The Logical Answers to why does my dog lick my legs
As a dog owner, you may have often wondered why does my dog lick my legs. Sometimes such acts of dog are appreciated by owners while sometimes feel irritated. The main reason behind such acts of dog is their affection towards you. This article will provide you the complete reasons regarding why does my dog lick my leg after a shower. Also, you will get some essential tips to control such acts of dogs.
Dogs lick your legs mainly due to the below mention reasons-
- Taste
- Affection or to communicate with you
- Showing affection or empathy
- Respect or boredom
- Or due to stress
Now let us discuss all the above reasons in detail.
Taste:
The most common reason why does my dog lick my legs is the taste. They often lick such things that smell and taste great to them. You may have wondered about dog licking you when you come from showers, workouts, or applying any scented lotions. All such smell creates curiosity in dogs, and so they try to taste this new smell and thus lick you.
Affection:
The licking of dogs is the same as kisses in the case of humans. As we tend to kiss our babies and parents to show our love and affection towards them, dogs too do the same by licking you.
Empathy:
Dogs knew their master and their moods. In case you are sad, lonely, or under stress, the dog recognizes it. To make you happy, they can come to support you by licking you and sitting beside you. This is the way for the dog to comfort you in such difficult situations. They want to show that you are not alone and they are always with you.
Grooming:
Another reason why does my dog lick my legs all the time is their grooming by their parents. You may have seen mother dogs lick their puppies all the time, one by one. Licking is one essential part of their lives. A mother dog licks its puppies not only to clean them but also to encourage them for excretion and urination. Such licking of mothers is transferred to their pups, and they too learn to lick the people whom they like. Dogs considered their owners as their family and so tried to groom and love you by licking you.
Respect:
During the puppy stage, dogs lick their mother several times a day to show their affection and respect towards their mother. In this way, they thank their mother for providing them with food (milk), shelter, and protection. Similarly, every dog has respect for its owner. They admire you because you take care of them, provide them with food, play with them, and take care of them in extreme seasons and illness. Due to this, they of you as their protective leader and lick you show respect towards you.
Stress:
Sometimes illness, new place, stomach problems, and loneliness give them stress. So to relieve themselves from such stress, they lick their owner to communicate their problems with their owner. A good owner should analyze the problem that is going on with the dog and should try to resolve them.
Boredom:
You may have seen when a dog gets bored. They try to chew and lick the things that are around them. Dogs get bored when there is nothing mental and physical activity present in their routine. Many dogs need daily exercise and challenging tasks daily to keep them busy. If they do not fond such task throughout the day, they get bored and ultimately lick your legs to entertain themselves.
To Receive Attention:
Sometimes when you are too busy with your schedule and friends, your dog feels isolated. To make you remember their presence, they may lick you to receive attention.
Some Practical Solutions to why does my dog lick my legs:
Licking dogs is not much of a problem but can be one if your dog overdoes it. It is easier to train your dog to leave or control such a habit. Make sure that you train them with love and patience so that the dog is not under stress or becomes aggressive. Here are some proven tips that might be helpful to you-
Understand Your Pal:
Understanding what your dog needs at the time of licking is the easiest way to control their licking. Many dogs want to communicate some essential things to you by licking you. Some main reasons for licking in your dog may include-
1. He may be thirsty or hungry.
2. He may need some attention and wants to spend time with you.
3. He is not well or feeling cold or heat.
4. He wants to play or have a long walk with you.
Dogs are dissimilar to humans in a way that they need a lot of guidance together with love. They may get excited after meeting you back in just 10 minutes. They are emotionally attached to you at a greater level. You have to teach them to sit and calm command to control their licking act. Such training will be quite advantageous to you if you have larger breeds of dog.
Leave the Scene:
If you want to stop the licking habit of your dog, it is good to leave the dog at an instant when they lick you. Keep during such an act for a few days till your dog gets annoyed and stops licking you. You can also command few words while leaving, such as “Stop” or “leave it”. If you want to stop your dog from licking you after the shower, dry yourself and leave the scene. You have to keep some patience until your dog understands that their licking causes trouble to you, and he should stop it.
Ignore Them:
Another solution to why do dogs like to give Kisses; is to ignore them when they kiss or lick you. It is good that you provide your dog with some love and attention throughout the day and keep them happy. By this, he will not crave your love and attention and will not try to lick and kiss you for your attention.
