Why do dogs lick you

The sight of a dog going crazy at the sight of its master returning to home and start licking him madly does not find favours with many, especially those who do not have any experience with pet animals. However, the pet owners do not seem to mind at all if their dog gives them the odd bath in its saliva every once in a while.

A very interesting theory to explain this inherent tendency among dogs of all breeds to lick wildly at their master’s cheeks and ears talks about the dog’s instinct to do a cleaning job. Many of us have seen dogs swipe at their face with their tongue. Dogs actually use their tongue to wipe their face clean. And they somehow feel the need to give their masters a little cleaning up as well! This is why they lick madly at the face and ears of people, trying to clean it up.

Also, most puppies associate the act of facial licking to an exhibition of affection. Most pups grow up with their mothers licking them lovingly all the time. Pet experts also talk about as to how licking helps in enhancing the blood circulation in the little puppy’s body, apart from regulating the digestive process. It could well be that on growing up, these dogs emulate their mother and use excessive licking as an expression of love and care for their masters.

There has got to be some reason behind the fact that a dog is regarded as the most faithful pet a human can have. Maybe the dog uses licking as a means of enticing its master into smiling and laughing, as generally is the case. This theory is further accentuated by the observation that dogs are rather choosy in picking up their ‘lick victims’! It is wrong to associate any dietary habits of the dog with its licking nature, again on the basis of the above mentioned observation. To conclude, it would not be wrong to say that dogs lick their masters instinctively, and as a token of affection.