any suggestions on how i could stop kara (mu isbt) from giving me pretty much a head to toe tongue bath everytime i fuss her.

Andy

calmly say no licking, but continue to fuss her. With time she will stop the constant licking xx

IF you don't like what she's doing - turn away and stop fussing her each time she tries it, you may even have to get up and move - continuing to do what she likes will give her the message that you are returning her affection...........

have to disagree there digger
in my experience a firm no each time she licks should suffice.
moving and stopping fussing her each time will only result in her not coming for cuddles full stop.

You could put bitter apple on you and also say no, but I wouldn't stop fussing over her. Tiva always tries to lick our face and I say No Lick and push her face the other way. If she continue's then I make her lay down.

its funny, i managed to stop her licking my face without any problems. is just everywhere else now lol

It took forever to stop my ISBT X from licking - it's in the blood :D

I think I just told her 'no' and moved out of the line of fire but continued to fuss her. It was a good while ago now and she only licks when she thinks you aren't watching (creeps up and licks bare feet :P )

Here is my suggestion. What I do with the dogs and puppies I train is when they go to lick I either grab the tongue as it is coming out to lick me or I put my thumb on her tongue about a finger joint into it's mouth and push down a little. Just a little so as not to hurt just to make uncomfortable. As you do either of them look the dog or pup in the eyes and say firmly "No Lick" then take your hands away for 2 minutes. This gives the animal time to absorb what just happen. THen go back to playing with the pup or dog. If he does it agian do the same thing again. As for staring them in the eye. This asserts that you are the dominate animal in the house and you are telling a lesser animal in the house to stop doing something you don't like. Dogs and pups learn alot more quickly with noverbal comunication added to verbal commincation. Yes some people will say this is giving a dog a challenge. Actually no it is not if you are already seen as top dog. Which you should be. They will see it as just the leader of the pack agian asserting his or her dominace in a gentle manner.

I was gunna post about my cocker doing this recently shes started licking people right after shes had her dinner you dont need to pay her attention she will lick anything, especially the men in my family:P

I agree with NicoleLJ.  My dogs are trained to be assistance dogs and one of the things we can't have them doing is constantly wanting to lick.  I use similar training for my pups or dogs as she seems to.  I don't hurt the dog or pup either in grabbing the tongue.  In fact it sometimes becomes a game of "I am gonna get it"  This can make the pup or dog get very excited and playful and sometimes ends with the pup or dog racing circles around the room which always has me rolling in laughter. 

Whats wrong with all the licking?! :( I think its a great way to show how much owners love their dogs! I allow my dogs to lick me, on the face! Of course wash afterwards! I dont see any harm in licking do any of you??

oh no theres a limit and letting your dog lick your face is unhygenic after all they lick their bums remember! my dog licks and i'im trying to stop it but i just gently push her face away and say no lick then carry on stroking when she stops, don't much like the idea of grabbing her tongue like described in a previous post that seems a bit much to me! after all their being affectionate so you don't want to punish them for that do you?

any idea of how many germs can be passed on this way?? what if your dogs been outside at some fox's poo and you dident know?? or had worms . or theres that blinding thing theycan carry cant rember the name . theres soo many things you can get and i for one will not let the dog lick my face . plently of other ways to show how much they love you ;)

Very few I would think, there are not many zoonotic infections. Worms and mange being the main 2, then there is rabies, ringworm & WeiI's can't think of any others. Think it is un-usual for people to become infected from their own dogs but may be we should discourage licking near the mouth and then we should all wash out hands if we touch a dog, I don't do you, would be forever in the bathroom if I did. Understand there to be more problems between birds and people.

They lick their bums - then the dirty things stick their tongues back in their own mouths!!!!!  How unhygenic is that?????

LOL! True... but you cant just help it! I noticed when they get older they decrease all the licking..  mostly because people won't let them lick them! LOL! Oh well! ha..  Thanks guys! ;-)

digger - very and thats why we worm them! and why their breath stinks and why clean hygenic people don't let their dogs like their faces!

Well, i oughta be dead now then, as im erm, not a clean and hygenic person.....my dogs lick my face sometimes, not all the time, and not excessively but they do do it.

Also, my dogs seek out any cuts, bruises, any 'hurty' i might have, and give that a thorough licking if allowed to, and in my experience, wounds which have been licked (razor cuts from shaving my legs usually) heal much faster than those that have not been licked.

Jackie r, my dogs breath doesnt stink! if it did, then i maybe wouldnt let either of them lick me.

Em

well i put antiseptic on my cuts and my dog will never be allowed to lick my face or anybody elses for that matter, i suppose yours wipe there bums with andrex? what is the point of letting your dog lick your face please tell me! oh and well done if you dogs breath does'nt smell probably cos he's able to clean all the germs off his bum on his tongue on your face!!!!!

Bit harsh Jackie???

I suppose like anything one mans meat is another mans poison ;)

You may be interested in the properties of dog saliva.

don't know if this will show as a link, if not copy into your browser:
http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF12/1234.html  :D :D :D

Must admit I don't have an over licky breed (except for where my feet are concerned, LOL, which grosses my kids out but I find rather nice), but nor do I do any more than field these shows of affection, as it would seem rather churlish.

