Your Slobbering Dog And What To Do About Him

Tell me, does this describe you?  You love your slobbering dog, but he's driving you nuts by constantly licking you.  You're always covered with dog drool, and you're tired of it.  Excessive licking in dogs isn't the worst of bad dog habits, but it can become extremely annoying. 

Why do dogs want to lick us?  There are several reasons.

Most Canine Licking Is Instinctive

In the wild, licking is a way that dogs communicate with each other.  When your dog meets another dog, what do they do?  They lick each other.  This is a form of greeting.  Wolves greet each other the same way.  It's a way of letting everyone in the pack know that nothing has changed in the leader's absence.  It's the same pack, and the same individuals are dominant or subordinate.

Many dogs feel a strong need to engage in this greeting ceremony with you every morning, or every time you come home.  It's important to let your dog greet you for a couple of minutes.  This is his way of letting himself know that everything is good in his world.

Some dogs are nervous or stressed about something.  Licking can become a compulsive behavior for them.  They may lick themselves so much that they develop bald spots.  Or they may zero in on you, and try to lick you constantly.  In this case, try to figure out what's upsetting your dog.  You may need to spend more time with him. 

Canine licking is also a way of expressing dominance or submission within the pack.  Your dog may lick you to indicate you're the pack leader.  But if your dog growls at you when you try to get him to stop licking you, he's expressing his dominance over you.  This is a different problem altogether, and you need to learn how to assert your status of alpha male (even if you're female).

Another possibility is that you've accidentally trained your pup to engage in excessive licking in dogs.  He's learned that if he licks you, he gets your attention.  The thing about dogs is that they crave your attention, and they'll do just about anything to get it.  And they don't care whether it's good or bad. 

If you only pay attention to your dog when he's licking you, he's learned that being a slobbering dog is a great way to get you to interact with him.  He probably thinks your reaction to being licked is a way you have of playing with him, so he assumes you like it. 

But I DON'T Like It!

It's normal for your pup to lick you because he loves you, he's happy to be around you, and he wants you to know it.  But what can you do if he's overdoing it, and you're tired of being covered in dog drool?

Allow your dog to engage in his greeting ceremony in the morning or when you come home.  Be sure you're giving him plenty of time and attention.  Then you can try this; tell your dog "no" very firmly and turn your head away when he starts licking.  Get up and walk away.  He'll probably follow you and try to lick you again.  This time, squeal like you're in pain.  Your dog will stop licking you because he doesn't want to hurt you. 

Your next step should be to find a good dog behavior course.  Look for a course that includes a consultation with an experienced dog trainer, and that has a forum where you can get advice from other dog owners.  Excessive licking in dogs can be annoying, but this habit can be overcome.