All of us who have had or have a dog and enjoy his company more than once will have seen how he has approached us to lick us. This affectionate attitude makes us love him even more if possible, but ... Why does he do this?
If you have that curiosity and would like someone to tell you why dogs lick, below you will find the answer.
Why do they do it?
Dogs have a limited communication system. Although more than one and more than two of us have ever thought or said that "it seems that they just need to talk", the reality is that being able to use only their body language is sometimes difficult to know what they are thinking or which ones it's going to be your reactions.
From the first day we have them at home, we will notice that they observe us a lot. It is the way they have to get to know us, to know what our behavior is, how we usually react to different situations that arise throughout the day, ... in short, to know everything - or almost everything - about us.
Now, Why do they lick? There are several reasons, which can be positive (the vast majority) and not so good. Let's look at the first ones first:
Good reasons
- They want us: is the most common reason. Of course, they do not do it as a kiss, but because they know we like it.
- Cleans usYes, we may have finished showering, but dogs have a tendency to lick their human if they think they are not clean enough, in the same way that they groom each other.
- Wakes us upWhether they want to go for a walk or if they are looking for a little attention and they find us sleeping, they will give us a few licks to wake us up.
- They are exploring: dogs are very curious by nature. If they smell or see something that attracts their attention, they will lick it, especially if we have just eaten and we have not cleaned our hands yet.
- They are hungry: If they watch us with food, what they will do is, in all probability, lick themselves.
- They are making a calm sign: If they lick the air, it will be because they are trying to be tolerant of something or someone new. It is their way of saying that they are calm.
Bad motives
- They are afraid: if they lick carefully, and if they also have their tails and / or ears lowered, they are telling us that they are scared, very uncomfortable.
- They feel very uncomfortable: if they lick their lips and turn around, it is because they do not like how we are behaving or the situation in which they have been immersed.
- They are restless: We will know this if we see that they lick excessively. When that happens, it is best to take them and take them to a quieter area. In the event that they do not calm down, they may have the urge to vomit, so a visit to the vet will not hurt.
Is it good to let them lick us?
Well, apart from what each of us can say, a very interesting study say what there is a compelling reason to let them do it: they can improve our health. How?
In the stomach of dogs live microbes that could have a probiotic effect on our body, by promoting the growth of positive elements for our bacterial flora. Although, of course, we should not let them lick us if they are or we are sick, since although there are very few diseases that are spread from human to dog or vice versa, there are some that are very dangerous, such as rabies. .
I hope it has been useful to you 🙂.