Many dogs like to lick their owners. If your dog is into this habit, be proud, it’s a way of communicating that he cares! Dogs are also known to lick their wounds, and their offspring. Unless a dog is not healthy or suffering from an infectious disease, the saliva of a dog displays antibacterial properties and is not unhygienic. If your animal has a disease or is unhealthy, please take care that it is treated immediately!

Alaska Science Forum, a science magazine, has reported about a research done by students in California. It was discovered that the saliva of a dog is strong enough to kill bacteria like E.Coli and Streptococcus. A UK website reported that a dog helped heal his owner’s severely atrophied leg.

Therefore - if your dog is healthy - just enjoy his “kisses”, and don’t panic if he shows the same love for your kids. Feel free to wash your hands (and your kid’s hands) anyway.

There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face.
-Ben Williams