As a dog owner, one of the happiest moments is when your furry friend comes running up to you in the morning, smothering you with all his doggie kisses. Have you ever wondered, ‘Why Do Dogs Lick Your Face In The Morning?’
Read on to find out why your dog loves to lick your face in the mornings.
Why Do Dogs Lick Your Face In The Morning?
Your dog is excited to start every day with you and he is well excited for you to wake up and go on adventures with him. Below are few key reasons why your dog licks your face in the morning:
1. He Wants Attention
Your puppy wants your attention as soon as you wake up and this could be the reason why he comes to you every morning and wakes you up with a slobbery kiss.
2. Positive Reaction
Your dog loves to wake you up with his kisses and you probably positively reinforced it reciprocating the love and giving him rewards. After all, all of our furry friends love to see their happy humans!
3. Excitement
Your dog is naturally very excited to start a new day with you. He wants you to wake up and spend a brand new day with him.
4. He Wants Something From You
Your dog must be waking you up early in the morning with his slobbery kiss because he wants something from you. It could be your attention, food, or a potty break!
Also Read: How Long Should You Wait To Take Your Dog For A Walk After He Eats?
5. Anxiety
Your dog could be dealing with anxiety and obsessive licking is a sign that an anxious dog is trying to calm himself. Excessive licking is a sign of anxiety or separation anxiety.
Is It OK To Let Dogs Lick Your Face?
If both you and your dog are healthy, your dog licking you does not pose a serious health risk. However, if you are scared about potential bacterial infections, do not let him lick your face. Or in case he does, wash the area with an antibacterial agent.
Do not let your dog lick open wounds as this can lead to bacterial infection. Try not to bring him near your mouth, nose, or eye. However, if you and your dog are healthy, this shouldn’t be much of a problem.
To read more about your dog’s face-licking behavior, click here.
Is Dog Saliva Good For Your Skin?
Dog saliva does not pose much threat to human skin that is intact. But if there is an open wound, a dog’s saliva can cause bacterial infections and irritations, so do not let your dog lick an open wound.
As long as the dog and you are healthy, licking does not cause much of a problem. Always make sure that you have no wounds on your skin.
What If Dog Saliva Gets In Your Mouth?
Dog saliva can harbor plenty of bacterial diseases and can cause allergies in humans. Dog saliva can be harmful to humans, especially babies and adults with weak immune systems.
So do not, under any circumstance, let your dog lick you if he is sick. This can be very harmful to humans. Consult a medical expert, if you feel uneasy and you have accidentally ingested dog saliva.
To read more facts about dog saliva, click here.
What Diseases Can You Get From Dog Saliva?
As pet owners, when you receive kisses from your pet, you can be a little skeptical about the diseases these kisses can transfer. These are the few diseases you can catch from your dog’s saliva:
1. Capnocytophaga Infection
This is a sort of bacterial infection that can lead to severe infections, gangrene, and even amputation of the body part. Capnocytophaga canimorsus is a type of bacteria found in most healthy cat and dogs’ mouths
Most healthy pets can carry this bacteria and when their saliva comes in contact with a wound or open skin, it can cause this infection in humans. While most capnocytophaga bacterial infections can be treated, almost 30 percent of them can be fatal.
2. Allergies
Dogs’ saliva can cause allergic reactions in humans. This can lead to humans suffering from severe allergies.
3. Salmonella Infection
If your dog suffers from the salmonella infection, chances are you can contract it through direct contact. Salmonellosis is an infection that can be spread through saliva as well.
These are a few diseases you can catch from your dog’s mouth. So it is better not to let your dog lick an open wound.
This infection can also cause diarrhea in dogs so vets give medication to cure it quickly.
Why Are Dogs So Excited To See You In The Morning?
Your dog is excited to see you in the morning because it spent the whole night by itself. He is very excited for the day to unravel and spend the build-up energy he has stored in himself.
The dog is excited for the first meal of the day and to go on a lot of adventures with you! If you have an anxious dog, he might be trying to calm himself down by licking you.
What Happens If A Dog Licks Inside Your Mouth?
If you and your dog are healthy, the chances of diseases are less if he licks your skin that is intact. However, if your dog licks inside your mouth or has an open wound, you can contract various diseases.
It is not recommended to let your dog lick your face and mouth, especially the faces of a baby or an adult with a weak immune system. This can lead to many diseases in the human.
Do Dogs Think We Are Part Of Their Pack?
Dogs do think we are a part of their pack. They also treat us as if we are part of their pack always ready to protect us and placing his trust in us. Dogs see humans as their pack leaders too.
However, dogs do realize that humans are from a different species. Regarding this, there is a two-pack theory where the human pack is more dominant than the dog pack. Either way, the dogs should consider the humans as alpha.
Why Do Dogs Lick Themselves When They Wake Up?
As long as this is not a compulsive behavior, your dog licking himself when he wakes up is completely normal. It is common dog behavior.
Your dog might have chosen to groom himself when he wakes up. Unless this is problematic, this is okay.
Are Dog Licks Really Kisses?
You might have noticed dogs licking each other, mother dogs licking their puppies while grooming, dogs licking their favorite human face. Licking is how a dog shows his affection.
So, when a dog licks you, it is his way of showing affection. That is why they are called kisses. Your dog licking you is his way of showing his love to you. So, go ahead and get those puppy kisses!
Why Does My Dog Want To Lick My Face All The Time?
Licking your face is a common behavior in your dog. He could be trying to show his affection for you, could be demanding attention from you or he could be asking for something.
However, if licking is a compulsive behavior in your dog, he could be suffering from physical or psychological issues. In such cases, consult your veterinarian.
Why Does My Dog Lick Me And Walk Away?
If your dogs lick you, it is a sign of affection. Your dog is trying to show his affection for you. Licking releases pleasurable endorphins in him which calms him down and comforts him.
Weirdly enough, your dog could be licking you because he likes how you taste! He like the salty skin or he could also be searching for residues from your last meal!
Is It Okay To Let Your Dog Lick Your Baby’s Face?
It is not recommended to let your dog lick a baby’s face. A baby’s immune system is still developing which means the baby can’t fight off a lot of infections.
A dog’s saliva can harbor germs and bacteria that can be very harmful to babies and adults with a weak immune system. It is safer not to let your dog kiss your baby, especially if it is unhealthy or not properly taken care of.
Also Read: Can You Use Baby Wipes On Your Dog?
Why Does My Dog Lick My Face When I Get Home?
With most domestic dogs, licking is a sign of affection. Your dog is showing his affection for you when he licks you.
When you reach home after a long day, your canine companion is very excited to see you after being alone for hours. Licking releases pleasurable endorphins in your dog which comforts him and calms him. So, licking you calms him down and also helps him show his affection for you.
Why Does My Dog Lick Me More Than Anyone Else?
There are many reasons why your dog prefers to lick you more than anyone else.
- He likes your smell and your scent comforts him
- You are the primary caretaker
- You entertained the behavior much more than the others
- He is trying to heal an open wound. (Do not let him do that!)
- He likes how your skin tastes
- He is ready for interaction and is comfortable with you
So, go ahead and enjoy those puppy kisses!
Conclusion: Why Do Dogs Lick Your Face In The Morning?
So dog lovers, next time you question yourself ‘Why Do Dogs Lick Your Face In The Morning?’, remember that he is just very excited to see you and hyped to start the day with you.
It can also mean your dog is dealing with anxiety. In any case, if you find your dog’s licking behavior problematic, consult a vet or a dog trainer accordingly.
