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I'm sure that whenever your pet greets you at the door of the house, when you arrive, it starts moving its tail in an agitated way, jumping on its legs and licking its hands, and you want to give it back that affection by stroking it. o and giving him kisses, but then a question crosses his mind: is that is kissing my dog bad?
In this article by PeritoAnimal we will reveal this unknown of whether it is good or bad to kiss your dog and we will explain to you the reasons why you should continue or not to see if this habit is harmful to your health or not.
How do dogs kiss?
The way dogs show us their affection and affection is by licking our face or hands, so we can compare your licks with our kisses or caresses. By following us and evolving alongside us for centuries and centuries, dogs are able to detect our mood and try to improve it with their demonstrations of love, support and understanding, which are nothing less than giving licks with your tongue.
According to a study carried out by anthropologist Kim Kelly, from the University of Arizona, it has been scientifically demonstrated that people who live with dogs are happier than the rest of the population, and their affective body language has a lot to do with it.
In addition to using their tongue to make us feel good, dogs also lick their pack leaders when they are offended or to show submission (whether they are human or canine companions) or to their puppies to clean them up and keep them. hot. Dogs have thousands of nerve endings and chemical receptors on their tongues and muzzles, which make them very sensitive to any external contact.
Improve your bacterial flora
In addition to the thousands of nerve endings it contains, the mouth of puppies is also a big source of bacteria and microbes. So, is it bad to kiss your dog or let him lick his mouth? The answer is no, as long as it is done in moderation and care.
While it is true that our feline friends usually sniff and lick everything they step on the street or at home, and as a consequence the microorganisms or bacteria they have can infect us when we kiss them and cause some infection or illness. , recalling the topic that dogs' saliva is bad, the study mentioned above revealed that the microbes present in their stomachs have a probiotic effect on our body. This means that thanks to the co-evolution that developed alongside us, the microorganisms that can enter our body improve our microbiota (set of microorganisms that normally live in our body) and promote the growth of good bacteria, thus strengthening our immune system defenses.
Of course, it is not recommended to kiss them continuously and let the dog's saliva contact us with continuous licks, but now we know that if this happens, it's no problem and it will even improve our microbial flora. In addition, we humans get more bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases because we don't wash our hands anymore than because our dog licks us, showing us his affection.
Recommendations for kissing your dog
But are all the microorganisms that dogs have in their mouths good? The truth is not, and some of them can provoke us oral or parasitic diseases. Therefore, it is convenient to take a series of measures whenever possible to continue enjoying your pet's affection and avoid unnecessary risks:
- It is recommended to keep the dog's vaccination schedule up to date.
- Deworm the dog when necessary and apply a pipette or flea collar.
- Get your puppy used to brushing his teeth a few times a week.
- Brush and bathe the puppy when necessary, depending on its breed and relevant care.
- Avoid licking directly into the mouth.
So now you know that it's not bad kissing your dog, that it's okay to let your puppy lick your mouth, and that puppies' saliva contains both good and bad bacteria like ours and that of all living beings.