Here are some more search results on the topic:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=properties+of+dog+saliva&btnG=Google+Search

its whats mixed with the saliva that bothers me! not only do they lick their bums but stick their noses up by other dogs bums and poo, if you don't mind risking having those germs round your face good luck to you and has for your feet what ever turns you on! LOL

erm, no, because to wipe my dogs backside with andrex would be quite frankly, ridiculous!

I use Asda Smart price on my own rear end, not splashing out for andrex for the dogs!

I dont let my dogs lick other peoples faces, thats rude.

As far as breath goes, no, they dont smell, they eat a raw diet, and i suspect because of this, spend less time licking their bums than a dog fed on complete....thats because what is produced is firmer, doesnt stick to the fur, and because they have no anal gland problems.

What is the point?, I dunno, they like to do it, it doesnt overly bother me, i think it in some ways (no major ones) it increases the bond between dog and owner.

Basically though, its MY face and MY dogs, and therefore, MY problem!

Em

same as my dog my face, so when they go to lick other peoples faces they get told no is'nt that a bit confusing? but they still have anal glands whether they have problems with them or not they will still empty them and give their bum a good wash afterwards! they lick cos they like the salty taste on the skin so don't kid yourself its got nothing to do with bonding!

and just for the record i don't feed barf and my dog has firm stools, no anal gland problems and clean fur around her bum! so same again!

Jackie,

Im not kidding myself about anything thanks.

No my dogs do not find it confusing that some ppl welcome a licky greeting and others dont. Similarly my dogs can understand that they are allowed pretty much anywhere in my house, but this isnt the same in other houses. Basically, my dogs are not thick!

Dogs DO lick, faces in particular, for more reasons than just they like the salty taste, if it was just the salty taste, then why does my lurcher insist on drying my legs off when i get out of the bath. And no, its not the soap, cant use it im allergic!

This is a pretty petty thing to be having any kind of heated debate about really. I am an adult and if i choose to let my dogs lick my face occasionally, then so be it, Im not saying anyone should do this if they dont want to. That said, I take offence at the inferance that I am a dirty person because of it.

Em

Think from looking at dog on dog relations that face licking is a submissive thing, the action of a lower member of the pack to a higher member. So no I don't mind my dogs licking me.

You're absolutely right, Jackie H, about licking (especially face-licking) being a submissive gesture. I would be concerned that a dog prevented from exhibiting one appeasement behaviour will replace it with another - submissive urination, perhaps? - which would be far worse.
:)

Think I'd rather be unclean than go without a doggie greeting from my family.

BTW - when (if) my dogs breath ever smells, it's usually down to a dietary or teeth problem - not from licking their butts!

gosh you are a sensitive soul over your dogs, dogs lick their bums darling like it or not your dog is no different from anyone elses and  who said your dogs were thick not i? and it is confusing to let them greet one person one way and then suddenly to not allow it with another, licks your legs after your bath well thats simply cos their wet!  not because its trying to dry you Good Grief!!!!

my dog greets me without having to lick my face and thats the way i like it which makes for a far more sociable dog to have around!

haha i could say somthing but i think its a bit too rude :D still next time you visit the vets or the docs ask the question youl get a answer im sure ;)

Don't you think it's a wee bit petty to judge the way other people live with their dogs?? It's not your decision to make. Nobody is saying you should allow your dog to lick your face, so why do you insist on telling other people what they should do?

I don't think it's confusing at all that a dog learns to behave one way with one person and another with a different one. Usually it's the other way round, for example, the owner is very strict on jumping up but a stranger allows it, then you have a dog that thinks it's allowed to jump at strangers but not it's own family. Dogs learn to obey some members of the family but not others. They are capable of discriminating between different circumstances and behaving accordingly.
Yes dogs lick their bums, they also lick their fur. To avoid any germs from dogs you would have to wash your hands every single time you touch them, and disinfect everywhere they've been. They are not the cleanest animals in the world, but exposure to germs in small doses makes us stronger in the long run.
Whether theemx chooses to let her dog lick her is her business, not yours and not mine.

i dont think anyones being petty jo .  questions were asked and answerd . thats what a forum is for to give your thoughts or knowlege . i dont think anyones been harsh they have only given there views and they can be handy. so when someone says somthing i think its ok for them to write a reply to what someone else has put , it gives everyone food for thought. it would be boring and we wouldent need a forum if everyone thought alike or was to scared to pip up

Jackie,

No, i didnt say that you 'said' that my dogs were thick, you did however imply it in your statement that 'it is confusing to let them greet one person one way and then suddenly to not allow it with another'.

My personal experience with my dogs, is that they grasp pretty well the concept that I dont mind being licked (note there, i dont encourage it, im just not that bothered), but other people (various friends, my housemate, my boyfriend etc) dislike it intensely. This is evident from their behaviour, they do NOT attempt to lick people who dislike it.

Another example of different rules, is sofas. Dogs here are allowed on sofas and beds. At my friend Linda's house, they are not. Neither of my dogs has ever got on her sofa, they have asked, and been refused occasionally in their early visits there, but they have learned that it is not acceptable.

