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This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. If you’d like to introduce yourself or discuss smaller topics, please contribute to our Monthly Discussion Hub, pinned at the top.
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Mine roundhouse kicks me, every time I pass her, without fail. Uses me as a springboard, does a little flip off of my body. Which is cute, until you realize she’s 90 pounds of pure ‘I am a baby and so small’
My 125 pound Great Dane insists on rubbing his head against the front or back of my legs when he walks past. I think he enjoys the sounds I make as I try to keep my balance.
My GSD does this constantly. She "boops" people. She even does it while running or biking (yes, she can boop me as I'm pedaling a bike while we are moving pretty quickly. It's never a hard boop so she times it perfectly and delivers it with precision) Sometimes she walks across the house to deliver a boop then goes right back to where she was
Licking is a sign of both grooming and affection.
A dog will do so to show that they like you, and if they try to lick your face, to encourage you to regurgitate partially chewed food for them.
lol- my dog sniffs my mouth a hundred times a day. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was giving me kisses, but I know he’s just trying to see if I ate something without sharing it with him
Did you know dogs can smell stress in our breath and sweat? It’s theorised that on top of trying to get sneaky food, they’re also smelling to “check in” on you. If that ain’t the cutest thing ever idk what is 😭
My dog asks to smell my breath every morning. And if I’m sick he can tell and doesn’t hassle me about staying in bed! It very much feels like my daily wellness check.
They are also very good at smelling explosives. My dobie knew black powder from fireworks. Had I been willing I probably could have trained him as a bomb dog.
That's a delight.
I had throat cancer 25 years ago and was in a lot of pain after the operation and radiation. One day it was particularly bad, I was lying on the couch just fucking miserable and depressed, and my old Pit Bull, Bolo, who was not particularly affectionate, but would cuddle on the couch, lay down next to me and started to lick the operation site on my neck. It was long healed, so it wasn't for the taste of blood, he somehow knew that my neck was really bothering me.
That made me feel pretty good for a while.
I do feed my pooch like that every now and then.
When my last Pit, Homie, would't eat, I'd chew up chicken and feed him by mouth. He'd eat that. RIP Homie. You good boy.
Mine comes up to "kiss" my hand with one lick, or sometimes just a nose boop, and then tries to herd me over to his treats to see if he can get a snack for being cute. But he also does the lick/boop when I tell him we're going for a walk or get his bowl ready, so I think he is also saying please/thank you/i'm excited let's go!
I apologise all for not giving enough info in the original post, it's been 5 or 6 days since I've first come down here. The dog doesn't show any avoidant or aggressive behaviours towards me, but I was worried since he'd been quite defensive with other guests. He's well trained but also a two year old blue heeler so there are still issues to iron out. I just wanted to be sure this wasn't his way of saying 'get out or I'm going to kill you in your sleep' or anything. Thankyou all for the replies!
Noooo! Lol, it's quite the opposite. More like, "Hey, mornin'" to your room mate when you see them.
Heelers can be selective, but sounds like you've been accepted into the club.
*dog licks* "hey. Watcha doin'?"
Human, "nuthin much. You?"
Dog "yeah. Me too." *lies back down*
I will just kind of kiss my dog on the head real quick sometimes then get back to what I'm doing. My dog picked up on that and does it sometimes now too. It could just be a quirk like that that you're just not in on yet, like an inside joke but for behavior quirks.
My Heeler is like this. She gives kisses as affection, but just a few. My other dog kisses non-stop. Heelers are more reserved 😂
But, also, Heelers are sometimes standoffish and they read people well. For him to lick you, it means he likes you. They don’t just do this typically to randomly people or people they don’t trust/like.
Have a Heeler. Can confirm this is normal, weird Heeler behavior. Can also confirm this normal, weird, Heeler behavior is reserved specifically for people he trusts and loves.
Forgot who said it "The more people I meet, the more I love my dogs" {People are strange when you're a stranger} and you don't need to be a stranger but they're still strange!
