What does it mean when a dog licks you?
It’s a familiar scene: you come home, your dog happily runs towards you, wagging his tail, and is already licking your hand – or your face. It’s cute, touching, sometimes a bit too much… but what does he mean by that?
Licking is a completely natural form of communication for dogs. If we understand why and when he licks, it will be much easier to respond to it and decide when it’s normal behavior and when it’s a warning sign.
Why do dogs lick you?
Licking appears as early as puppyhood. Puppies lick their mothers and littermates to ask for care, food, or closeness. When a dog lives with us, he simply “translates” this pattern to us – we become his pack.
Interestingly, gentle touch, eye contact and licking release oxytocin, the bonding hormone – not only in dogs, but also in humans. This is the same hormone that plays a role in the parent-child relationship.
It is important to know, however: not all dogs express their love in the same way. Some lick you, others prefer to just lie next to you or watch you silently. The amount of licking alone does not measure the amount of love – it is always worth looking at the whole behavior.
