Why Does Your Dog Lick Your Face?

Since dog and wolf behaviors are similar, the interactions of wolves in the wild give scientists a chance to observe communication in a pure form, as it exists without human interference.

For example, a behavior that many people find annoying is when dogs lick people’s faces, and especially their mouths.

Well, there is an explanation for that. The origin of the behavior is rarely seen in dogs, but observation of wolves have shown that wolf puppies are fed by food that is regurgitated by older wolves. This regurgitation is triggered by the wolf pups jumping up and licking at the older wolves’ mouths. In this way, wolves could bring home meat from their kills and have it already predigested for their puppies.

This is rarely observed in dogs because puppies are removed from their mothers shortly after weaning.

The licking at mouth persists as a greeting behavior in wolves after they have matured. This is why your dog greets you by jumping up and trying to lick your mouth.

From: Making Friends: Training Your Dog Positively