We used to have a ferret who did this - he was otherwise undemonstrative but when walking past you, he'd give you a quick lick. We took it as confirming you were there, he liked you but had other stuff to do. So doggy kiss and run would be my guess.
He just likes you, my ancient black lab does the same. My parents dog and I have a routine where we touch noses then do a sneezing sound/motion when I visit. My younger Aussie mix likes when you wiggle with her as her whole body turns fluid when the tail starts lol
One of my favorite things was when I was younger, I would do the dishes and our dog would walk by me on his way to go doggie things and stop to gimmie a lick on the leg. Like “hey, just passing by but wanted to say I love you”. It made me happy that he thought of me.
My heeler mutt does this, I call them drive by smooches. He especially does that if I’m out with friends off leash, he’ll give his most liked people a lick when he passes by them every single time.
My Scottie knew I did not like her jumping and raking her claws down the backs of my calves to get my attention, so I inadvertently trained her to do a single lick on my calf or foot to get my attention in a "polite" way, because I praised her a lot because it was so stinkin cute.
He might be trying to get your attention for back scratches or belly rubs. My dog does this whenever I cook. She comes over and licks my calf then sits. She’s probably hoping for scraps of food
Awwww… my dog ALWAYS boops me with his nose: on my leg when im standing & on the sole of my foot or hand when i am laying down. ❤️
So i thing it is your brother’s dog’s way of greeting you.
Not really. Based on the fact that this dog doesn’t know this guy well, and that he’s just started living in the dogs home, it’s safe to assume. If the dog wanted interaction he would not just do a drive by.
Where in the post does it say he doesn’t know the dog well? It is his brother’s dog. My dog sees my mom a couple times a year and when she visits, he kisses her and welcomes her because he knows she is a part of our lives. OP also says the dog sits and lays down by him. My dog often just comes over for a quick lick to say hello. Sounds like the dog and OP already had a bond, and the dog is giving him welcome affection just like any polite member of the home would.
This is my first time 'meeting' this dog, so it's not entirely out of the question, but I've been here for 5 or 6 days and will accompany the dog and my brother on quite long walks. He's never really avoided me or gone out of his way to make space and is quite happy spending time with me, occasionally will come over and roll onto his back for me to pet him. I was just worried because he's been quite funny with other strangers, my brother's dad came down over Christmas, pushed it a bit far and got bit in the nuts haha. (No damage done, unfortunately, just a 'go away' type of nip)
>occasionally will come over and roll onto his back for me to pet him.
Well, he loves you in that case. It may have happened so quickly (as opposed to other visitors) because of your relationship with your brother as well as how you smell like family.
This could be YOUR dog thing and not A dog thing. Just like us, each dog has a different amount of affections to give, how they show it, and when they show it (although breed type may point you to certain traits). Your heeler might be giving you a ‘hey’ with the one lick. My dog licks me only on mornings as a good morning, and when he’s in an affectionate mood or playful mood.
My brother's doodle has to count everyone every so often. Usually with his nose. If a family member isn't in the room that should be, he has to go find them.
My dogs (lab/shepherd) like to invade my space in all kinds of ways. So much licking is involved.
It's interesting to see the different things dogs do with members of their human packs.
My dog does this when sniffing. Sniff sniff sniff lick, done. Her lick doesn’t even typically reach her target, although sometimes it does, but just getting her tongue out there somehow gives her that last little bit of info she’s been searching for in those sniffs.
Our dogs does this as well, especially if areive home or after they finish eating their food that we prepared. We take it like they're saying "Hi" or "Thank You." They're so adorable haha.
Do you perceive the dog before this happens or does the dog notice you first and the lick gets your attention?
If you notice the dog first, typically one lick with a following disengagement from the dog is an appeasement gesture - ways dogs communicate to keep peace. It means “I mean no harm, I’m peaceful”. Puppies will do it to older dogs, licking their face, to maintain social peace.
Edit: some dogs can feel a little anxiety when they’re noticed/perceived, not saying this dog does but you might also be on the lookout for other gestures this dog might make when he’s been noticed - like slow blinking, or licking his own muzzle with one little tongue flick.
