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My Pet World: What does it mean when a dog licks you?

By Marc Morrone, Tribune Content Agency on

Q: I have a 6-year-old golden doodle, Sophie, the most wonderful, loving pet. My problem (if you can call it a problem) is her continually licking my face when she is sitting near me. Does it have a meaning or is it only a reaction to what I had taught her previously? I would love to know if it is love or a game for her, or does it have any meaning at all? Thanks for your help. -- Daniel Cohen, Boynton Beach, FL

A: Well, you asked for the reason the behavior exists and there is a scientific one. Wolf puppies will lick the faces and lips of adult wolves to indicate that they are hungry. The adult wolf will then regurgitate its stomach contents onto the ground for the puppy to then eat.

When we domesticated the wolf into the dog, we retained the traits of the wolf that we liked and did not encourage those that we did not like. From those traits that we did like was the idea that the animal should view us as a parental figure. Now most dogs will view us as providers and parental figures when they are adults.

So you see the face licking you describe starts off as more of an instinct, your dog is not begging for food, but more of a way of acknowledging that you are the dog's parental figure. The dog derives security, comfort and reassurance for this, and will continue to do it as long as you allow it.

Now that is the scientific reason for it. There's also the fact that your dog loves you very much and this is her way of expressing it, so just sit back and enjoy it!

Q: We have a great new pet, a 12-week-old female golden doodle. She loves to walk and run just not on the road and blacktop. Once we leave the backyard she gets very skittish. I can clearly see she is afraid of cars, but even on a quiet street she refuses to move. Should I be more demanding for her to move? -- Donald Garcia, Las Vegas, NV

 

A: Being pushy rarely works in this situation. Your dog does not feel comfortable out of the yard and if you do push her, then she will feel that her fears are justified. It is always important to remember that animals never accept our assurances about how safe a situation is -- they need to figure it out for themselves.

If she wants to determine for herself that the situation is safe, then just hold the leash and lean against a tree and let her. She will get tired of sitting down as she explores the area. In no time she will figure out for herself that being out of the yard is a great place to be and your next question to me is how to stop her from pulling you down the block.

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(Marc Morrone has kept almost every kind of animal as a pet for the last half-century and he is happy to share his knowledge with others. Although he cannot answer every question, he will publish many of those that have a general interest. You can contact him at petxperts2@aol.com; please include your name, city and state.)


(c) 2016 DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

 

 

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