Why does my dog lick the floor and surfaces?

Compulsive licking of the floor or walls is rarely a whim: one study (Bécuwe-Bonnet et al. 2012) found an underlying digestive disorder in the majority of the dogs concerned. If it appears or intensifies, mention it to the vet before writing it off as a simple tic.

Why does my dog lick me

Training & behaviourPart of · Training & behaviour

Why does my dog lick me

Q: Why does my dog lick me?

It is above all affection and communication, a hangover from the puppy who licks his mother, and sometimes just the salty taste of your skin. It is not dominance and there is nothing to correct. Enjoy it, and only redirect if it becomes too much.

Q: Why does my dog lick my feet?

Your feet gather smells and salt, especially after exercise or a shower: for his nose, it is a goldmine of information about you. It is quiet curiosity. If it tickles too much, offer him a toy rather than telling him off.

Q: Why does my dog lick his paws?

Here, take care: licking himself on the paws over and over is not affection but often a skin problem (allergy, fleas), pain or stress. You do not tell him off, you get it checked by the vet, who will look for the cause.

Q: Why does my dog lick my face?

It is a soothing gesture and a sign of the bond, inherited from licking the mother. You can welcome it or gently turn your head away, whichever you prefer. On the hygiene side, it is harmless for most people: you only avoid it on a wound or for someone vulnerable.

Q: Why does my dog lick my hands all the time?

It is often a request: attention, a stroke, play, or the need to keep the contact going. If you respond every time, you reinforce it without meaning to. Instead, mark the calm with a "yes!" and offer an alternative when you are not in the mood for that little lick.

8 min read

If your dog licks you, it's almost always a good sign, never dominance: he's saying hello, asking for a cuddle, keeping in touch with you, or simply enjoying the salt on your skin. Nothing to correct. The only licking that should alert you is when he licks himself, or a surface, on a loop.

What he's telling you when he licks you

When you come home

It's the joy of the reunion: in the excitement of seeing you again, he licks your hands, your legs or your face to say hello.
The salt and the smells on your skin add to it. A calm hello from you helps him come back down faster.

He licks your feet or your legs

Your feet, especially after exercise or a shower, are full of smells and salt: his nose finds plenty of information about you there.
It's quiet curiosity, not a hygiene problem and not submission.

He licks your face

It's a sign of connection: he's asking you for simple contact.
You can welcome it, or gently turn your head away, whichever you prefer, but without telling him off.

He licks your hands during a cuddle

He's keeping contact and asking you to carry on: the stroking, the attention, your presence.
If you're not in the mood right then, hand him a toy or offer him a game instead.

He licks a wound, yours or his own

It's a grooming reflex inherited from his ancestors, almost a caring gesture, not a signal to decode.
On a small, clean, superficial graze, let him do it briefly, no more: his saliva is not antiseptic, and licking too much irritates the wound and slows healing instead of helping it. Then calmly move him away from the wound and redirect him to a toy.

He licks you during a stressful moment

A thunderstorm, fireworks, the vet's waiting room: at moments like these, he's the one seeking reassurance from you, not the other way round.
Stay calm and let him press against you: it's a sign he needs your presence, not a problem to correct.

This gesture goes back a long way: a puppy licks his mother's muzzle to ask for food, and your dog, once grown up, keeps that reflex with you. This search for contact is not trivial: a landmark 1998 study shows that a dog's bond with his owner resembles a child's bond with a parent, a reassuring anchor to come back to whenever something unsettles him. The bond shows up elsewhere than in licking: a 2015 study recorded a rise in oxytocin, the bonding hormone, in both dog and owner when they gazed into each other's eyes for a long time; a 2018 study showed that his nose even reads your mood in the smell of your skin.

If the licking becomes overwhelming

Licking that grows and grows isn't always just a natural need: often it has become a habit, because every time he licks, he gets a reaction from you (a laugh, a stroke, a few words), even without you meaning to give one.

Here are four tactics to pick from depending on the moment, not an order to run through at every lick. The spirit of it: offer a “yes” (something else to do) before any “no”.

Redirect him to a toy or a game

When he licks insistently, hand him a chew toy, a lick mat (a textured mat where you spread a lickable paste, which keeps him busy for a good while) or start a little scent game: you're giving his need for contact another outlet than your skin.

Mark and reward his calm

As soon as he settles without licking, say a short marker word, such as “yes!” (a word said at exactly the right moment to tell him he got it right), then reward him with a stroke or a treat.

