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Scientists tell why dogs lick people. Source: freepik.com
A kiss between people is a sign of friendship and warm feelings. But what happens in a dog's brain when it licks a person's face or hands? Today, cognitive experts do not have a definitive answer, but they put forward several theories.
According to Ellen Furlong, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of Transylvania in Kentucky (USA), dogs are very social and well-attuned to people. So, if you summarize this behavior in one word, it is communication, writes Popular Science.
"To recognize the intent and meaning of a dog's actions, you should always look at the whole context. After all, a dog can show a different range of emotions through licking," says Furlong. For example, if a familiar dog approaches you without aggression, but hurries to lick your hands or face, it is a greeting or a sign of joy. Dogs can also show their affiliation with their owners in a similar way.
"If a dog doesn't greet everyone with the same lick, then this action probably has a social meaning – the dog is showing who is in charge, who is more important to him," explains Zachary Silver, a professor of psychology at Occidental College, where he directs the Canine Intelligence Lab.
However, other licking behaviors may not be as friendly.
"Sometimes licking can indicate that an animal is seeking intimacy and affection, or it can also indicate that it wants to withdraw and distance itself," Furlong notes. According to her, licking as a need to distance oneself is a well-known behavior among dog researchers and trainers that signals that an animal is trying to redirect someone or avoid unwanted attention.
"People overlook a lot of things in their dogs' behavior. I think we are very good at understanding the signals that a dog is happy, and we tend to overlook the signals that a dog is stressed or trying to withdraw from communication with us," she explains.
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