It is common for dogs to lick their owners. If your dog has not been licking you much, you might be wondering why. This post will show you a number of possible reasons why your dog never licks you.
So, why does my dog never lick me? Possible reasons why your dog never licks you are that it had previous training not to lick, naturally does not lick much, has learned that licking you does not get rewarded or that it is not as energetic as it was when it was younger.
Since there are a number of possible reasons why your dog never licks you, it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely. Once you have a good idea of the main cause, it will become easier to figure out what you should do about it.
Why your dog never licks you
Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been doing it and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.
Nature
The cause could be that it does not lick you naturally. This would be more likely if it has never licked you much and it has not stopped doing it suddenly and if it does show interest in you in other ways such as by getting excited when you arrive home.
Depression
It could be the case that something has been causing it to be depressed. This would be more likely if it did lick you in the past but it has stopped licking you suddenly. This would be more likely if it stopped doing it at around the same time that something happened that might cause it to become depressed such as an owner leaving home. It would also be more likely if it has been showing other signs of being depressed as well.
Previous training
It could be the case that your dog was trained not to lick in the past. This would be more likely if you adopted it as an adult and if it has never licked you much.
Encouraging it not to
It might be the case that you have actually trained it not to lick you. If you tend to give it rewards when it does not lick you but you stop giving it rewards when it does lick you, it will likely stop licking you in order to get more rewards.
Medical issues
It could be the case that there are medical issues causing it to be fatigued or to not want to lick you for other reasons such as a dry tongue. This would be more likely if it stopped licking you suddenly, it started behaving unusually in other ways as well and if it has been showing other signs of being ill. In this case, the best option would be to take it to a vet.
Age
As dogs get older, they will often stop licking people as much. This is because they usually calm down and are less excitable. This would be more likely to be the reason why your dog has not been licking you if your dog has gradually stopped doing it as it has gotten older.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has not been licking you.
What else happened when your dog stopped licking you
If your dog did used to lick you in the past, it would help to consider what else happened when it stopped doing it. If it stopped doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as learning that it gets less rewards for licking you, depression or illness.
What is different when it does not do it
If it does lick you sometimes, it would also help to consider what is different when it does lick you. For example, if it does lick you when you arrive home, it would be more likely that it is normal behavior and that it only naturally licks when it is excited.
The body language it shows around you
It would also help to consider what type of body language it shows around you. If it does show signs of excitement such as wagging its tail, it would be more likely that it just does not lick naturally or due to previous training. Whereas, if it never shows signs of excitement and it is normally anxious, it would be more likely that something has been causing it to be anxious.
It is not uncommon for dogs not to lick their owners
It is not uncommon for dogs to not lick their owners. If your dog has not stopped licking you suddenly and the vet has not found any issues, it would be likely that your dog just does’t like to lick you naturally. If it has stopped doing it suddenly, it would help to consider what else happened when it stopped doing it and if it has been behaving unusually in other ways as well.
Why doesn’t my dog lick me anymore?
It is likely that your dog stopped licking you because it learned that you do not like it when it licks you. Other possible causes are that it started getting intimidated, it has an illness, depression or that it has gotten less energetic as it has become older.
Why doesn’t my dog lick me but it does lick other people?
If your dog only does not lick you, the cause would be likely to be that it has learned that you do not like it licking you. The cause could also be that other people interact with it differently.