If that's not enough, withdraw your attention

If the toy doesn't interest him and he comes back to lick, stand up and move three or four steps away, without a word or a look, for five to ten seconds. If he follows you to lick from the other side, move away properly, from one room to another. Come back to him as soon as he's calm: it's the calm you're rewarding, not the insistence.

Turn it into a “kiss” on cue

You can turn his gesture into a trick: reward the licking only when you say a word you've chosen, such as “kiss”, and he'll end up licking only on that cue. The “Kiss & cuddle” guide sets out the method step by step.

If the licking stays overwhelming despite these tactics, or if he licks you mainly in tense moments, it's a sign that an emotion lies behind the gesture, and that it's worth understanding. A trainer or a behaviourist can then help you find the source, which goes beyond what a guide can do.

Cuddle or warning sign?

It's affectionate, enjoy it

He licks you now and then: during a cuddle, at reunions, or while playing.
His body is relaxed and he stops of his own accord when you change activity.
The licking is aimed at your skin (hands, face, feet), never at his own body.

This is one for the vet

He always licks the same spot on his body (a paw, a flank), several times a day, and you struggle to interrupt him: don't wait for the skin to redden or flake before you act.
This self-licking is new, or more intense than before, or a sore has appeared.
He licks the floor, the walls or fabrics repeatedly, every day, and it's hard to stop.

Nagasawa et al. — Oxytocin-gaze positive loop and the coevolution of human-dog bonds, Science (2015)
D'Aniello et al. — Interspecies transmission of emotional information via chemosignals (fear and happiness) (2018)
Topál, Miklósi, Csányi & Dóka — Attachment behaviour in dogs: an adaptation of Ainsworth's Strange Situation (1998)
Bécuwe-Bonnet et al. — Gastrointestinal disorders in dogs with excessive licking of surfaces, Journal of Veterinary Behavior (2012)

Going further

guideKiss & cuddleWant him to give you a kiss on request: this trick turns his natural gesture into a lovely little ritual.Read the guide guideReading your dog's body languageLicking is only one signal among many: learn to read his whole body language to understand him better.Read the guide guideMy dog keeps scratching: skin, itching, when to see the vetIf it's himself he licks non-stop (paws, skin), this guide helps you spot when it's just a habit and when you need to see the vet.Read the guide guideUnderstand before you judgeSo you stop reading every behaviour through received ideas (dominance, stupidity) and finally see your dog as he really is.Read the guide guideBeing your dog's anchorLicking has nothing to do with hierarchy: this guide dismantles the dominant-dog myth and shows you how to be an anchor for him, with no power struggle.Read the guide guideHe jumps up at peopleAnother way of saying hello in a burst of enthusiasm: how to channel that rush without stifling it.Read the guide

Frequently asked questions

Why does my dog lick me?

He has several good reasons, nearly all of them positive: a reflex inherited from the puppy who licks his mother, the salty taste of your skin, or simply the wish to stay in contact with you. It isn't dominance, and there's nothing to correct: enjoy it, and only redirect him if it becomes overwhelming.

Why does my dog lick my feet?

Your feet concentrate smells and salt, especially after exercise or a shower: his nose finds plenty of information there about your day. It's quiet curiosity, nothing more. If it tickles too much, offer him a toy rather than telling him off.

Why does my dog lick his paws?

Here, be careful: licking his own paws on a loop isn't affection but often a skin problem (allergy, fleas), pain, or stress. Don't tell him off, take him to the vet: only the vet can look for the cause.

Why does my dog lick my face?

It's a soothing gesture and a sign of connection, inherited from his mother's licking. You can welcome it, or gently turn your head away, whichever you prefer. On the hygiene side, it's harmless for most people: just avoid it on a wound, on a very young child's face, or on that of a vulnerable person (immunocompromised, or without a spleen).

Why does my dog lick my hands all the time?

It's often a request: for attention, a stroke, a game, or simply the need to stay in contact with you. If you respond every time, you reinforce it without meaning to. Instead, mark his calm with a “yes!”, and offer him something else when you're not in the mood for that licking.

Why does my dog lick the floor and other surfaces?

Compulsive licking of the floor or the walls is rarely a whim: a 2012 study found a digestive problem in the majority of the dogs concerned. If it appears or intensifies in your dog, talk to the vet before writing it off as a simple habit.

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