I never said that Dill licks my legs to dry me, again you have misunderstood me. Simply, that licking legs because they are wet is another reason for licking. You said that dogs lick because they like the salty taste, I have given you another example of dogs licking that is clearly NOT for that reason.

Em

Blimey !  Jacki

I cant belive some of the comments here , i let my dogs lick my face.

Think of all the bugs in your house without having a dog licking your face , you are as much at risk even when you are spotlessly clean.

I enjoy the company of my dogs , maybe you should suggest to those of us that allow this behaviour from our dogs , that we are wormed every three months (just in case!) , and innoculated every year (just in case!) but to be honest theres really no need.

I understand its not acceptable behaviour for some people to tolerate , but its acceptable to ME , because they are my dogs !

Think of all the times you have perhaps unconsiously done something and forgot to wash your hands , you arent dead yet are you?

And those of us that allow our dogs to lick our faces wont be for some time yet , infact i have more chance of getting hit by a bus tomorrow , than i would have picking something up from my dogs.

I choose to let my dogs do this , and so do many other people , and i am not germ infested yet and theres probably little chance of this happening anyway , at the end of the day if anything was picked up from my dogs its my funeral and not yours , so stop getting your knickers in a twist over it.

I've just realised something - I don't let my kids lick my face..............

I should think so too Digger! Kids?? Urgh!!! ;)

Just want to add, I've met Theemx's dog, he didn't lick me. He did lick both my dogs faces though, they didn't seem to mind and I'm guessing they're not over salty either.

Jo

well when i said i was going to say somthing else well ok . would you tolerate someone who went to the toilet then touch your face straight after and you probably think picking your nose is dirty too. thats exactly the same as a dog licking your face.
why not make freinds with the foxs out in your garden to let them lick your face and see what happens ;)

Do you kiss your family members, Lady? Just think what human diseases you might catch - there are very few zoonoses, after all.
:)

Lovely Lady

Did you know there are over 500 different kinds of bacteria that live in a humans mouth????

Did you know that its possible to pick up a cold from shaking someones hand or touching surfaces as a handrail or a telephone???

So just remember that next time you kiss someone , or touch something that has been touched by someone with a cold or flu like symptoms.

So dont sit there and wonder next time how on earth you managed to catch someones cold.

And just remember the killer bug meningitis both viral and bacterial can be spred through direct contact with the nose and throat secreations.  Healthy people , who have no signs of illness can have that bacteria in their nose or throat and spread them to others , this includes

sharing a cup or glass

can be passed through eating utensils

coughing or sneezing in another persons face

sharing a ciggarette or kissing

its amazing what you learn when you are married to a doctor!  So exacatly where are all these foxes i can make friends with ;D

i could'nt careless whether your dog licks your face or not quite honestly, but come on answer the question would you let someone touch your face who had just been for a poo and not washed their hands? the argument is, is it unhygenic? and yes of course it is!!! anyway lets hope you don't get ringworm, mange or a bad dose of diarreha!

Jackie, do you question everyone who might touch you as to whether they have disinfected their hands first?

I suspect  you dont, so its irrelevent to ask whether i would let someone touch my face who had just used the toilet and not washed their hands. Id prefer it if they didnt, but i probably wouldnt know.

I would hope that i would notice if my dogs had ringworm, mange or anything else, BEFORE i caught it, if its gone on long enough for me to catch it then id be a very poor dog owner!

Em

well i thing the point has been proved dogs licking faces is very unhygenic and should'nt encouraged but stopped as i might add is what the post was about, you can't argue the fact that theres no infectious germs on a dogs tongue, when we know what they use it for! but yes if you like it fair enough each to their own it takes all sorts to make a world!!!

Did you not read this http://www.gi.alaska.edu/ScienceForum/ASF12/1234.html link from Brainless, Jackie? It tells you what bacteria are killed by dog saliva (EColi, Streptococcus etc) and how dogs' kisses are safe!

But as you so rightly say, it takes all sorts to make a world.
:)

yea and the tests were done on fresh saliva from behind the molars and not off the tongue! so i rest my case!

would you let someone elses dog lick your face then?????????

Yes, and do! I curl my lips in so that the dog's tongue doesn't touch them, but the rest of my skin is okay. I haven't caught anything yet! And as many other people do, I let them clean any of my cuts. You'd be amazed how quickly and cleanly they heal!
:)

so why don't you want the tongue to touch your lips? if theres no risk of germs!

I personally don't like any spittle on my lips, whether from human or dog. Not because I think it's dangerous, but because it doesn't taste very nice, that's all.
:)

HMmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

lol jackie :d right someone tell me the name of the thing dogs carry that can cause people to go blind . now tell me that a human can pass on something like that.
there are things you can do to avoid getting things and it sounds like half of you kiss your dogs.which is dirty .dont care how much u say its not! mabe im just a clean kinda person . i dont spend hours trying to clean and clean but i try to avoid things .im sure if a person cleand himself/herself  just like your dogs do you would say no way mate on ur bike to a kiss or two. doggy comes in from garden after having a lovely feast :D come on poochy puker up . honistly