Hi all. I saw a thread on licking when I did a search, but could not see a way to reply within that thread, so I started a new one because I am wrestling with this problem as well.
My newest dog, Shadow (a shepherd hound mix about 18-24 mos. adopted from the shelter) LOVES to lick my hand, arm, face, toes, or whatever other skin surface she can access. In the thread I found, some suggested that it might be submissive behavior. I am wondering if others would characterize it this way, or if there might be other reasons for this.
She is NOT obsessive about it. It's usually accompanied by playful mouthing, which can get more aggressive if I do not stop her (I use a snap of the fingers or a CM-type SSSST sound to correct, and she responds very well). However, the licking does seem to last a bit longer than a simple "hi I'm checking in" behavior. It's not a problem for me, but I want to understand it so I deal with it appropriately.
Any thoughts?