes dogs use this method to claim the attention of their owners. They may demand affection, walks or tell us that it is time to eat. The latter goes back to their primary instincts, as when a puppy is hungry it licks its mother's snout to look for food scraps.
2. Show affection. These animals express their affection by licking, so they usually do it while we caress them. It is an extremely important social signal to them, as well as a very common friendly gesture. They usually prefer to lick the faces and hands of their owners.
3. Communicate loyalty, submission and dominance. Dogs can lick us to express certain feelings. For example, they sometimes greet us in this way, showing joy at seeing us. At other times they do it as a sign of submission, although if they lick excessively it can also be a sign of dominance.
4. To get to know you. Dogs perceive a large amount of information through taste. Again, this refers to their natural instinct, as their ancestors the wolves lick the mouths of other congeners to check for food nearby. The taste of a person, on the other hand, gives them data about their health and their state of mind.
5. For anxiety. If the dog constantly licks us or the objects around him, it is probably a symptom of an anxiety problem. We can solve this by increasing your exercise time and with the help of toys, although sometimes it is necessary to turn to a professional educator.