Question: I just moved into my aunt’s house where she has this blue heel. He loves to come constantly and lick my legs. They told me that maybe it’s the salt we carry. Not only does he do it to me, but to everyone he can lick. Why does he do this?

Answer: Dogs are normally oral. They use their mouth to taste things, check texture, carry things, pick things up, groom themselves, and love you. Licking is equivalent to kissing, and some dogs are more affectionate than others.

Dogs especially like salty things, like sweat, and lotions, soaps, perfumes, and oils. Getting out of the shower and staying clean and dry is always difficult if your dog smells you first. Most likely, he’s on top of you trying to lick off the soap, water, oil, lotion, or whatever.

Licking your own body parts could be part of your preparation or trying to heal an affliction, but it can also mean love or submission.

You will notice that a more dominant dog, or even a person, will put a dog in his place by yelling or growling, and the dog will respond by submitting, cowering, and attempting to lick the aggressor’s muzzle.

The cause of licking, as you can see, varies, but if licking bothers you, you can always train your dog not to lick. However, keep in mind that if it is a sign of affection, you will have to allow an outlet, such as sitting close to you, jumping towards you (that’s like a hug), etc. so you don’t reject it completely. A dog that is just trying to be nice or that is super submissive could have much worse habits, such as urinating every time he sees you.