Why do dogs lick feet?

Does your dog lick your feet? There are some canine behaviors that are very curious, one of them being precisely that. Why does he do this? Will you like the smell? The truth is that there are several reasons, some are even more striking if possible than your own attitude.

So if you want to know why do dogs lick feet, do not hesitate: keep reading.

Why do they do it?

Because they smell like you

Dogs are animals that are guided a lot by body odor. Little by little, from the first day they are with us, they begin to associate our smell with the smell of their family, something that will help them feel like part of a group, of a home. And of course, these furry when they want to give affection one of the things they do is lick, and if the feet are available well ... there they go. 🙂

To get to know you better

Although it sounds a bit strange, they can know a lot about us through our body odor. Why? Because This smell emits pheromones, which are invisible substances that what they do is transmit messages to the rest. For example, dogs can get an idea of ​​how we feel just by smelling them. It is for this reason that the more fragrant the feet, the more they will like them.

Wants to ask you something

Dogs when they want something they do whatever it takes to get our attention. If in the morning they have already made little noises and / or some other mischief but they have not achieved what they wanted, it is more than likely that they will end up licking their feet. So they will surely achieve their goal.

To relax

Sometimes the simplest explanation for a curious or weird behavior is the true one. Dogs may simply lick their feet to relax, as their mother did when they were puppies. The act of licking supposes for them a release of endorphins, which are substances that calm them.

Because you have something stuck

Another simple reason is that For example, we have gone barefoot to the kitchen and without realizing it we have left breadcrumbs. Thus, the dogs, with their powerful nose, will immediately detect the smell of bread on the feet and, as soon as they have a chance, they will put the remains of food that we have stepped on in their mouths.

What if your dog licks your feet?

We know the possible reasons why the dog can lick our feet, but… what happens if it does? Well, the truth is that nothing has to happen. If it is a puppy, maybe it will bite usBut that is something we can avoid by teaching him not to do that. How? With patience and offering him a toy as soon as we see that he is about to bite us.

Another thing that can happen is that is being submissive. For example, when he's in a very stressful situation, he may lick our feet to try and tell us to calm down. Therefore, it is important to try to avoid tension, both at home and outside of it, because no one likes to live in fear.

Is it good to let the dog lick your feet?

Depends. If it is a situation in which you are lying down and the dog is calm, no problem. But if one of you is nervous, or if you start to notice that this behavior seems to be turning into an obsession, then you should stop them by going to another room for a few moments until they have calmed down.

Can anything be done to avoid it?

There are people who do not like their dog licking their feet. Whether it's because they can't stand the tickling caused by licking or because they feel uncomfortable in these situations, they may find some method to prevent them from behaving like this.

In addition, we must also count on the possibility that we step on a piece of glass or plate that has been broken that same day without realizing it. Our furry could swallow it, which could be dangerous. For all these reasons, let's see what to do to stop licking our feet:

• The fastest and most efficient way is to do not go barefoot. Today they make socks of very fine fabric that we can wear during the summer, and also of cotton for the winter. If you don't like wearing socks, you can always wear flip-flops or low-top sneakers.
• Another option is to redirect the dog, something that is very easily achieved in the following way: every time you go to the feet, we will call them by showing you a dog treat that smells a lot, like bacon. Once you are by our side we will give it to you. We will have to repeat many times, but in the end we will surely achieve our goal. Patience is the key to success, so take it easy.
• Another thing we can do is attract their attention with words spoken in a very cheerful tone, like when we go to play and we tell them like "Come on, let's play nice!" Then, of course, you have to play with him for a little while, even if it's on the same couch.

Dogs are animals that sometimes show behaviors that attract our attention. Sometimes they can amuse us, but other times they will make us feel some unpleasant sensations. For this reason, if yours licks your feet, there will be no one better than you to decide if you want that situation to repeat itself, or if on the contrary it should stop as soon as possible.

Did you find it interesting?