If your dog does not want to kiss you, this post will show you likely reasons why and what you can do about them.
So, why does my dog not want to kiss me? Likely reasons why your dog does not want to kiss you are that they are intimidated, have been trained not to, or naturally do not want to do so.
There are actually a number of possible causes and it might be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause and there are some things you can do about it.
Why does my dog not want to kiss me?
Below are likely causes and what would make each of them more likely.
Intimidation
A likely cause is that your dog gets intimidated. This would be more likely if your dog does not like it when you try to lean into them to get them to kiss you and if your dog does things such as try to move away from you. Generally, dogs do not like it when people lean into them so it would help to just pet them instead.
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.
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.
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.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.
If your dog did kiss you before
If your dog did used to kiss 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.
If your dog does kiss you sometimes
If your dog does kiss 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 shown
It would also help to consider what type of body language your dog 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 kiss 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.
The behavior is not uncommon
It is not uncommon for dogs to not kiss their owners. If your dog has not stopped kissing 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.
How to get my dog to kiss me?
Below are options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Training
If you want your dog to kiss you, it would be necessary to reward your dog whenever they show signs of kissing you and to avoid rewarding them when they refuse to kiss you.
Be calm with them
As mentioned above, it might be the case that your dog gets intimidated by you leaning into them. Instead, it would help to be calm with them and to avoid leaning into them.
Nothing
It is not uncommon for dogs to not want to kiss people. The easiest thing to do would be to just allow your dog to continue as they are and to acknowledge the other ways that they show affection towards you such as wagging their tail when they see you.