# 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:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/21 "2015-09-07T21:54:34Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > “I am so eating you when you die.” He’s tasting you! ---
**Author:** ![kbear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4491bb/32.png) [@kbear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kbear)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2015, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/22 "2015-09-07T22:40:07Z")
In my house putting on body lotion results in the dog chasing me around tying to lick my legs until I can manage to get a pair of trousers on. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/23 "2015-09-08T17:25:59Z")
> [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](#): > > “I am so eating you when you die.” “And by ‘die’ I mean ‘when you let your guard down.’” Yeah, I’m a cat person. My cat won’t eat me. Hell, she won’t eat 75% of the various cat foods I try to give her. I’m clearly in the majority of potential edibles that are beneath her. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/24 "2015-09-08T17:37:48Z")
A bitch will lick her puppies so the puppies will poop and she can eat it, and keep the nest clean. Wolf puppies will lick the muzzles of adults so as to get the adult to regurgitate meat so the puppy can eat it. So the dog wants you either to shit or barf. Dogs are gross. Loving, but gross. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/25 "2015-09-08T20:19:23Z")
My boy dog is a kisser. It’s weird to me because my previous female golden retriever and my current female mutt were/are not kissers or lickers of any kind. I am not used to it! The boy kisses me and climbs all over me (he’s 50 lbs!) and occasionally will lick my shirt if he finds something good on there, or my feet or my legs when they’re just hanging around. He seems very insecure (when around me and not running away after jumping the fence) and I feel like his licking and kissing is his way of showing respect to me. They say “please don’t ever leave me!” ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2015, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/26 "2015-09-08T20:24:55Z")
> [@Acsenray](#): > > I have read that it is also a submissive behavior. That is what our vet told us and our licker certainly is submissive. ---
**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 10, 2015, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/27 "2015-09-10T14:02:19Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > “And by ‘die’ I mean ‘when you let your guard down.’” > > Yeah, I’m a cat person. My cat won’t eat me. Hell, she won’t eat 75% of the various cat foods I try to give her. I’m clearly in the majority of potential edibles that are beneath her. :dubious: Don’t be so certain. One of our cats will lick my hair if it’s wet. The other licks my fingers (and not just after I’ve eaten. I suspect she’s after the salt in my sweat.). ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-my-dog-licks-me-what-is-he-communicating/730219/28 "2015-09-10T23:46:35Z")
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