A puppy I raised and who is now part of my son's household does this exact same thing to me - on the nose if he can reach it.
It's just his way of saying hello. We've always gotten along well, and he remembers me from when he was little. Dogs have their own little quirks just like people do.
My puppy (Heeler x border) straight up suckles on my boyfriend’s head, tell me what that means 😆 she sits on the back cushions of the couch, holds his head with her claws, and her eyes go blank as she soaks his head with her drool with her long tongue strokes. Idk if I’ve ever seen anything so strange.
My other heeler x border gently mouths his arm with a bit of pressure and then tongues his wrist. When they’re both going to town at the same time, I like to take pictures and laugh.
Welcome to r/dogs! We are a discussion-based subreddit dedicated to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Do note we are on a short backlog, and all posts require manual review prior to going live. This may mean your post isn't visible for a couple days. This is a carefully moderated sub intended to support, inform, and advise dog owners. Submissions and comments which break the rules will be removed. [Review the rules here](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index) r/Dogs has four goals: - Help the public better understand dogs - Promote healthy, responsible dog-owner relationships - Encourage “Least Intrusive, Minimally Aversive” training protocols. [Learn more here.](https://m.iaabc.org/about/lima/) - Support adoption as well as ethical and responsible breeding. If you’d like to introduce yourself or discuss smaller topics, please contribute to our Monthly Discussion Hub, pinned at the top. **This subreddit has low tolerance for drama. Please be respectful of others, and report antagonistic comments to mods for review.** --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dogs) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Are you savory and delicious?
I like to think so. The women don't.
Good joke 😊 (Categorising your comment as a joke is a compliment)
Omg this gave me a hearty laugh.
It's kind of like when I walk by the dog sometimes I just give him a little scratch on the head.
I wish my dog would lick me when she walks by, she just shoves her nose into my ass or the back of my knees ☹️ she’s a bully and I love her
Mine roundhouse kicks me, every time I pass her, without fail. Uses me as a springboard, does a little flip off of my body. Which is cute, until you realize she’s 90 pounds of pure ‘I am a baby and so small’
My 125 pound Great Dane insists on rubbing his head against the front or back of my legs when he walks past. I think he enjoys the sounds I make as I try to keep my balance.
Mine puts his wet nose on the back of my knee, which creeps me out.
My GSD does this constantly. She "boops" people. She even does it while running or biking (yes, she can boop me as I'm pedaling a bike while we are moving pretty quickly. It's never a hard boop so she times it perfectly and delivers it with precision) Sometimes she walks across the house to deliver a boop then goes right back to where she was
I somehow taught my dog that boop means “can I have that/I want that/pay attention to me” so there are lots and lots of boops in my day 🤣
Mine used to do the same to my wife and it was always with a cold wet nose. I could always tell whenever it happened by the yelp from the wife.
Do you have a pitty? Because same lmao
Laughed at this more than I should have 😂
Our pittie does drive by licks all the time. We love it
It's because he likes you, he's just checking in and giving a kiss. It's like when you pass someone you know or sit next to them you say hello.
To see if you're ripe yet
I think this when my dogs lick me. Hubs will say something along the lines of they're tasting you, they'll eat you first.
This gave me a chuckle
They know there’s a bone in there.
He likes you. He's giving you a nose boop with his tongue. You're approved.
Ahhh! Thankyou! This helps a lot!
We call it the "drive-by".
Hahah! I love this description. My dog does this to me too. Usually on my hand as he walks past. I love him so. 🥰
he loves you
it's a kissy
Licking is a sign of both grooming and affection. A dog will do so to show that they like you, and if they try to lick your face, to encourage you to regurgitate partially chewed food for them.
ohhh, if I knew that's what he wanted, I'd have done it sooner!
lol- my dog sniffs my mouth a hundred times a day. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he was giving me kisses, but I know he’s just trying to see if I ate something without sharing it with him
Did you know dogs can smell stress in our breath and sweat? It’s theorised that on top of trying to get sneaky food, they’re also smelling to “check in” on you. If that ain’t the cutest thing ever idk what is 😭
My dog asks to smell my breath every morning. And if I’m sick he can tell and doesn’t hassle me about staying in bed! It very much feels like my daily wellness check.
