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What is my puppy doing2007-11-25 2:52:30

My puppy will lick my hand for a good few minutes then she will sort of gnaw at my hand. Why does she do this? She's not biting or hurting me. I have seen our cat do something similar when he is grooming himself. Is the puppy trying to groom me?!

Answers:

Is it gnawing with the whole mouth, or the little de-fleaing gnawing with only the front teeth, like when she grooms herself? That is normal, both males and females do it, as part of their grooming, although my females usually do it more. I call it de-fleaing, although I know my dogs don't have fleas, they do the gnawing with their front teeth like they are trying to get at fleas or something small. It's cute, my male likes to come up and do that to your ear. I don't know why the ear, but for some reason he does and we say he's telling us secrets. Dogs - you gotta love them.

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I always thought of the licking as a sign of affection and the chewing as playfulness. Or your hand might be dirty.

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Your puppy is just playing. You should discourage this because some people might think he is biting when he gets older.

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MY DOG DOES THIS TO ME ALL THE TIME!!! WEIRD HUH? WELL I THINK THE DOG IS JUST BORED OR IS JUST LOVING YOU!! DOGS ARE CREEPY SOMETIMES!

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Puppies feel with their mouths and tongues like we do with our hands. Just like babies, they are exploring things by licking and biting them. This is how she learns new information. Besides that, mammals are affectionate with mother/father roles because they need nuzzle time just like human babies. Enjoy the cuddliness while it lasts!