Is it OK to kiss your dog?
Well, if you ask us dogs, the answer is yes. And if you ask the scientists, it’s an ‘aye aye’ again!
The researchers at the University of Arizona (UA) believe that the tiny microbes in a dog’s gut might have a probiotic effect on humans. Human bodies have 500 different types of bacteria living inside of us, some of it’s bad and some of it’s good. The helpful bacteria help keep our digestive and immune systems in shape. As we age, we lose a lot of our good bacteria, negatively impacting our mental and physical health.
Amazing Dog Facts you should know!
Researchers at the UA’s new Human-Animal Interaction Research Initiative theorize that dog kisses have a probiotic effect on the human body.
“We’ve co-evolved with dogs over the millennia, but nobody really understands what it is about this dog-human relationship that makes us feel good about being around dogs,” said Kim Kelly, an anthropology doctoral student and one of the primary investigators on the study.
Did you kiss your dog today?
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Previous research has shown that dog owners tend to be happier and healthier. Other studies have shown that dogs and their owners share much of the same gut bacteria over time.
“We think dogs might work as probiotics to enhance the health of the bacteria that live in our guts. These bacteria, or ‘microbiota,’ are increasingly recognized as playing an essential role in our mental and physical health, especially as we age,” said Dr. Charles Raison, principal investigator for the study and a UA professor of psychiatry in the College of Medicine.
Why Do Dogs Actually Lick Your Face?
The probiotics angle explains why it’s good for you. It doesn’t explain why your dog is doing it, and the real answer goes back further than “kisses.”
Mouth licking is old dog behavior, older than living rooms and sofas. A wild puppy licks its mother’s mouth to get her to regurgitate food. A lower ranking pack member licks a higher ranking one as a kind of “you’re in charge, noted.” Your dog licking your face is that same instinct, just aimed at you instead of a pack leader, minus the food angle. “It’s not just symbolic,” says our vet Dr. Cathie. “Licking releases endorphins in both the dog doing it and the one on the receiving end. That’s the actual reason it seems to calm your dog down, not just a nice feeling you’re imagining.”
Layer learned habit on top of that instinct and you get the fuller picture. The first time a face lick got you laughing, talking to your dog in that high voice, or scratching behind their ears, your dog clocked it as something that works. Add plain old taste (sweat, last night’s dinner, whatever moisturizer you used) and that’s the real combination: old instinct, a habit that gets rewarded, and a face that sometimes just tastes interesting.
It’s Not Actually a Kiss (Here’s What’s Really Happening)
Dogs don’t kiss each other. They don’t experience your kiss the way you mean it either. What they’ve actually learned is the pattern around it: happy voice plus cuddles equals good things happening, not “my human is showing affection and I am returning it in kind.” Dr. Cathie’s flag on this one is worth repeating: “It also isn’t something every dog enjoys. A face closing in fast can read as a challenge to a dog that isn’t used to it, the same way it would coming from another dog.” Good to know before assuming every dog on the street wants a kiss on the nose.
How to Dial Back the Licking (Without Confusing Your Dog)
A dog’s mouth carries bacteria and parasites your face doesn’t need, so “it’s basically probiotics” is only half the story. If the licking suddenly spikes, especially alongside other behavior changes, that’s worth watching rather than shrugging off. To cut back on it: don’t laugh, squeal, or shove your dog away. All three tell a dog “keep going.” Hand them a toy instead, or ask for a sit and reward that. Keep it consistent across everyone in the house, because a dog that gets away with it from one person and not another just gets confused, not trained. And a dog that’s had a proper walk licks a lot less than one that hasn’t.
It seems that just like yogurt, dog kisses do have a probiotic effect. So go ahead and kiss your dog! And while you are at it, share with us the pictures for a feature at Dog with Blog 🙂
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First gift me a dog Abhishek. All your posts ignite a fresh fight at home 🙁
ha ha ha:) Life’s too short to not live with a dog – I will keep you updated on Pune adoptions. As for the domestic dissonance, I’m sure you’ll settle the froth 🙂
Yes.. yes.. I did… 🙂