Why Does My Dog Lick So Much?

11 Reasons for Excessive Licking

Say you return home after a long day in the office, and your pup meets you with a long, sloppy, wet kiss. Is licking always a sign of love and affection?

While constant licking could simply mean that your furry friend is happy to see you, there are numerous other reasons that could stand behind this behaviour.

If you find yourself asking “Why does my dog lick me so much?” — it’s time to take a look at common behavioural and medical reasons for this action.

8 Potential Reasons Why Your Dog Licks YOU

Most of the time, dog licking is not much of a conundrum.

Your pup’s rough tongue may be simply saying “I love you,” – but licking is also a multi-faceted tool that can warrant many different interpretations.

Here is a list of some potential reasons why your dog may keep licking you:

Most of the time, dog licking is not much of a conundrum.

Your pup’s rough tongue may be simply saying “I love you,” – but licking is also a multi-faceted tool that can warrant many different interpretations.

Here is a list of some potential reasons why your dog may keep licking you:

1. They Are Showing Affection

For the most part, domestic dogs lick their owners because they want to demonstrate their ultimate love and affection.

If this licking gets too much for you, you can try to curb the behaviour by teaching your pup an alternative positive action response.

Remember that dogs work in a reciprocal manner – if you respond with hugs and playing to your dog’s licks, they will want to repeat this behaviour over and over again.

If you don’t mind licking so much, just go with it and enjoy the love!

When your pup licks you to show affection, their body releases dopamine and endorphins – the “happy” hormones. This also helps to calm them down.

2. They Like Your Taste

Most dogs will never refuse an opportunity to eat something. Whether it is getting the last scraps from their bowl, licking crumbs off the floor, or cleaning up after a spill, they are always the first ones to get involved.

So, when your pup licks you, this could be because they enjoy the way you taste.

Your dog might be able to get the last lick of food after you’ve been eating, or they might be attracted to the salty taste of your skin.

3. They Are Trying to Understand Your Mood

If your dog keeps licking your sweaty feet or hands, they might be trying to decode your mood.

Canines are driven by their senses, and they tend to use their tongues to capture pheromones emitted with their human’s sweat.

Rather than tasting your sweat with the tongue, the dog will lick you to send signals to the special vomeronasal organ that will help them understand your mood better.

4. They Recognize You as the Leader

If your dog keeps licking your hands, this could mean that they are being submissive to you.

This type of licking demonstrates that your pup recognizes you as the leader of the pack, or uses licking as a way to relieve the stress of separation anxiety if you’ve been away for some time.

Licking a human’s hand is a normal canine action that originates from wolf behaviour in the wild.

In the wild, canines would often lick the pack leader. In addition, when the leader would come home to reunite with his wolf family, licking from other pack members would demonstrate that they have missed him and are his obedient companions.

If your dog keeps licking your hands, this could mean that they are being submissive to you.

This type of licking demonstrates that your pup recognizes you as the leader of the pack, or uses licking as a way to relieve the stress of separation anxiety if you’ve been away for some time.

Licking a human’s hand is a normal canine action that originates from wolf behaviour in the wild.

5. They Are Showing Empathy

If you are upset or stressed out, your dog may be licking and nuzzling you to express their empathetic concerns toward you.

Dogs can detect when something is off, and they may often lick you to provide comfort and find out what’s going on.

6. They Are Anxious

If you haven’t been eating and your pup is licking your hand obsessively, this could signal a form of separation anxiety, especially after they’ve been left alone for some time.

Remember that dogs are pack creatures, so staying alone can be stressful for them. In that case, an urgent sense of licking could mean that they are craving attention and interaction.

Try giving your dog as much love and playtime as possible if you suspect this type of licking.

7. They Want Attention

Whether it involves receiving some cuddles, playing together, or going for a walk outside, dog licking is often a sign that they want to receive extra attention in some way.

After all, your pup is fully dependent on your care and love for their ultimate wellbeing, and they know it as well as you do.

8. They Are Hungry

Your dog might lick you because they are hungry – especially when you come home after a long day at work, and they are ready for dinner.

This also has roots in the wolf pack behaviour: when young wolves get be curious as to what their mother has brought them from the hunt.

