Sometimes it is hard to understand a dog’s behavior. This is definitely the case with a dog’s tendency to lick anything and everything. Dogs will lick other dogs, animals, and humans. It is also common for them to lick their wounds to help them heal faster.
Although dogs and humans have different languages, traits, and lifestyle, they have one thing in common. They both have feelings and care for each other.
Dogs inherit the licking behavior from ancestors, and they mostly do so to relieve pain and express feelings for their pups. Now let’s dive deep into why dogs lick their owner’s faces when they cry.
Why Do Dogs Lick Human Beings?
Dogs have a natural tendency toward licking. Most of the time they will lick you to show compassion and love toward you.
Mother dogs lick their pups to comfort and help them urinate. This behavior is applied to human beings as well. They will lick you when you are nervous and try to give you company in moments of grief or worry.
Why Do Dogs Lick Your Face When You Cry?
The simplest answer is – to show their love.
A dog may lick your face to engage with you. The licking process is natural in all dogs. Pups lick their mom’s face to ask for food and receive warmth from their body. Dog’s do so because they care a lot about you. They lick you to show their feelings of affection.
Are Tears Tasty?
Another theory as to why dog’s lick your tears is that your dog likes the salty taste.
Taste Buds
An average human has 9000 taste buds, whereas a dog has 1700 taste buds, which is more than double.
Dog’s taste buds are scattered all over their mouth, including the surface of their tongue, and the back and top of their mouth. Just because they belong to the omnivore family, the taste receptors are strong enough to be attracted to a human skin’s salty taste.
Do Dogs Feel Empathy For Their Owners?
Dogs are not only compassionate towards other dogs; they understand when their owner is depressed. Dogs get emotional whenever they see their human in pain. They lend a helping paw to rescue their humans and licking their face or tears is a way to represent empathy.
Face licking- A sign of submission
Dogs are pack animals, and the reason they lick the owner’s face is their subservient behavior. They accept and want you to be the leader of the pack. Wolves also lick their leader’s face, and dogs have evolved this attitude from them. The leader enjoys many benefits, and he never returns the licks.
By licking your face, it is signifying your position in the pack. Dogs also lick when they are guilty of something – make sure your brand new leather jacket has not been torn yet.
Conclusion
Dogs are highly empathetic and loving pets. They share moments of joy, grief, and happiness with their owners. Dogs are happy when you are happy, but seeing you depressed makes them nervous. Licking their owner’s face is a reaction to your expressions.