Exercise Them Daily:
As I have mentioned earlier, one of the prominent reasons for a dog licking you is boredom. For this, I spent some time playing with them and keep them busy and tired. You can play Frisbee, tug of war, cuddling games, fetch the stick, or can go for a long walk with them. It is better to provide them with long walks at least two times a day. You can also take them to a dog park, fix meeting with other dogs, swimming, etc. This is one of the easiest ways to make your dog stop licking you without any training or making changes in their behavior.
Divert Their Attention:
As soon as your dog comes to lick, you provide them with some of his favorite treats or toys. This is known as trick training. By this, your dog will get diverted and consequently will forget the habit of licking you. You can also hold their paws and train them to shake hands or try to teach them “sit” or “lay” command at that time.
Buy Challenging Toys:
If you feel that your dog has nothing great to do in his daily routine, buy some chewable toys for him. Using chewing toys has stopped the licking habits of several dogs. There are also chewable toys available in the stores that produce sound if pressed. Your dog will certainly like to exert its pressure on such toys and can spend his day happily with them. Apart from this, there are many puzzle toys available in the stores that have hidden treats inside them. A dog has to open them with some definite trick to get the treat. Such games are best for spending extra time with your dog and divert its attention from licking you.
Some Common FAQs:
Q: Why does my dog want to lick any skin after drinking water from her bowl?
Dogs many times lick your skin after drinking water as it is their way to show their love and affection towards you. Licking also proves they are well and happy living with you.
Q: Why do a dog like to lick humans but don’t like to be licked by humans?
It is a known fact that the licking of the dogs is in their DNA. Another reason for dogs licking humans is the taste of humans that is salty is loved by them. Dogs like to lick any such thing which they find interesting and tasty.
Q: Why does the dog lick us so much?
Licking sometimes is in their habit. But make sure that excessive licking of dogs may be a problem. A dog who licks more than is required may have problems such as anxiety, loneliness, health problems, stress, and depression.
Q: What else happened when your dog first started licking your legs?
There are several reasons for a dog liking your legs for the first time. Maybe he wants to show his affection or wants some special attention from you.
Q: What is different when your dog does not lick your legs?
It is not always common that a dog licks your leg. Sometimes a dog with no stress and health problems may not lick their owner so often. It depends on the environment and characteristics of the dog that provides them with such habits.
Q: Why does my dog lick my legs after a shower?
Dog often lick their owners or other family members after the shower. Many experts say that they do so because they like the smell of your soap, shampoo, or any lotion that you have applied during bathing.
Q: Are dog licks like kisses?
Yes, the licks of the dogs can be considered as kissing of humans. As we tend to kiss the person we love, so do the dogs by licking.
Q: What does it mean when your dog stares at you?
As we humans tend to stare into someone’s eyes if we adore them or wants something from them. Dogs, too, do the same when they require something. Such things might be food, water, attention, or any other things. Dogs also stare at their owners to show their affection to you.
Q: Why do dogs lick your legs when you get out of the shower?
In lieu of tasting your soap scents, lotions, or any other products that you have used during your bath, the dog licks you.
Q: Why does my dog lick the back of my legs when I walk?
Showing affection is one of the prominent reasons to why does my dogs lick my legs. It is a sign of gratitude. Submission of the dog towards their owner is also one of the reasons behind their licking. Dogs are one of those animals who believe in the hierarchy among the group. By licking someone, they have to bent over, which proves their respect and submission towards their leader; in this case, it is you.
Dog also lick them to heal their wound. Their tongue contains an antibacterial property that helps to heal the wound in less time. Similarly, if they see their master in trouble and depression, they feel that licking you will help you to cure and make you happy. In short, licking the dog is mostly a positive sign for the owners as it proves that their dog loves and respects you.
I hope that now you are well aware of the prominent reasons behind why does my dog lick my legs. You have also received some great tips to control such habits in the dog. Remember licking dogs is not at all dangerous or a negative trait of dogs. They have been taught such licking habits right from their birth as an influence by their mother. It is not right to train them harshly or forcefully to leave their patent licking habit. You can train them calmly with full of love and patient to leave such habits.