Dog Lick And Its Secrets

Dogs communicate in different ways depending on what they mean. For this, they use barking, growling, tail movements, ears, and body position… in addition to licking, of course. In this article we will explain what dog lick means and its secrets.

What is dog licking for?

dog lick to express affection

Through licking, dogs express their appreciation for people. In other words, licking is equivalent to a caress or a tender kiss.

In addition, the act of licking allows the dog to identify the state of mind of its owners and react accordingly.

If the owner shows sadness, the dog will react with licks on his hands and face. In this case, the licks are a gesture of affection for the dog and solidarity with human pain.

dog lick may indicate submission

Since dogs are born, the mother communicates with them through licking. Thus, it stimulates breathing and cleanses them, so that the mother’s licks are important for the baby’s survival.

As a form of correspondence, dogs lick their mother’s muzzle as a gesture of submission to the dog that protects them, and likewise lick the pack leader’s muzzle.

Therefore, the dog can lick its owner to indicate submission, because, for him, a lick involves obedience and follows accompanied by other signs, such as twitching ears and wagging tail.

to explore the environment

As with children, dogs use their taste buds as a tool to explore their environment and interact with other living things, so licking helps them recognize.

In domestic dogs, in addition to being a sign of affection, this can mean that they like the salty taste of their owner’s skin. In addition, licking releases endorphins, which provide a feeling of comfort and pleasure, relieving stress.

Saliva’s healing properties

Dog saliva (and all living beings) contains a factor (the enzyme lysozyme) that has the property of tissue regeneration, promotes blood clotting and prevents infections from bacterial attacks.

Dog saliva specifically works as a bactericide against Escherichia coli and Streptococcus canis. Therefore, dogs are in the habit of licking their own wounds to speed healing.

In some species of animals, there is also a habit of licking each other, and this includes licking each other’s wounds, especially if they are in places that are difficult to reach.

This process can also involve cleaning around the wound by removing hair from around the wound.

However, excessive licking can be harmful to the dog’s health, as it can cause granulomas or stomach infections acquired by ingesting bacteria.

Also, rabies can be transmitted by licking infected wounds, and once the dog licks it, it becomes infected through saliva.

Also, licking wounds between species is not recommended because diseases can be transmitted from one species where it is not dangerous to another where it is dangerous.

For example, a dog licking a human’s wounds can cause septicemia (to the human) or transmit rabies. Also, it can complicate wound healing.

What can I do if my dog ​​licks compulsively?

Sometimes domestic dogs compulsively lick their owners, themselves or other objects.

Constantly licking your owner can be a sign of the dog’s affection, but it’s inconvenient to have a dog licking you all the time, so this behavior can be avoided by ignoring the licks and leaving the environment.

If you are petting the dog, or petting, and he starts licking, the owner should leave immediately, interrupting the petting and ignoring the dog for a while.

Through repetition, the dog will understand that whenever he licks the owner, he will be alone, without his company, so he will stop doing that.

If he compulsively licks himself, he may be bored, have a skin rash, anxious, or have pain in his legs.

If this happens, it’s best to take him to the vet to rule out infections and allergies, and get all the help and guidance you need.