Why Does My Dog Keep Sniffing And Licking Me?

More often than not, dogs spend a lot of time sniffing and licking their owners. This is not uncommon behaviour, and you will likely find that all dogs do this. There could be many reasons why your dog is doing this, and we will explain them here for you in this article. They might simply be glad to have you home after a long day in work, or they also could have some ulterior motive like wanting your love and affection at a certain moment in time. Dog’s are both loving and curious beings, and these two things combined usually result in a lot of sniffing and licking. 

You shouldn’t necessarily be concerned about this behaviour, as most of the time, it is totally normal, and we will explain all of the reasons that could explain why your dog keeps sniffing and licking you. Dogs have different ways of communicating with us that don’t involve talking it out, and their behaviour can often be a method of this. No matter whether the licking is constantly happening, or just from time to time, we will tell you all about the reasoning behind it.

Why Does My Dog Keep Sniffing and Licking Me?

There is actually no one reason that can explain why your dog keeps sniffing and licking you, and there could be so many things that are influencing their behaviour. Some of the common reasons why dogs display this type of behaviour are out of pure curiosity, to show affection, to cheer you up, or even to gauge how you are feeling at a particular moment in time. We are going to look at all of these different things and more in this article so you can find out why this keeps happening. To start things off, we are first going to look at why your dog is so fond of licking you.

To Show Affection

Dogs are more loving than some people might think, and they definitely develop a healthy relationship with their owners. They could well be licking you simply to show you that they love you. Some dogs might like to show their love a lot more than other dogs; maybe even it bit too much more. 

Though their intentions are good, we can understand why it might get a bit annoying. Interestingly, there are ways in which you can teach your dog to show their affection in other ways, but not everyone is bothered by this display of affection. When your dog is licking you to show you that they care they even release dopamine, which helps to calm them down, so it is actually a good thing. If your dog is giving you attention like this, and you respond positively by petting them, they will likely want to repeat this behaviour. 

Trying to Understand How We Are Feeling

It is no secret that dogs are driven by their senses, and they can use this to their advantage in a variety of situations. Usually, if your dog is trying to figure out how you are feeling, they might be doing so by licking at your hands or feet. We humans actually release pheromones in our sweat, and dogs can decipher this to understand our current emotions. The whole process is quite complex, and the licking signals the vomeronasal organ to help figure it out. If this is what your dog is doing, they are probably just trying to figure you out. 

Looking for Flavour

We all know how much dogs just love to eat, especially that special human food. They are almost always looking for food from us humans, and more often than not, they can smell it on you. If they are licking at your hands after you have just eaten a sandwich, they are probably tasting the leftovers of your lunch. Dogs are also attracted to the salt that they can taste on our skin, which could be another reason why they are licking your hands. 

They Feel What You Feel

Research suggests that another reason why your dog is licking you is that they are showing signs of empathy and concern. This is why they might approach you and start licking if you are feeling sad or distressed. Even if you pretend to cry, they would probably do the same. Many find that this can be really comforting, and your dog is only trying to help when they do this. Dogs are more intelligent than many give them credit for, and they can definitely tell when you are feeling down.

Stress and Anxiety

As well as trying to soothe your emotions, they might also be trying to find comfort for themselves when they are feeling particularly down. If they are feeling really anxious, dog’s can start to obsessively lick you, especially if you have just come back after being away for a while. 

They Have Needs

Your dog might also be licking you because they want your attention so that you can deal with their needs. This might be due to the fact that they want to be let outside to go to the toilet, or simply because it is approaching dinner time and they are getting hungry. This is their way of letting you know that they need you to do something for them. Some dogs will also accompany this licking with verbalisation, to really get your attention.

Domestic dogs are mostly dependent on their owners to take care of them, and when they are in need of something, they will often try to grab your attention so that you can provide them with the thing that they need. 

How Can I Tell Why My Dog is Licking Me?

This is where things can get a little bit trickier. It can be difficult to tell exactly why your dog is licking you at a certain moment in time, but you can read their body language to try and figure it out. If they are really relaxed, they are probably just trying to show you affection through licking. If they are really persistent, even annoyingly so, then they are likely feeling anxious, especially if you have just come home after a long day at work. This could also be due to the fact that they are really excited to see you. 

If you have just eaten a meal, then it is likely that your dog’s intentions aren’t entirely coming from a loving place, and they are probably just trying to taste the leftovers on your hands. Licking that is accompanied by barking, or other vocal sounds is probably due to your dog trying to get your attention. They might be hungry, want to go outside, or their water bowl might be empty. If this is happening, then you should go and investigate.

How Do I Stop My Dog From Licking Me?

Most of the time, your dog is probably just trying to do what is best for you when they are licking you, and it isn’t something that many would want to put a stop to. Whether they are trying to show you affection, or they are trying to find out how you are feeling, they only have the best intentions in mind under these circumstances. They don’t know any other ways of doing so. 

However, for those few dog owners that do not want this type of behaviour, especially if your dog is constantly licking you all of the time, you can try to retrain them to show affection in different ways. Try not to get frustrated with them, as most of the time they only want what’s best for you, and they have no other way in which to communicate this. 

Why Does My Dog Keep Sniffing Me?

Dogs get the majority of their sensory information through the use of their nose, which is the main reason why they go around sniffing almost everything in sight. They have rather impressive noses with an excellent sense of smell, and they have 25 times more olfactory receptors in their noses than us humans do. This means that their sense of smell is actually up to thousands of times better than ours, which is why they rely so heavily on their sense of smell, among their other senses.

You might find that the sniffing is worse when you have come home after a long day out. Whether you have been at work, or simply to a friend’s house, you will be full of unfamiliar scents that your dog is trying to figure out. They are just curious about where you have been and the variety of smells that you have brought home with you. They will probably be a lot more interested in you if you have been somewhere that is home to other animals or dogs, as they can smell them on you and your clothes. So if you have been out with other animals, your dog is going to know about it. Dogs are also particularly interested in things that they have never smelled before.