Content
Licking is a behavior that represents and also helps to maintain the high level of affective bond between the dog and its tutor. For this reason, it is not uncommon to see a dog lick his tutor's hand, as well as his face, feet or any other part of his body.
However, sometimes this behavior ends up becoming a little obsessive, causing their tutors to ask themselves: why does my dog lick my hands? In this article by PeritoAnimal, we will give the answer to this very common question.
Why do dogs lick?
The origin of the licking action is innate and derived, in a way, from the wolf conduct who, if they are not direct ancestors of the dogs, had a common ancestor.
One of the main social characteristics of wolves that was transmitted to dogs is that of going out to hunt in groups. Even canines are group hunters, not solitary, like felines. These group hunting outings they can take them to travel great distances, distancing themselves from the burrow where the little ones in the group, who are anxiously awaiting the arrival of the adults, are no longer sheltered.
When the group is successful in hunting, the animals eat voraciously and ingest as much food as they can. This ancestral behavior can be performed thanks to an anatomical feature of the stomach of the species that allows this organ to act as an internal "market bag", being widely swellable and expandable.
When the puppies notice the arrival of the group of providing adults they rush out of the den and start to compulsively licking adults' muzzles hunters. These incessant licks generate in the adult animal a nervous reflex that stimulates a specific area of the brain that induces and provokes vomiting and the consequent regurgitation of the food previously swallowed. That's when the puppies start to feed. It's simple to imagine how quickly this habit takes hold in the puppy's brain.
Finally, this behavior of licking when animals cease to be puppies is maintained as a form of respect and submission to members of the highest hierarchy of the group. This is the real explanation of why dogs lick. A behavior to demonstrate submission, respect and affection.
Why do dogs lick my hands?
Knowing the origin of dogs' licking behavior does not guarantee that we will explain why they do this to certain people and not to others. The answer is so simple that it becomes a little complex. It is a mixture of inherited behavior that the animal keeps somewhere hidden in its brain and a learned behavior that was taught, often involuntarily, by its human caregiver. you wonder why does my dog lick my hands? See below what it means:
- Loves you: one of the main reasons why do dogs lick the hands of humans is to demonstrate the affective bond you have with your tutor. Even though they don't feel that it's a kiss per se, as we understand it, they know it's a behavior we like and that's why they keep doing it.
- want to get your attention: this reason is somewhat related to the previous one. If your dog feels you like being licked, he will do it more and more to get your attention. In this other article we show you other things puppies do to get your attention.
- Afraid of you: when the lick is weak and careful, it can also mean that he is afraid of you and demonstrates his submission in that way.
- Clean you up: puppies are very clean animals and the way they have to clean themselves is through licking. If your hands are dirty, your dog may lick them clean as a form of affection.
- Wake you up: if you are asleep and your dog needs something, like going for a walk, he may wake you up by gently licking your hands, face or ears.
In any case, the fact that a dog licks its tutor's hands is not a parameter to take into account when evaluating his emotional involvement with his human companion. Obviously, the dog that licks its caregiver's hands has a high degree of affective bond with him, but the most important is the following: if he doesn't, it doesn't mean that he wants to express the opposite, that is, if his dog don't lick you doesn't mean he doesn't like you.
On the other hand, if the licks are excessive and you wonder "why does my dog lick me so much?", we advise you to read the other article about My dog licks me a lot - Why and what to do?
How to prevent my dog from licking my hands
you might wonder why do dogs lick us and don't like that conduct. In this case, you must make your dog unlearn what has been learned. It's not an easy task, but it's not impossible either.
You must start by not rewarding this conduct in any way. But remember: never punishing him.This is a type of repression that will not benefit our dog, nor will it understand why we are reprimanding it. Instead, it is better to opt for positive reinforcement in order to be able to retrace your behavior little by little.
If after a while your dog continues to lick your hands, we advise you to seek an ethologist specializing in canine behavior.
If you want to read more articles similar to Why does my dog lick my hands?, we recommend that you enter our Behavior Problems section.