Should Your Labradoodle Lick Your Face?

Dogs show affection by licking – it's their way of showing their love and appreciation for their owners. But face-licking should always be discouraged.

If you stop your Labradoodle from licking your face while he's still a young pup, he'll learn to lay his face alongside yours, without all the licking.

In rare cases, licking can be a source of infection for dog owners. After all, not every Labradoodle leads a life that's completely clean. Many dogs eat manure, drink toilet water and lick their rear ends.

They often lick the rear ends of other dogs too, and some of those dogs might not be as healthy as your Labradoodle. All of this means you should teach your dog the "no lick" command.

You can do this by giving him the command, and then following up by kissing him behind the ears and scratching his chest slowly and gently if he doesn't lick your face.

Many owners rub their dogs while giving them praise, but rubbing their fur actually annoys a lot of dogs. Rubbing a dog's fur the "wrong way" can be especially irritating. On the other hand, dogs truly enjoy it when you gently smooth the hair on their chest or rump.

Being scratched on the rump, on top of the tail, is particularly enjoyable for a Labradoodle. Your dog will love it when you scratch other parts of his body too, including under his lower jaw, behind his ears, on his belly, and on his ribs behind his front legs.

But the best place of all might be between your dog's front legs. You'll need to experiment to identify which particular area is the most enjoyable for your Labradoodle. You can then scratch that area to reward your dog for good behavior.

If you see your Labradoodle licking his body excessively, the licking might indicate a skin condition, allergy or constipation.

Dogs do not wash themselves in the same way as cats, even though some people think they do.

But, a dog might lick his paws to dry them if they get wet, somewhat like a mother dog that licks her puppies to wash and dry them.

It's okay for your Labradoodle to lick your hands – after all, you can easily wash your hands before you touch any food.

As a general rule, though, prevent your Labradoodle from licking you, beginning while he's still a young pup.

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Article written by:

Edie MacKenzie