Prepare To Be Amazed At Real Scores Behind Dogs Licking Your Face As Revealed By Dog Owners, They Are More Than Just Kisses

It's easy to assume that dogs kiss us by licking our face, but the behavior goes beyond that.

May

• Published in Interesting
• March 1, 2024

Isn't it just heartwarming how our furry friends express their affection? When dogs greet us with those gentle licks, it's their way of saying, "I love you!"

It all starts from their puppy days when their mothers shower them with love through licking. As they grow, they carry on this sweet tradition by licking their beloved human companions to show just how much they care.

Once they feel truly at ease, they'll often greet their beloved humans with gentle licks. It's such a sweet gesture, driven by feelings of affection, curiosity, and familiarity.

However, while we all find it adorable, experts emphasize the importance of being cautious about letting dogs lick our faces. Experts also highlight the significance of respecting a dog's boundaries when it comes to affectionate gestures like 'kisses or cuddles'.

Paying close attention to the dog's body language to determine if they feel at ease during interactions. If there's any uncertainty, it's best to give them some space.

Additionally, adults need to supervise children around dogs and prevent them from getting too close to the dog's face to ensure safety. Speaking of dog kisses, Quora users shared their take on dogs licking their hooman's face, too.

They answered in a thread with this question:

When a dog licks your face, is that the canine equivalent of a human kiss?

There's not much difference between us, humans, and dogs.

Yes, humans and other animals aren't all that different, animals are intelligent enough to know what affection is and how to show it to us, for example if I say give me kisses to any of my pets they happily do so or if I ask them if they want kisses they come up for them

What a mother dog does to her young.

When weaning time comes in the wild, a canine mother will transport meat home to her family in her stomach. The pups lick her mouth to help stimulate regurgitation.

Based on this it seems to me to be reasonable to interpret a "kiss" from a domestic dog as greeting that that communicates his understanding of his subordinate, dependent position in your relationship.

But that's just my opinion and may or may not be accurate.

There have been some great an thorough answers here. My dog licks me for probably all those reasons.

But, since he is a perceptive dog, he will try to lick strangers who ask if he’s friendly but seem hesitant. See, he’s a Doberman, and very outgoing and empathetic.

Many people get worried about Dobermans, but honestly they’re far safer than your average Pomeranian or Chihuahua (scary!). He knows hesitance vs. bad vibes, and seems to want to placate a worried person by initiating kindness.

Of course, they may not want to be licked but they see his kind intention, and might just pet him instead. He’s happy when he sees they are happy.

Don't try to get too cozy with a new dog even if it seems that it likes you.

I believe that it is reasonable to assume that a lick on the face is like a kiss. After all, they do not lick the face of people that they do not like, as they tend to growl and bark a lot.

And to a person that they seem to like, but do not yet trust will get a nice bite on the face if they attempt to hug the dog.

The video below is an example of a dog that is gentle until the person gets their face too close.

So, yes, if a dog allows you to get your face close enough for them to lick it, I believe that is is a show of liking you well enough to kiss you—just an opinion. The video definitely shows that the opposite is true.

Also, I believe that when a dog licks a sore on our arm or leg, that it is trying to help the wound heal faster.

Dogs, like kids, explore with their mouths. So, licking you means they're trying to get to know you.

Yes, sometimes dogs lick their humans to show love and submission. Canine behavioral researchers also found that dogs lick us because we taste good to them, which is a little thought provoking.

We are salty evidently. Dogs, like toddlers, explore the world with their mouths, so licking is another way for your dog to get to know you.

This doggo probably wants to taste what his human ate.

I would like to think that it is the equivalent of a kiss. However, I have noticed that my dog normally licks my cheeks shortly after I have finished eating.

So it may be I'm a messy eater. He actually is more prone to licking my neck but he licks my cheeks too. I keep my mouth turned away but he seems to get so much enjoyment out of washing my face once a day or twice a day I hate to deprive him of it.

Dogs are gathering info using licks to know what you've been up to when you left home.

I read in a brazilian article that i cannot find that dogs do this when you get into the house to see what you’ve been up to! Where you went, what you ate, etc. they can sense it from the smells and tastes of your face.

I assume all other answers are also correct, as it’s whats most common in current literature.

Dog licks can mean a lot of things.

No, they can be many things- an act of submission especially with puppies, an affinity for your moisturizer, a taste for salt.

Body language and posture tell you more than a lick. As humans we often like to put our values on animal behaviour.

Ouch!

It’s the equivalent of licking an anus or penis. Because dogs LOVE to lick those best.

So they are equating your face with their anus.

Doggos just want to get your attention.

Dogs are very good at figuring out how to get our attention and affection. If you watch them with other dogs, you will see that the subordinate dogs often greet dogs that are higher in the hierarchy by running up and licking their faces.

That greeting carries over to interactions with humans. They typically won’t lick strangers.

So it is at the very least a greeting and an attempt to get attention. I do think it is also a display of affection.

Dogs lick our faces for a variety of reasons. If it's your dog doing it, you can be 100% sure that they're just showing their affection.

But their motivations in doing this extend beyond mere kisses. Whether it's to communicate, bond, or seek attention, this behavior just shows how deep a relationship can be between dogs and humans.

May