# When my dog licks me, what is he communicating? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 6, 2015, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219 "2015-09-06T23:58:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2015, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/1 "2015-09-06T23:58:13Z")
Kiko is a 3 year old castrated male. Before we met he was a street dog. I have taught him not to lick my face. But he licks everywhere else. I am not real fond of it. But, I don’t want to deny his investigation of the world. So, why do you think he likes to lick me? Maybe it is the salt of my perspiration? I realize his sensory perception is limited. He doesn’t have opposable thumbs, and his mouth is probably a source of information. I know it is difficult to walk in his paws, and determine why he does it. But, you dopers are smart, and may have some insight. Gracias for sharing. ---
**Author:** ![Ambivalid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a5b964/32.png) [@Ambivalid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ambivalid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/2 "2015-09-07T00:05:15Z")
Well, my dog, if allowed, will lick any and every available surface on a person’s body (and this includes clothed surfaces). And he will continue licking and licking and licking, long after any salt or perspiration is gone. It seems more like a pathology than anything else. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/3 "2015-09-07T00:55:28Z")
Thanks **Ambivalid**. I guess I am trying to read too much into it. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/4 "2015-09-07T01:05:46Z")
It’s just salt. _says the cat owner_ ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/5 "2015-09-07T01:13:15Z")
“Hi, I’m a dog.” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 1:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/6 "2015-09-07T01:32:20Z")
A little bit of licking may mean he loves you. A lot usually means he likes the taste of you. It certainly can mean both. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/7 "2015-09-07T01:40:49Z")
I have read it’s a soothing behaviour for them, like a child sucking their thumb. If so, it makes sense that some dogs may be a bit obsessed with it. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/8 "2015-09-07T01:41:08Z")
“I am so eating you when you die.” ---
**Author:** ![purplehearingaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@purplehearingaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehearingaid)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/9 "2015-09-07T01:43:29Z")
> **[Why Do Dogs Lick Human's Faces?](https://pets.thenest.com/dogs-lick-humans-faces-5892.html)** > > Licking is an instinctive canine behavior that dogs use to communicate with people and other animals. When your dog licks your face, he could be trying to send you a message, gather information about you, keep you clean, or he may simply enjoy the... This tell reasons why dogs lick people faces and one is to tell you they’re hungry which I was thinking . Wolves do this with mothers so has to be an instinct that dogs still have. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 4:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/10 "2015-09-07T04:31:13Z")
> [@harmonicamoon](#): > > I realize his sensory perception is limited. He doesn’t have opposable thumbs, and his mouth is probably a source of information. His sensory perception is considerably better than yours. Practically every other mammal on the planet has better hearing and odor detection than humans do, in addition to decent eyesight and sensitivity to touch. (And I only added that practically to head off the inevitable.) But you’re right that animals, in general, are like toddlers in using their mouths to explore their world. As far as the licking goes, some dogs are more into mouthing things than others. Some will lick their paws or carpet or a pillow. It can be related to both nerves and/or boredom. ---
**Author:** ![Marion\_Wormer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@Marion\_Wormer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marion_Wormer)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/11 "2015-09-07T08:26:03Z")
Have you tried giving hi a chewtoy or a teddy? ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/12 "2015-09-07T12:30:44Z")
When my dog licks me, what is he communicating? Maybe rabies? ---
**Author:** ![MichaelEmouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/michaelemouse/32/101_2.png) [@MichaelEmouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelEmouse)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/13 "2015-09-07T12:52:28Z")
Most of the time, a dog will lick you for the same reason you kiss the dog. They concentrate on the face for the same reason we do. They learn licking as a way of showing affection/feeling good from their mother. Works for dogs, cats and dogs & cats: [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-gbeXpk8Jc) [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zRmMYkrHu6E/hqdefault.jpg "dog licking cat.3GP") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRmMYkrHu6E) ---
**Author:** ![Morgenstern](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Morgenstern](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgenstern)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/14 "2015-09-07T13:04:15Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > I have read it’s a soothing behaviour for them, like a child sucking their thumb. If so, it makes sense that some dogs may be a bit obsessed with it. This. Continuous licking has nothing to do with “cleaning” the owner. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/15 "2015-09-07T13:17:17Z")
> [@Morgenstern](#): > > This. > > Continuous licking has nothing to do with “cleaning” the owner. unless you’ve just been cooking bacon. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/16 "2015-09-07T13:21:58Z")
I have read that it is also a submissive behavior. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/17 "2015-09-07T13:55:40Z")
My Lab is communicating that there’s a wad of pill-containing peanut butter on my finger that needs to be slurped up, pronto. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/18 "2015-09-07T13:56:29Z")
[![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/pq9hBEvFNlM/hqdefault.jpg "Snoopy Lucy Kiss Dog Germs") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pq9hBEvFNlM) ---
**Author:** ![Ibanez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a4c791/32.png) [@Ibanez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibanez)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/19 "2015-09-07T14:26:35Z")
He’s saying hello, and in this pack you’re the higher ranking dog. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/20 "2015-09-07T19:16:48Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > “I am so eating you when you die.” If it’s a BIG dog who doesn’t know me, I consider licking to be pre-digestion until proven otherwise. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219.md?page=2)