Gee, my dog is licking my face again. Dogs are well loved pets and this baby certainly receives much love and affection from me but the icky drool in my nose, ears and lips is simply disgusting. Licking is one of the ways by which dogs can learn about their environment but this pet of mine really takes a big slice of the cake when it comes to licking.

Licking is a normal behavior of dogs. Mother dogs would lick the puppies clean. The mother dog would lick the pups after they have defecated and urinated. Licking is believed to aid in the digestive and circulation processes of the puppies. On the part of the puppies, the licking can be a plea to be allowed to nurse. About to be weaned puppies will lick the mother dog’s lips to encourage regurgitation. You can be sure that your pet loves you because licking is done to show affection. You would wonder at the maternal instinct that makes mother dogs lick puppies that have crawled away from the mother’s warmth. Being affectionate creatures, puppies would lick not only the mother dog but also the littermates.

Licking as a manifestation of affection is perfectly normal. Because of the affectionate nature, dogs are considered as members of the family. As such the affection and the licking that are given to the dam and to the littermates will now be given to the human family. The dog licks you because you are now his family. If your dog licks you it means that the pet is well loved and receiving the best care from you as dogs that do not receive the same treatment from their masters are less inclined to lick human.

Dogs are pack animals. You may have made your dog understand that you are the alpha male – the leader of the pack. Your pet recognizes you as the leader of the pack because licking is a sign of submission. Licking is one of the ways by which a dog can have the approval or the attention of the master. Dogs in a household with more pets often manifest the need to secure the affection of the master. Licking can be the strategy of one dog wanting to get an edge over the other pet for the master’s affection.

You may be annoyed by the dog’s licking behavior because you know that the pet also has the habit of eating disgusting things like feces and rotting animals. This concern will be aggravated by the dog’s inclination to drink from the toilet bowl. Because of these habits, the pet would not think you do not value its affection by trying to curb its licking behavior.