Dog licking on the face: what do the experts say?

Every dog ​​that is well cared for and loved by its family will be happy to see their owners home. Many of them will throwing himself on his face to kiss him disconsolately. An adorable gesture, right? Licking is one of the ways that dogs express their affection, although there are studies that allege that it is also a way of receive information from their owners.

But should we avoid dog licking on the face for health or not? In this article, through opinions and expert studies on the subject, I have compiled information that will help you know how to deal with this situation, especially if you have children at home and you don't know if it can negatively affect their health.

Why do dogs lick our faces?

Dogs, from puppies, use their tongue to recognize and interact with the world around them. However, the movement of this organ is also closely connected with their emotions: dogs demonstrate their obedience to their masters through licking, in addition to their love, affection and empathy.

A study carried out by Drs Deborah Custance and Jennifer Mayer showed that dogs react differently to our joy or pain. During the dynamics of the experiment, the furry ones gave more kisses to their masters when they cried than when they were happy. Faced with this situation, they approached them with a playful attitude, but not with the spirit of comforting and empathizing them.

From this point of view, the kisses of dogs to their masters are also a way to reach out to them to give them encouragement when they need it most.

However, something important must be taken into account: as I have commented previously, the language is the organ they use to recognize the world around them, which means that a large number of bacteria are housed in it.

Dog licking on the face: better to avoid or not?

No one can deny that dogs do not brush their teeth every day, and that many times eat spoiled food found on the street or in the park. This means that, when licking us, it is true that they can transmit bacteria to us that accumulate in their mouths.

According to Kathryn Michel, a renowned professor at the University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine, it could happen that they infect us with the parasite toxocara canis, also known as roundworm. This roundworm can transmit pneumonia, or in the most serious cases, irreversible blindness if the larva finds a way to reach our eyes. Dogs are actually the biological host of this larva, but in the case of humans, the consequences can be more severe.

On the one hand, many experts comment that, above all, wounds should be handled with caution. If our furry licks them, it can cause them to become infected and cause what is known as cellulitis: an infection that can spread and become dangerous. This is to say that the mouths of animals are hosts of zoonotic bacteria, that is, microbes capable of being transmitted to humans and causing disease.

But on the other hand, this view coexists with other studies that try to show that dog saliva actually contains healthy bacteria, capable of regenerating human wounds. Opinions on the subject end up being very disparate and contradictory to each other.

However, all the experts seem to agree on one thing: the really probable thing is that nothing ever happens. Dr. Michel, for example, says that she gets her face licked by her puppies, adding that she is not at all concerned. To contract a dangerous disease There must be a number of very unfortunate circumstances:

• That the dog has a disease or parasite.
• That we kiss parts of the body that facilitate the entry of bacteria into our body and defenses, such as the eyes, nose, mouth or wounds.

Michel also assures that our immune system is strong enough to deal with invading agents of this type. This means that if you have a healthy immune system, your dog receives proper care, and is up to date with all vaccinations, there is no chance of contracting diseases.

In addition, we must bear in mind that the skin has very little absorption capacity, and that the amount of saliva that we receive per lick is not so great that it is absorbed. Otherwise, we would be constantly contracting diseases of all kinds. That said, let's never be alarmed if a puppy kisses us on the face, let's smile at him because he is telling us that he loves us.

Still, and in view of the fact that there are so many diverse opinions, the important thing is that be yourself who sets your own limits. In my opinion, depriving them of giving us kisses is also a way of restricting their way of expressing themselves and expressing themselves with us.

Are dog licks on the face harmful for babies?

In this case, it must be clarified that experts do not recommend that dogs lick them at allas your immune system is not strong enough yet. That is, as adorable as it may seem to you, this is not recommended:

On the other hand, it is not recommended that they kiss the elderly or people who are undergoing chemotherapy.

And you, do you let your dogs lick you in the face? Or do you consider it a completely dangerous gesture for your health?