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There’s no doubt dogs are affectionate creatures. And they have numerous ways of showing it. So what’s the deal when your furry friend comes up and gives you a big ol’ pooch smooch? Let’s take a tongue-in-cheek look into why.
Dogs are oral creatures and gather a lot of information about their surroundings through taste and smell. Maybe you’re salty after a sweaty run. Maybe you’ve got barbecue sauce on your face. “Dogs can smell a lot better than we can,” says Opens a new windowDr. Jo Gale, BVetMed CertLAS MRCVS, Senior Manager, Global Science Advocacy at Waltham Petcare Science Institute, “so they find a lot more things interesting to lick than we can.” This despite the fact dogs only have about 1,700 taste buds compared to around 9,000 in humans.
In a poll* of dog owners, IAMS™ found a large majority (75%) believe dogs lick people to offer friendliness. That’s definitely a correct assumption. Licking has been a social behavior among dogs since the days of great-great-great granddaddy wolf. 'It’s a standard canine greeting to lick others around the face,” agrees Opens a new windowJames Serpell, B.S., Ph.D., Professor of Humane Ethics & Animal Welfare at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. “Junior members of the pack will run around and lick the mouths of more senior members.” Your dog considers you part of their pack, so it’s their way of greeting and welcoming you. Or maybe you still have that barbecue sauce on your face.
In ancient Greece, dogs at the shrine of Asclepius were trained to lick patients. In the Middle Ages, Saint Roch was said to have been cured of a plague of sores through his dog’s licks. The French even have a saying, “langue de chien, langue de médecin,” which translates to, “a dog’s tongue, a doctor’s tongue.”
Don’t cancel your health insurance just yet. While dogs’ saliva does have some possible bactericidal properties against some types of bacteria, it can put you at the risk of exposure to others. Too much licking can also reopen the wound and cause further infection. With modern medicine, you’re much better off hitting the first-aid kit.
And that myth about dogs’ mouths being cleaner than humans’? Not true — both contain over 600 types of bacteria. You’re welcome for that image.
While an occasional canine kiss is “aww”-inducing, some dogs can overdo it to the point of annoyance. When this happens, the best thing to do is “completely ignore it and give no attention,” suggests Dr. Jo Gale. “When they stop, provide them with attention.” Over time your dog will learn to scale back on the smooches.
*Surveyed U.S. dog owners, age 18+
Sample Size: n=201
Fielded May 8-10, 2020
Teeth are important players in the digestive process.
As teeth grind up food, debris accumulates on the tooth surface and attracts bacteria. This accumulation of debris and bacteria is called plaque. Plaque is easily removed from teeth by brushing—that is, when teeth are brushed frequently.
If the plaque isn't brushed away, mineral deposits cause it to harden on the teeth. This is called tartar. Dark yellow or brown accumulations on the teeth are indicators of tartar, which is difficult to remove.
If left untreated, plaque can lead to damage of the gums (gingivitis) or the jawbones and teeth (periodontitis).
Keeping a pet’s teeth and gums healthy involves regular brushing and professional cleaning. Unfortunately, many owners have problems brushing their dogs’ teeth on a regular basis.
Special diets also can help reduce tartar buildup between cleanings. Most dental diets are formulated with a tough kibble that is texturized to scrape off some plaque.
Our dental technology uses a patent-pending manufacturing process that enables dry-food kibbles to control tartar buildup. This process does not affect the nutrient content of the food or the size of the kibbles.
IAMS™ researchers have looked at the effects of feeding dogs dry diets with our dental technology. In each of these studies, two groups of animals were fed our formula, either with (control) or without our dental technology.
All animals had their teeth thoroughly cleaned.
After 28 days of eating one diet, animals’ teeth were examined for tartar.
All animals then received another thorough cleaning.
Then diets were switched for another feeding period.
In dogs, the diets featuring our dental technology reduced tartar accumulation as much as 50% compared to dogs fed the control diet.'
