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@ladyprowess · 06 Dec 2021

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What does it mean when a dog licks your face?

If you are a pet lover or you're a dog owner, the odds are, your dog has licked your face before or will soon lick your face. So when this happens, you may probably be wonder what it means for a dog to lick your face. Therefore, whether you've experienced it or you're yet to experience it, you need to read this article to know what it means for a dog to lick your face.

Why Do Dogs Lick Your Face?

It has been discovered that when a common dog licks the mouth of an adult dog, this is to prompt the regurgitation of partially digested food. This is how puppies transition from suckling their mother’s milk to eating partially digested food to more solid food.

To any face licking dog, Licking another dog’s face or a human’s face is normal social behavior. It can be an appeasement gesture that signals a dog’s social deference. It can also be the dog's way of soliciting food, more social information, a sign of affection, or soliciting attention.

A dog licking faces or other body parts can also occur because it was trained to behave like that. Your dog may lick his canine housemate’s face and your face or other body parts. He may even lick the closest body part, which may be your hand, arm, or leg when he can not reach your face. For a dog most times, the licking behavior can be interpreted as a sign of affection.When dogs lick the face of children, it can be a sign of affection, appeasement, or simply the act of cleaning food residue off their face.

What is the health risk if a dog licks your face?

It is not healthy, to allow your dog lick an open wound on your skin. Their saliva may continue to keep the wound moist and open and allow bacteria to thrive, leading to a potential skin infection. However, For a healthy child and adult, dog saliva is not a health risk for intact skin.

In the past year, there have been 12 cases reported to the CDC in which people have gotten sick from a bacteria carried in the dog’s saliva. In those cases, the bacteria Capnocytophaga canimorsus was the culprit. This particular bacteria is found in both dogs and cats and is harmless to them. However, in cases where an individual has a compromised immune system, there is potential for the bacteria to cause an infection. The bacteria has to enter the skin through an open wound, such as from a bite or a cut on the skin.

Typically the dog has to have a high concentration of that particular bacteria, and their saliva has to come into contact with the open wound. It is best practice to wash your hands after petting any dog.

But Should You Allow Your Dog To Lick Your face?

For some people, a dog licking faces or other body parts should pose a minimal health risk. If you are concerned, then do not let dogs lick your mouth or anywhere near an open skin wound.

What if you're not a fan of dog licking your face.

If you're not a fan of dogs licking your face or body, then you don't need to be reinforcing the licking behavior in your you dog. every time your dog licks your face, don't give him attention, he is more likely not to repeat the licking behavior. If you do not like having your dog lick your face, you can always traint them to exhibit affection and attention more acceptably to you.

#what #dog