Why do dogs like to lick their owner's hands?

Dogs like to lick their owner's hands usually to express their love and affection for their owner. Secondly, dogs may also lick their owner's hands to assert their dominance or have a certain need. Licking human hands means they want to leave their scent on the owner or attract their attention to feed them. Additionally, dogs have a keen sense of smell, so when they smell food on their owner's hands, they will come over and lick them.

Expressing love

Dogs can't talk, so they usually express their thoughts through behavior. If they like their owner, they will lick the owner's hands and feet and act excitedly. Therefore, if your dog often licks your hands and feet, it means they love you very much.

At this time, the owner can give a certain response, such as petting the dog's head or playing with it, which helps deepen the relationship between the dog and the owner.

Swearing allegiance

Dogs have a strong sense of ownership, and they don't like other animals to contact their owners. Therefore, they will keep licking the owner to leave their smell on them and assert their dominance, letting other dogs know that the owner has a dog.

Having a demand

When a dog has a demand, it will also lick the owner's hand, such as being hungry or wanting the owner to play with it. At this time, the owner needs to pay attention and judge whether the dog is really hungry. If so, give it some food.

liking the smell on the owner's hand

Dogs have a keen sense of smell. If the owner doesn't wash their hands after eating and food residue remains on their hands, the dog will smell it and come over to lick the owner's hand to see what the owner is eating. However, owners should note that human food usually contains more salt, so it is recommended not to feed dogs human food.

Note: If the owner doesn't want the dog to lick their hands, they can use small toys or treats to divert the dog's attention. Never violently push the dog away or scold it, otherwise, the relationship between the dog and the owner will only become more distant.