I have a small dog who absolutely loves to lick. She’ll do it to anyone she feels comfortable around (admittedly not that many people), and usually she just sticks to licking people’s hands. I’ve met dogs who were big lickers before, but she will do it endlessly if you let her. I’ve never minded this behaviour because she doesn’t object to me just taking my hand away, but I would like to know why she does it.
At first, I thought maybe it was a way of showing affection, because it very much resembles the way the cleans herself, and she is a very cleanly dog. I assumed it was just her way of trying to groom me too. But now, I think it might be a way of self-soothing; she’s quite anxious by nature (as I think a lot of mini-pini mixes and general small dogs are) and very attention-motivated. I think it might be like her version of stimming – a repetitive and familiar motion she can use to ground herself while simultaneously appeasing and communicating. She’s a very sweet dog who loves to cuddle and, while she has a few odd little quirks, none stand out quite like this one.
If anyone else has had a dog who loves to lick their hands for minutes on end, let me know if you figured out why! I’m curious about what could be going on in that silly dog brain of hers.
submitted by /u/CauliflowerMedium426
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