Is it OK to kiss your dog? (2024)

FAQs

Is it OK to kiss your dog? ›

However, the experts concur that a peck on the top of the head is the safest route for most pets. "Or instead, give them lots of pats and scratches," Dr. Conrad says. "They will find much more pleasure in you paying attention to them, playing ball, going for a walk and lots of scratches instead of kisses."

Why Not to Kiss? Dr. Neilanjan Nandi, has stated that a dog's mouth is host to “an enormous oral microbiome of bacteria, viruses and yeast.” The term “zoonotic” is frequently used to describe the bacteria that reside in your dog's mouth that is able to be passed on to humans and cause disease.

Leni K. Kaplan, of Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, told the Times that pet owners shouldn't let their dog kiss a person's mouth, nose, and eyes, through which certain pathogens, including salmonella and E. coli, can be transmitted.

To be safe, you should not kiss dogs on their heads.

When you kiss your dog, you might notice signs suggesting they recognize a kiss as a sign of affection. However, as puppies, this is not something they would understand. But, as dogs age they may associate kisses and cuddles with their owners being happy with them — as petting and treats often follow.

Each doggie kiss has the potential to pass along a zoonotic disease. These types of diseases can affect both animals and humans. Your pet's mouth isn't the only place you can catch a zoonotic medical condition. You can become infected through several types of pet interactions.

While I am completely supportive of people showing affection towards their dogs, I try very hard to educate all of our clients and training students that dogs are not humans, and that they often find our need to hug and to kiss stressful and confrontational.

Kissing pets has also been linked to occasional zoonotic infections in pet owners. In one case, a woman in Japan developed meningitis due to a Pasteurella multicoda infection after regularly kissing her dog's face. These bacteria are often found in the oral cavities of dogs and cats.

This might be an unpopular opinion, but we're going to say it: Don't hug your dog. We love dogs (obviously), but as people who interact with these creatures every day, it's important to recognize that dogs and humans have different understandings of social behaviors, such as the act of embrace.

“Some might even enjoy it for brief moments, but the majority of dogs do not show that they enjoy hugs.” If hugging and kissing are human forms of affection, dogs show their affection with loose bodies, rubbing themselves against you. Yau says they may nuzzle your hand to solicit petting and cuddles, too.

Do dogs know you love them? ›

Oxytocin is released for both you and your dog when you pet them, play with them, or look at each other. Studies have shown that dogs tend to lock eyes to show affection, so it's safe to say your dog feels the love when you're looking longingly at each other.

they're not eating or getting into anything nasty with the top of their head. Some dogs like to roll in dead or smelly things but even then they are either rolling on their back in it or with their nose and face. The top of the head seems like a fairly safe place to me to kiss.

Dogs may growl when they feel uncomfortable with being kissed or pet.

Although your dog might tolerate a hug, they probably won't enjoy it. In fact, the majority of dogs do not like hugs. Wrapping your arms around your dog and holding them close might feel wonderfully warm and fluffy for you, but dogs don't get the same enjoyment from this embrace. It can even stress them out!

If you have ever thought your dog knows when to give you a comforting lick or knowing snuggle, you are probably on to something. Studies have found that dogs can actually recognise human emotions. They can even guess what their human's emotion will be when they see the hole in the backyard (cue the guilty look).

Some dogs give lots of kisses throughout their lives, while others become more reserved as they get older. This is completely normal. It's also normal for our dogs to lick their favorite canine friends, especially as puppies. Dogs may also lick in order to get your attention.

The chance of germs being transmitted to humans through a dog's saliva is extremely minimal. However, it does still have a chance of happening. Through their saliva, dogs can spread bacterial and viral illnesses. If a dog bites you or saliva goes into your nose, mouth, or eyes, these can be transmitted.

Some people with dog allergies also have skin reactions. For instance, their skin might break out where a dog licks them. Others with more severe allergies might develop hives on their face or chest. People with asthma as well as pet allergies can have especially serious symptoms.