8 Reasons Why Your Maltipoo Licks You So Much & How to Stop It

If your Maltipoo is a big licker and your face is often the target, you’ll likely either find it flattering or just plain baffling. It’s normal for dogs to lick, but what if your Maltipoo is doing it excessively? It could be that your Maltipoo is engaging in a normal social or exploratory behavior or has learned that licking results in attention, but dogs sometimes lick their humans to communicate other states or needs.

Let’s dive into the reasons your Maltipoo might be licking you so much and how to stop them from doing this if it’s not really your thing.

The 8 Reasons Why Your Maltipoo Licks You So Much

1. Affection

It’s quite common for dogs to lick you as part of normal, affiliative social behavior, or as a friendly greeting. If your Maltipoo is licking you an awful lot while wagging their tail, showing a “happy” or “smiley” expression, jumping up at you, or wiggling their body (signs of contentment in dogs), it might be because they’re just really excited to see you.

Your Maltipoo may also lick you when you pet them as a way of maintaining social interaction or responding to attention. Licking is not considered a reliable sign of “submission” or respect in dogs, but rather a context-dependent behavior that can be influenced by social bonding, arousal, or prior reinforcement.

2. Taste

Since dogs have such a powerful sense of smell—more specifically, between 10,000 and 100,000 times better than a human’s—your Maltipoo might be licking you like crazy because you’ve just eaten something tasty, and they can smell food on your face and hands.

Dogs may also lick you after exercise because sweating causes the skin to become salty.

3. Instinct and Learned Behavior

Experts have explained that puppies lick their mother’s lips to get them to regurgitate food that they can then consume themselves.¹ This behavior is part of early developmental and social interaction patterns in puppies,  but in adult dogs, licking humans is more commonly related to social behavior, exploration, or learned reinforcement.

4. Curiosity

It’s normal for dogs to lick things out of curiosity as a means of sensory exploration, using taste and smell to gather information about their environment, people, or objects. If your Maltipoo licks you a lot, it might be that they’re trying to investigate scents or residues on your skin. It’s a form of exploration.

5. Attention-Seeking

If your Maltipoo is due for a feed or a nice, long walk in the park, they may lick you to nudge you into action. They may also just want to play or are asking you to pet or cuddle them. Licking in this context is often a learned behavior that has previously resulted in attention or interaction, making it more likely to be repeated.

6. Stress

Dogs sometimes lick excessively when they’re feeling stressed, anxious, or bored—this behavior can function as a self-soothing or displacement activity.

Other symptoms of canine anxiety to watch out for include going to the bathroom inside the house, destructive behavior, restlessness, drooling, panting, barking or vocalizing excessively, and compulsive behaviors, among other things.

In some cases, dogs with anxiety can become compulsive lickers—this is a form of canine compulsive disorder.

7. Discomfort

It’s possible that if your dog is stressed out due to a health issue or injury that’s causing them pain or discomfort, you may notice changes in their normal behavior, which can include increased licking directed at themselves, objects, or occasionally people. Licking people alone is not a specific indicator of pain, but when combined with other signs, it may warrant further attention.

Additional signs of discomfort can include decreased activity, changes in appetite, limping, vocalization, restlessness, or altered interactions with people or other animals. The easiest thing you can do in this case is to get in touch with a vet and seek their advice.

8. Responsible to Human Cause

Dogs are very in tune with our emotions and may lick us as a way of responding to changes in our behavior, tone of voice, or facial expressions, which can appear as comforting behavior. One study asked participants to pretend to cry to gauge dogs’ responses.

It was found that dogs are more likely to nuzzle and lick people who are crying than they are people who are humming or talking. This response may be influenced by sensitivity to human cues and prior learning.

How To Stop Your Maltipoo from Licking You

We all love our dogs, but for some people, receiving love in the form of big slobbery licks just isn’t their cup of tea. If this sounds like you, here are some things you can try to stop the licking.

• If the excessive licking has started suddenly and out of nowhere, you might want to take your Maltipoo to the vet to rule out underlying health conditions.
• If you suspect the licking is a result of boredom, make sure your Maltipoo is exercised and mentally stimulated enough during the day.
• Distract your Maltipoo with a mentally stimulating toy when they try to lick you.
• Be consistent—it’s better to avoid reinforcing licking altogether or set clear, consistent boundaries, as this can cause confusion.
• Walk away when they start to lick you. Avoid overreacting—simply get up and move away to show your Maltipoo that you won’t reward the licking with any kind of attention.
• Encourage calm behavior by rewarding your Maltipoo when they’re relaxed.

Conclusion

In short, dogs lick as part of normal social behavior, sensory exploration, and learned communication patterns, and may do so in different contexts. Your Maltipoo could be licking you as a means of social interaction or excitement, but they could also be licking you in response to boredom, stress, anxiety, or as a learned behavior that has been reinforced over time.

If you’re concerned about your Maltipoo’s excessive licking or are having trouble getting them to stop, please consult your vet for advice.

Featured Image Credit: New Africa, Shutterstock