3 Reasons Why Your Dog Licks Themself

Self-licking is a completely natural behaviour in the animal kingdom, and your dog may lick themself for grooming, healing, or calming purposes.

If you are wondering why your dog licks you and themself, consider the following possible reasons:

1. They Are Grooming Themselves

Similar to cats, dogs naturally groom themselves by licking their own fur and skin. You might have noticed your dog licking their paws after being outside — this is simply their way to remove the dirt that they may have stepped on.

However, watch out for excessive self-licking, as this could indicate an underlying medical issue.

For example, continuous anal cleaning could signal that the glands need to be expressed. In this case, consult your vet as soon as possible.

2. They Are Healing Wounds

If you are wondering why do dogs lick wounds, remember that this is an instinctive canine nature.

When a dog licks painful or irritated skin, the antimicrobial and antibacterial properties in their saliva aid in wound healing.

In addition, the rough-textured tongue helps to clean dirt from wounds and remove any dead tissue.

Even though licking wounds can be beneficial, too much licking can cause more harm than good. If you notice your dog excessively licking their wound, try temporarily using a cone to keep their tongue away from their wound, or consult your vet for more solutions.

3. They Are Trying to Calm Themselves

If your dog is scared, nervous, or in pain, they may be licking themself in an attempt to calm down.

While licking can be an excellent stress reliever, obsessive licking can reinforce anxiety and make the issue worse.

In addition, intensive licking — especially when your dog is licking their paws excessively — can indicate underlying medical issues such as infections, allergies, or pain.

As always, make sure to consult your vet if you notice your dog constantly licking themself.

In addition, you may want to speak to an animal behaviour specialist to help resolve your dog’s anxiety.

Why Does My Dog Constantly Lick Their Paws?

Occasional paw licking is a normal grooming behavior. However, when a dog seems to lick their own paws constantly, this is a sign that something is wrong.

The answer could include anxiety, infection, parasites, allergies, or pain.

Anxiety

If you notice other signs of anxiety in your dog, it’s likely that their licking behavior is related to this emotional distress.

Allergies

Additionally, dogs may walk on or past something they are allergic to while outside, causing their feet to itch.

Parasites

If your dog seems fine emotionally, excessive paw licking could also be related to your dog having picked up parasites from walking outside. A long haired dog might be hiding fleas or a tick in the hair around paws after a trip outside.

Naturally Dry Paws

Some dogs, such as Bernese Mountain Dogs, are naturally predisposed to having dry paws and need regular applications of paw balm to help soothe dry paws.

Injuries / Other Health Problems

If your dog is not normally anxious and you can’t find any injuries or bugs around their paws, it’s best to call your vet to get your dog checked for hidden health problems and allergies.

When is Licking a Problem?

Most of the time, licking is a harmless and even welcome way for a dog to express themself.

However, in certain situations, you might want to curb excessive licking.

For example, you may simply not enjoy the wet kisses, and controlling the licking behaviour could be a question of human comfort.

However, other times, licking could signal a more serious problem. For example, if your dog is licking objects or themselves excessively, this might be a sign of boredom, anxiety, or pain.

Obsessive self-stimulatory licking can also be a sign of allergies or other health-related issues.

What Can You Do About Excessive Licking?

If you notice excessive licking, start by bringing your furry companion to a veterinarian to have them checked out and address any discomfort or medical problems. After you’ve ruled out medical explanations, you can move on to behavioural training.

As soon as your pup starts licking, switch up the activity. It is best to choose a behaviour that is incompatible with licking, such as trick training, playing with a ball, or interactive puzzles.

By repeating the redirect over and over again, you will gradually teach your dog to lick less, without any negative reinforcement.

In addition, make sure that your dog always gets plenty of exercise and attention. Unused energy could lead to over-licking and other, more destructive behaviours.

Wrapping Up

If you are wondering “Why does my dog lick me so much?” — the answer may be simple: similar to barking, licking is a natural tool used by dogs to communicate with their pet parents.

And while a few sloppy kisses here and there are often not a reason for concern, excessive licking behaviour could indicate underlying medical or behavioural problems.

So, if you notice your pup compulsively licking you, themself, or surrounding objects, don’t delay in contacting a veterinarian for potential solutions.