Ask: I just moved into my aunt’s house where she has this blue heel. She loves to constantly come and lick my legs. They told me that maybe it’s the salt we’re carrying. He doesn’t just do it to me but to everyone he can lick. Why does he do this?

Reply: Dogs are normally oral. They use their mouth to taste things, check texture, carry things, pick things up, groom themselves, and love you. Licking is equivalent to kissing, and some dogs are more affectionate than others.

Dogs especially like salty things, like sweat, and lotions, soaps, perfumes, and oils. Getting out of the shower and staying clean and dry is always hard if your dog sniffs you first. Chances are, he’s all over you trying to lick off the soap, water, oil, lotion, or whatever.

Licking your own body parts can be part of grooming or trying to heal an affliction, but it can also mean love or submission.

You will notice that a more dominant dog, or even a person, will put a dog in place by yelling or growling, and the dog will respond by submitting, cringing, and attempting to lick the offender’s muzzle.

The cause of licking, you see, varies, but if licking bothers you, you can always train your dog not to lick. Keep in mind, however, that if it’s a show of affection, you’ll need to allow him some outlet, such as sitting close to you, jumping up to you (that’s like a hug), etc. so you don’t reject it completely. A dog that is just trying to be nice or is super submissive could have much worse habits like peeing every time he sees you!