Why do dogs lick?

When your dog licks you, you may think they're kissing you. Depending on how your dog’s breath is faring that day, it may be a little unpleasant. It's probably worth remembering that a dog's mouth is far from hygienic – think about all the things they lick and put in their mouths during the day!

But what does your dog actually mean when they lick? We explain where licking began, and why your dog may be licking.

Where does dog licking begin?

Female dogs naturally lick their puppies to clean them and as a form of comfort. Licking also helps to stimulate blood flow in the puppies when they are first born, and helps them go to the toilet.

You may also see young puppies licking their mother’s mouth enthusiastically. This is to encourage her to regurgitate food for them to eat. Not all pet dogs will regurgitate food for their puppies, but this is an important part of the weaning process for the dog’s ancestor, the wolf.

As puppies grow older they begin to groom themselves and their littermates, which increases their bond. Some adult dogs may lick or groom each other. This usually indicates they get on well and have a close relationship. Puppies may also lick adult dogs as a way of greeting them.

Why does your dog lick?

Licking, like many other behaviour traits, can indicate various different things from attention seeking, to simply cleaning themselves.

Cleaning

Dogs lick themselves to clean their fur. Their tongue helps to remove dirt, dead hair and skin cells. But it’s a myth that dogs have antiseptic tongues. Dog’s mouths also contain harmful bacteria which live alongside the good bacteria. 

Like most animals, your dog uses their tongue to groom and clean their coat. This helps keep it in good condition.

Tasting their surroundings

Your dog can pick up on a lot more information using their nose and mouth than humans can. Because of their heightened senses, dogs will sometimes lick another dog’s urine as a way of understanding the information that they smell in greater detail.

This may seem unpleasant to us, but it allows your pet to understand whether the dog is male or female, neutered or unneutered, and even stressed – all from their wee!

Attention seeking

It’s very normal for puppies to lick both humans and other dogs when they are saying ‘hello’. This is usually accompanied by lots of sociable and excitable tail wagging and body wiggling.

As puppies get older they tend to do this less, but if the licking receives lots of attention (which it often does) then it’s likely to remain a big part of their greeting behaviour.

Dogs also learn that it’s a great way to get attention at other times – if you smile and stroke them when they lick you, then you easily reinforce this behaviour.

Health

As dogs don’t have hands like humans, they will often use their tongue to lick an area of irritation or a wound to comfort themselves. Unfortunately, too much licking can be a problem and lead to infection or skin issues.

Obsessive licking of a particular area should be closely monitored and, if it persists, you should speak to your vet to see what could be causing this.

Affection

Of course, licking can absolutely be a sign of affection too. As much as dogs will lick their owners for attention, they are seeking attention from you because they want to interact with you. You're also pretty tasty to your dog, especially with your post-workout salty skin!