A dog owner has been left wondering whether her pet knew she was showing affection when she was planting kisses on her head – and an expert has revealed whether they can understand
As a dog owner, it’s nearly impossible to resist planting a big kiss on your pet’s forehead. But since dogs don’t express affection in the same manner as humans, this gesture of love might be misunderstood by them – particularly if they’re a rescue and aren’t accustomed to receiving such tenderness.
This led Reddit users to wonder: “Do dogs understand that we kiss them because we love them? I was just thinking about it after giving my dog a kiss (not on the mouth), do they understand it’s an affection thing?”. According to animal behaviourist Amy Shojai, not every dog enjoys kisses but they tolerate them usually knowing their owner means no harm.
She said: “Some dogs enjoy this, if taught what it means. People kissing them could potentially send mixed signals.”
For certain dogs, the notion of you bringing your face near to theirs might seem threatening – leading to stress and bewilderment.
If you observe signs of anxiety from your pet whilst you’re displaying affection, you should cease and allow them some room.
Nevertheless, if your dog is familiar with this affection then they’ll probably recognise it as a gesture of love and appreciate the attention that accompanies it, provided you’re not excessively overwhelming them.
A statement on Daily Paws reads: “Dogs tend to approach other dogs in a sideways arc rather than head-on. So, it can be confusing for a dog to suddenly see a human face approaching.
“In fact, some dogs see this as a threat and may feel the need to defend themselves by growling or biting.”
The key is to consider the context before smooching your pets. The experts advised: “If the dog has learned to accept kissing on top of the head, then that’s fine.
“For a new-to-you dog, though, I’d find other more species-appropriate ways to show affection.”
One Reddit user commented on the post, saying: “It’s not natural to them but they have the ability to figure out that it’s an action that humans do to show affection.”
Another user chimed in: “I think that if a dog is consistently shown affection while a certain action is performed, they eventually figure out that the action in question is associated with humans being happy and loving.”
A third user shared: “Sometimes, when I come home, my dog gets shy and crawls toward me with her ears back and tail wagging. Then when I kiss her on the head, she stops being shy and gives me kisses back.”
Meanwhile, a final user added: “If the dog feels a kiss from someone they love, then they will associate that feeling with love. I think there are many ways to convey that feeling.”