Why Do Dogs Lick Your Feet?

If you are a dog lover, you may enjoy it when your best doggy friend starts licking your tootsies, but if you aren’t, having a pooch slobber all over your feet can be uncomfortably ticklish, off-putting and annoying. But why do they do it? Like or hate it, dogs generally lick your feet as a token of their respect and affection for you. It may also be a symptom of stress.

Common reasons for foot licking

Respect, affection, communication

As well as showing their owners honour and respect by licking their feet, it is also a dog’s way of collecting information and showing you affection. They also lick your feet to grab your attention and communicate with you. For example, many dogs will lick their owners’ feet to tell you they are hungry or need to go out for a pee. As puppies, they will also lick other animals, including their mothers, to show affection and form a bond.

Attracted by the smell

Although some humans might have foot fetishes (some of us get turned on by all sorts of strange things), we are not particularly in love with the smell of feet. The ripe smell of cheese is perfect with a mature piece of Pont l’Évêque or Époisses de Bourgogne, but seriously less attractive when it relates to human feet. When our feet are washed and dried our feet generally don’t smell as far as the human nose is concerned, doggy noses are far more sensitive. They contain as many as 300 million olfactory receptors (smell gatherers to you and me) than our noses. Ours only have only a measly six million. Yes, a dish licker’s sense of smell is 40 times greater than ours. Once your feet begin to perspire, even a little, added to the natural shedding of skin cells, your feet will develop an increased moisture level and aroma. Once again you may continue to not notice the change in smell but, as far as dogs are concerned, your clodhoppers are emitting a very personal and individual invitation to your canine companion.

Enjoyment

The way dogs are built, licking is a pleasurable business that releases endorphins into their systems. From a human perspective, if you don’t have a foot fetish yourself, this may feel a little creepy. However, it sort of is what it is!

When to Worry About Dogs Licking Your Feet

Lots of dog owners are quite relaxed about their dogs licking their faces and their feet. Some owners and visitors don’t like it all and finding it a completely uncomfortable, even threatening, sensation. At one level it is a personal choice if you allow a dog to lick your face and feet. There is another issue in play. If your dog licks your feet to the point of obsession, there could be something wrong. Obsessive licking can quickly become a habit and can easily turn into a routine for de-stressing. Stress amongst dogs appears to be more common than ever. What you think is harmless licking may be an indication that you need to address some other issues in the dog’s environment.

Other foot licking considerations

Will my dog try to eat my feet?

Dogs are forever hungry. It might have occurred to your dish-licker that your feet are dinner waiting for consumption. I have seen dogs ‘tidy up’ on toenail and callus cutting day, but don’t panic. Your pet is hardly likely to start devouring your feet. It knows that won’t go down too well, so a thorough licking is the next best thing.

Dogs have a passion for gross things

Unfortunately, dogs do have a passion for some gross things. Smelling other dogs’ bums, rooting around in rubbish bins, and even smelling pooh – they are quite partial to what we think as some awful things. It could be that your dog’s feet licking habit is telling you something. You might need to purchase some shoes that let your feet breathe. It could be time to get rid of that foot fungus. It could well be a personal hygiene issue. Don’t forget, the doggy sense of smell is 40 times more powerful than ours. Is there a risk of your dog introducing bugs to your skin? At the end of the day, your personal hygiene is a matter for you to deal with.

Maybe you like it

It could be that you like having your feet licked, maybe not in a foot fetish sort of way – simply more of a pleasurable feeling sort of way – everyone to their own. Dogs are very adept at picking up what their owners do and don’t like. If you do like it, well, why not just let your pooch enjoy itself. If you don’t, perhaps you simply need to start wearing socks around the house?

Whether you are talking about humans or canines, we all like to feel calm, comforted and loved. Foot licking by dogs may be a lovely expression of their affection for you or  It may be a sign of stress. Your happiness and that of your dog is important. Whatever it takes to make you and your dog happy, then why the heck not?