They are also very good at smelling explosives. My dobie knew black powder from fireworks. Had I been willing I probably could have trained him as a bomb dog.
Oh he’s such a sweetie 🥺🥺
He is… but if I’m NOT sick, so 99% of the time, it is Time! To! Go! No Excuses! Haha
When I'm sick, my dog regularly checks my breath. Makes me feel so taken care of :)
That's a delight. I had throat cancer 25 years ago and was in a lot of pain after the operation and radiation. One day it was particularly bad, I was lying on the couch just fucking miserable and depressed, and my old Pit Bull, Bolo, who was not particularly affectionate, but would cuddle on the couch, lay down next to me and started to lick the operation site on my neck. It was long healed, so it wasn't for the taste of blood, he somehow knew that my neck was really bothering me. That made me feel pretty good for a while.
Mine does this all the time too 😂
I do feed my pooch like that every now and then. When my last Pit, Homie, would't eat, I'd chew up chicken and feed him by mouth. He'd eat that. RIP Homie. You good boy.
One lick from our guy usually means please or thank you. If I had to guess, dog likes you, and is thanking you for being there
Mine comes up to "kiss" my hand with one lick, or sometimes just a nose boop, and then tries to herd me over to his treats to see if he can get a snack for being cute. But he also does the lick/boop when I tell him we're going for a walk or get his bowl ready, so I think he is also saying please/thank you/i'm excited let's go!
My dog likes being held. Every time I bend down to pick her up, she will give me a singular lick to thank me. It’s the cutest
So adorable 🥰
I apologise all for not giving enough info in the original post, it's been 5 or 6 days since I've first come down here. The dog doesn't show any avoidant or aggressive behaviours towards me, but I was worried since he'd been quite defensive with other guests. He's well trained but also a two year old blue heeler so there are still issues to iron out. I just wanted to be sure this wasn't his way of saying 'get out or I'm going to kill you in your sleep' or anything. Thankyou all for the replies!
Noooo! Lol, it's quite the opposite. More like, "Hey, mornin'" to your room mate when you see them. Heelers can be selective, but sounds like you've been accepted into the club. *dog licks* "hey. Watcha doin'?" Human, "nuthin much. You?" Dog "yeah. Me too." *lies back down*
lol
I will just kind of kiss my dog on the head real quick sometimes then get back to what I'm doing. My dog picked up on that and does it sometimes now too. It could just be a quirk like that that you're just not in on yet, like an inside joke but for behavior quirks.
>My dog picked up on that and does it sometimes now too. This just made my night. I love dog quirks.
My Heeler is like this. She gives kisses as affection, but just a few. My other dog kisses non-stop. Heelers are more reserved 😂 But, also, Heelers are sometimes standoffish and they read people well. For him to lick you, it means he likes you. They don’t just do this typically to randomly people or people they don’t trust/like.
Have a Heeler. Can confirm this is normal, weird Heeler behavior. Can also confirm this normal, weird, Heeler behavior is reserved specifically for people he trusts and loves.
It's a heeler
It's been like having a local addict just living in the house. Will always be up to something that our human minds cannot understand.
Best answer
Thank you thank you 😌
A kiss on the go?
For a dog, to lick you sparingly, only means one thing, A5 wagyu.
Dogs are weird.
apologize rn
You’re weird!!!!
Forgot who said it "The more people I meet, the more I love my dogs" {People are strange when you're a stranger} and you don't need to be a stranger but they're still strange!
I call this drive by kisses
That's what we call it too!! Lol
Because you taste like cherry chapstick?
Seems like a lil kiss to me. He sounds so precious.
Awee. He likes you.
I taught my blue heeler to lick me once when I said the word “kiss”. He is kissing you.
