Lick, Lick, Lick

Emme loves to lick us. Since she was a little puppy, she has always licked our hands whenever she could get to them. We noticed this especially when we were riding in the car coming home from Barberton for G and G. On the way, we would carry her crate in the back of the SUV and Emme on my lap. When we got to Grandma's and Grandpa's, we would put Emme in her crate in their kitchen while we went out to dinner. On the way home, I would hold Emme in my lap and she would lick my hands like crazy. I use utensils to eat, so Emme was not licking anything from my hands, she was just licking my hands, a lot.

This summer, she discovered toes and spent minutes at a time, many minutes, licking our feet when we were barefooted. We learned that if we didn't want to be licked, we needed to keep some shoes or slippers on our feet.

Now she is into licking our hands whenever we hold her. After breakfast when Ken picks her up for a cuddle, Emme first has to reach up and lick his ears and then lick his hands over and over until she settles down to sleep in his arms. When Emme and I go into the family room in the afternoon to read or nap, she first has to climb up on my chest and lick my hands as I pet her and rub her ears.

I even checked the Internet to see why she licks so much. Most of the entries said that dogs' licking often was a gesture showing affection, respect, and submission. Some mentioned that dogs like to lick salt from skin. Others just wanted to know if it was healthy, knowing what else a dog had licked. The response was that being licked by a dog was like being wiped with a dirty washcloth, not the most sanitary, but nothing to worry about.

So Emme's licking may just mean she likes us, which we already knew. So Emme continues to be the lick-er and we, the lick-ees.