What Does It Mean When A Dog Licks Your Feet

When our feet are encased in leather plastic or cloth they get warm and sweaty.

What does it mean when a dog licks your feet. Avoid areas that are sprayed with deicing products or give your pet boots to wear when going outside during the. Dogs typically lick their paws as a part of self grooming. If your dog is a fastidious groomer you may notice him licking his paws after meals while settling down for a nap or after coming in from outdoors after meals. Studies have corroborated the release of oxytocin hormone when dogs lick one another.

It s a comfort thing most of all the behavior seems very familiar. Dogs can lick feet as a way to get attention. This could be playing finding food or any other basic need you might be able to work together to meet. If you want your dog to stop licking you do your best to ignore the behavior.

In the animal world licking is used to groom one another and is a non verbal way of expressing love and trust within the family pack. Even dogs that don t do a lot of self grooming will occasionally clean their paws. To prevent the occurrence of complications such as acral lick granulomas or infections you should detect the cause and administer suitable treatment. Licking as attention seeking.

An expression of love. If you always look at or talk to your dog when he licks your feet you are reinforcing this particular behavior. If your dog only licks their paws during the winter then the cause may be deicing salts or sore paws caused by ice balls. The salts used to melt ice on driveways and roads can lead to chemical burns on your dog s feet.

Calmly get up and go into another room behind a closed door if you have to says dr. Some dogs may be more attracted to feet because they smell. But licking is a. When he licks your feet your dog may be trying to encourage you to join them in an activity that meets both of your physiological needs.

If the paw pads and feet appear normal the licking could be due to a skin condition dermatitis which often is the result of bacterial problems allergies or food sensitivities. And for those with ticklish feet it can be downright unpleasant especially if your pup s licking becomes a regular occurrence. Dogs will lick the feet of those humans in the house for whom they feel affection. One of the main reasons a dog will lick a persons feet is to indicate their submissiveness to their master.

By displaying this act of domesticity and submission the dog may ensure its place in the family by accepting the social order of the home. For some owners this behavior may seem odd.