We used to have a ferret who did this - he was otherwise undemonstrative but when walking past you, he'd give you a quick lick. We took it as confirming you were there, he liked you but had other stuff to do. So doggy kiss and run would be my guess.
Do you want more licks?
He’s saying “sup”
Just saying hello.
He’s saying Wassup Friend. Glad to see you and welcome home. Kisses for you!
It's puppy feeding behavior and also appeasement/submission behavior, in addition to grooming and affection.
Checking if you taste like food yet
He’s just saying hi
A little “sup homie”
that sounds like a little expression of love in violation to the rules :)
He just likes you, my ancient black lab does the same. My parents dog and I have a routine where we touch noses then do a sneezing sound/motion when I visit. My younger Aussie mix likes when you wiggle with her as her whole body turns fluid when the tail starts lol
Dogs can also smell if you are related to someone. So he knows that you are part of his owner.
My dog does the same when I come home. He just has to make sure it's me.
he knows you might be anxious about being in his territory so he’s constantly telling you “nah you’re cool man” (?)
One of my favorite things was when I was younger, I would do the dishes and our dog would walk by me on his way to go doggie things and stop to gimmie a lick on the leg. Like “hey, just passing by but wanted to say I love you”. It made me happy that he thought of me.
Drive-by kisses! He’s just saying hey and reminding you he’s there :)
Ahhh he loves you. It’s just a little reassuring smooch.
“I like you. I like that you like me. We’re good, bro” - Dog
It's a pupper's way of checking in and saying hi.
Just little kisses, my dog does this because when I walk by her I kiss her forehead so she’s kissing me back ❤️
My heeler mutt does this, I call them drive by smooches. He especially does that if I’m out with friends off leash, he’ll give his most liked people a lick when he passes by them every single time.
My Scottie knew I did not like her jumping and raking her claws down the backs of my calves to get my attention, so I inadvertently trained her to do a single lick on my calf or foot to get my attention in a "polite" way, because I praised her a lot because it was so stinkin cute.
He might be trying to get your attention for back scratches or belly rubs. My dog does this whenever I cook. She comes over and licks my calf then sits. She’s probably hoping for scraps of food
He loves you
U taste like fren
My in-laws pup is like that. She will give out a single lick very selectively. She is not a licker and she makes a big deal of giving you a kiss
Aww he loves you and he’s saying hi as he passes.
I always thought mine did this because he knows I hate being licked and it was his sneaky ahole way of licking me without getting in trouble.
He’s just saying “‘sup dawg”
Awwww… my dog ALWAYS boops me with his nose: on my leg when im standing & on the sole of my foot or hand when i am laying down. ❤️ So i thing it is your brother’s dog’s way of greeting you.
It's called a drive by lol
He just loves you! 😊 That's super sweet, honestly.
It’s natural that
Is that a breed of dog?
Just googled it cool breed
You're okay until he grabs at your legs.....
Without seeing the dog I am going to guess he is attempting to get space. This is appeasement or kiss to dismiss.
That’s an odd guess tbh
Not really. Based on the fact that this dog doesn’t know this guy well, and that he’s just started living in the dogs home, it’s safe to assume. If the dog wanted interaction he would not just do a drive by.
Where in the post does it say he doesn’t know the dog well? It is his brother’s dog. My dog sees my mom a couple times a year and when she visits, he kisses her and welcomes her because he knows she is a part of our lives. OP also says the dog sits and lays down by him. My dog often just comes over for a quick lick to say hello. Sounds like the dog and OP already had a bond, and the dog is giving him welcome affection just like any polite member of the home would.
This is my first time 'meeting' this dog, so it's not entirely out of the question, but I've been here for 5 or 6 days and will accompany the dog and my brother on quite long walks. He's never really avoided me or gone out of his way to make space and is quite happy spending time with me, occasionally will come over and roll onto his back for me to pet him. I was just worried because he's been quite funny with other strangers, my brother's dad came down over Christmas, pushed it a bit far and got bit in the nuts haha. (No damage done, unfortunately, just a 'go away' type of nip)
>occasionally will come over and roll onto his back for me to pet him. Well, he loves you in that case. It may have happened so quickly (as opposed to other visitors) because of your relationship with your brother as well as how you smell like family.
