Licking your hand constantly is such a common behaviour that your French Bulldog will do. However, you may be confused about what it means, especially if you are new to taking care of dogs at home. The most common indicator of licking your hand constantly is that your pup is very happy to see you at home.
According to some sources, there are several reasons behind this kind of behaviour. If you accidentally get your French Bulldog licking your hand constantly but you don’t know what it means, you can dive into our post to get the information about it. Here you go!
Reasons Why Your French Bulldog Licks Your Hand Constantly
It is known that dogs will use their senses of smell, touch and taste to communicate. One of the communication ways that they use is to lick people’s hands constantly. Licking your hand constantly may be your dog’s way of saying ‘hello’. Your French Bulldogs may also give you a sniff or two before starting to lick.
Your French Bulldog is really learning about you through their smelling or tasting. Some dogs can really love the smell of face creams, hand lotion or lip gloss, so it does not wonder if your French Bulldogs will lick your hand constantly.
There are some signs that indicate when your French Bulldog is licking your hand constantly, here they are:
1) Showing their affection
For dogs, licking is a sign of affection. Since your French Bulldog really loves you, they will lick your hands and face constantly. If they are licking their hands, they will feel good to your dog, since it can release endorphins.
According to some dog experts, licking is a sign of submission, in addition to affection. It could also be that your French Bulldog sees you as the head of the house. When they are licking your mount or muzzle of another dog, it can be an act of subordination.
Licking is such an instinct that seems to date back to dogs’ early evolution, as the dogs in the wild relied on their mamas to share some of that fresh meat in her mouth.
2) A way of communication
As we’ve mentioned, dogs will communicate through their sense, taste and touch. Of course, they are licking your hand constantly as a way of their communication. They may be more frantically licking to express their feelings when they get nervous, excited or anxious.
Especially when you arrive at home after a long day at work, your dog’s licking seems a bit out of control sometimes. At first, your French Bulldog pup is just licking you, since he is genuinely happy to see you, but something else begins happening after that.
Licking your hands or mouth may give your pup a natural high that leads him to lick even more. A wagging tail will commonly come with frantic licking when your dog gets happy or excited.
However, if your French Bulldog is crying, showing other signs of distress or tucking their tail, you may need to figure out what is making them stressed out and try to reduce or get rid of the stressor.
3) Compulsion
Licking may be an expression of compulsion for some dogs with compulsive tendencies. It isn’t just about your dog licking their hands. However, they can also be licking a spot on their bodies, a piece of furniture, wall or their empty dish.
If it happens to your French Bulldogs, you may need to consult your vet to get rid of medical causes of compulsion. If your French Bulldog gets a clean bill of health at the vet, a trainer or behavioural expert may be able to better help you modify your dog’s behaviour and manage compulsions.
4) Grooming
Licking on their bodies can refer to their personal hygiene. This behaviour will continue throughout their life. Your French Bulldogs may groom themselves or lick their rear ends once going to the bathroom.
Well, one thing you need to watch out for is excessive licking, since it can be an indicator of some potential health problems. For instance, your French Bulldog’s paws itch like crazy when he is having an allergic reaction, of course licking temporarily gets rid of their itch. Moreover, if your pup cannot stop licking his rump, it will mean that he is experiencing irritation or he is in need of having his anal glands expressed.
5) Skin issues or allergies
If your French Bulldogs lick their skin or itch excessively, it could be a sign of allergies or skin issues. To determine what is going on with your French Bulldog, you may need to get them to the veterinarian for an exam. Hopefully, it can be as simple as some lotion or soothing baths.
Other allergy treatment will probably involve diet changes or medication. Selecting a fresh food diet like Ollie’s for your dog which is formulated with nutrients like omega-3 fatty acids can really get rid of allergies and prevent common skin issues.
If it happens, working with the veterinarian to manage your dog’s skin or allergies may be able to stop the licking. For some dogs, it will become a habit and may be more compulsive. After you have gained medical issues under control, you may be able to tackle any compulsion or behavioural reasons.
How to Stop Your French Bulldog from Licking?
For some reasons, you may really want your French Bulldog to stop licking your hands, your mouth or even their bodies. Of course, you can train them by teaching them the command off or show your dog another greeting like touch. You can high five, shake or paw to use to distract a dog who wants to lick.
Aside from that, you can also take the dog therapy with a reputable veterinarian in hopes your French Bulldog will not lick your hands or other people’s hands again. If you really want your French Bulldog to not lick, you should be consistent with the rule. If you always change your rule in training, you really put your French Bulldog at risk of confusion.
