It’s a familiar scenario for many dog owners: you’re relaxing at home, and suddenly your furry friend starts showering you with licks. This common canine behavior often leaves us wondering, “Why Do Dogs Lick You?” To understand this seemingly simple act, we need to delve into the evolutionary history and communication methods of our beloved pets.
According to Dr. Alexandra Horowitz, a renowned dog cognition researcher and author, understanding why dogs lick us requires looking back at their ancestors – wolves. Dogs descended from wolves, and this lineage plays a significant role in many of their behaviors, including licking.
The Evolutionary Basis of Dog Licking: A Wolfish Origin
In the wild, wolves exhibit licking behavior within their packs, particularly when hunters return. “When wolves hunt and return to their pack, then all of the other wolves swarm them and lick around their face,” Dr. Horowitz explained. This isn’t just a greeting; it serves a more primal purpose. The younger wolves are actually prompting the hunting wolves to regurgitate food. This behavior ensures that all pack members, including those who didn’t participate in the hunt, get to eat.
This ancestral behavior carries over to our domestic dogs. While your dog isn’t expecting you to regurgitate your dinner, the licking action is rooted in this deep-seated instinct. Therefore, when your dog licks you when you come home, it’s partly a greeting, expressing their excitement and happiness at your return. However, subconsciously, there might be a hint of that ancient request for food sharing embedded in their lick.
Licking as a Form of Communication and Affection
Beyond its evolutionary origins, licking is a crucial communication tool for dogs. It’s a way for them to interact with their environment and, most importantly, with you. Dog licking is often a clear sign of affection. Think of it as a canine kiss. When your dog licks you, they are showing you they love you and are comfortable with you. This behavior strengthens the bond between you and your furry companion.
Licking can also be a submissive gesture. In dog packs, lower-ranking members often lick higher-ranking members as a sign of respect and deference. While your dog doesn’t necessarily see you as a pack leader in the same way, they do recognize you as the authority figure and source of care in their lives. Therefore, licking can sometimes be their way of acknowledging your position and seeking your approval.
Exploring the World Through Taste: Licking for Sensory Input
Dogs possess an incredible sense of smell, far surpassing our own. Interestingly, licking plays a role in how they perceive scents. Dr. Horowitz points out that “They’re smelling you by licking you.” Their tongues help them to further investigate and analyze smells. When a dog licks you, they aren’t just tasting your skin; they are gathering information about you, your scent, and even where you’ve been.
Through licking, dogs can explore their world in a unique way. It’s a sensory exploration, allowing them to gather information that we might miss. This is why dogs often lick our hands, faces, and even feet – these areas carry a lot of scent information about us and our activities.
Briefly Considering Other Canine Behaviors
While understanding why dogs lick is fascinating, it’s also important to remember that this is just one piece of the puzzle when it comes to deciphering dog behavior. As Dr. Horowitz mentioned, dog owners often try to interpret other actions, such as the “guilty look.” This classic canine expression, with ears back and whimpering, is often misinterpreted as guilt. However, it’s more likely a response to our perceived displeasure, a submissive behavior to avoid punishment. Similarly, tail wags can indicate various emotions beyond happiness, such as anxiety or intense interest, depending on the tail’s height and movement.
Dogs truly experience the world differently from us, heavily relying on their sense of smell. “The way we see the world — dogs smell it… They’re living in a kind of parallel universe to us,” Horowitz notes. Recognizing and appreciating these differences helps us better understand and connect with our canine companions.
In conclusion, when your dog licks you, it’s a multifaceted behavior rooted in evolution, communication, and sensory exploration. It’s a greeting, a sign of affection, a way to gather information, and a subtle echo of their wolfish past. Understanding these reasons deepens our appreciation for the complex and fascinating world of dogs and strengthens the special bond we share with them.