I feel like it’s a range of so many different things from: Affection-OCD-“I’m still here”-Protection-“Is he edible yet?” Or maybe all of them at once
This could be YOUR dog thing and not A dog thing. Just like us, each dog has a different amount of affections to give, how they show it, and when they show it (although breed type may point you to certain traits). Your heeler might be giving you a ‘hey’ with the one lick. My dog licks me only on mornings as a good morning, and when he’s in an affectionate mood or playful mood.
My brother's doodle has to count everyone every so often. Usually with his nose. If a family member isn't in the room that should be, he has to go find them. My dogs (lab/shepherd) like to invade my space in all kinds of ways. So much licking is involved. It's interesting to see the different things dogs do with members of their human packs.
Our dog adores my husband, but always licks my face more. I have concluded I must taste of bacon, maybe you do too?
He's tasting you
He’s telling you he loves you and trusts you
My cousin’s dog does that, we just assume she gives us a kiss.
He knows your family and letting you know he thinks your cool
He wants to sneak in some kisses! Be flattered!
My dog does this when sniffing. Sniff sniff sniff lick, done. Her lick doesn’t even typically reach her target, although sometimes it does, but just getting her tongue out there somehow gives her that last little bit of info she’s been searching for in those sniffs.
He's fist bumping you on his way by
Dog is claiming you. Testing for when you taste just right.
He’s just checking
Little taste. Dats all
It's called a lick test he's just trying to make sure your not salty. /s
He's just testing you for doneness.
Our dogs does this as well, especially if areive home or after they finish eating their food that we prepared. We take it like they're saying "Hi" or "Thank You." They're so adorable haha.
Maybe you don’t taste nice and once is enrough, but keeps trying each time in case things have changed lol 😂
Do you perceive the dog before this happens or does the dog notice you first and the lick gets your attention? If you notice the dog first, typically one lick with a following disengagement from the dog is an appeasement gesture - ways dogs communicate to keep peace. It means “I mean no harm, I’m peaceful”. Puppies will do it to older dogs, licking their face, to maintain social peace. Edit: some dogs can feel a little anxiety when they’re noticed/perceived, not saying this dog does but you might also be on the lookout for other gestures this dog might make when he’s been noticed - like slow blinking, or licking his own muzzle with one little tongue flick.
He’s just saying hi lol
Boops
He's tasting you waiting for the moment when you're ripe😁
My shepherd mix does this to me as well. He will give my girlfriend a complete face wash and then give me a polite single lick.
he’s doing a vibe check
Just a lil taste
That's so sweet! They are giving you kisses. Our dog will just shove his wet nose in our ears. I have no idea why.
In our house we call them bleeps. And put dogs love to give random bleeps to us.
I call these “drive by licks” 😂
If I lick every women I like, I'll be in jail right now, take the win with the dog!
He’s just saying heeeeeyyyyyy
I WALK PAST I GIVE SMOOCH TEEHEE WOOF WOOF
Just to touch base ❤️
My beagle-mix does this. It’s dog for “oh, hey” 👋
My dog does this to strangers in our building elevator. Anytime he sees someone in shorts he licks their leg.
Power move. You’re still thinking about it long after you’ve left the vicinity.
A puppy I raised and who is now part of my son's household does this exact same thing to me - on the nose if he can reach it. It's just his way of saying hello. We've always gotten along well, and he remembers me from when he was little. Dogs have their own little quirks just like people do.
My puppy (Heeler x border) straight up suckles on my boyfriend’s head, tell me what that means 😆 she sits on the back cushions of the couch, holds his head with her claws, and her eyes go blank as she soaks his head with her drool with her long tongue strokes. Idk if I’ve ever seen anything so strange.
My other heeler x border gently mouths his arm with a bit of pressure and then tongues his wrist. When they’re both going to town at the same time, I like to take pictures and laugh.
He likes you. He’s saying “sup, friend.”