Usual licking behavior from your furry friend can mean a few different things.

YOU TASTE GOOD Dog explore the world primarily with their nose and mouths so smell and taste are everything to them. Dogs are comforted by their owner's scent so if they're licking you a lot it means they probably love the crap out of you. This is why they often steal our socks and underwear. This, combined with the resulting attention and the releasing of endorphins (the “feel-good” hormone), makes smooches both tasty and rewarding for our pets.

THEY’RE “REWARDED” FOR IT Think back to the last time your dog licked you and how you responded? Did you reach down and give him a scratch? Offer him food? Say something to him (even if it’s something like, “Why won't you stop licking me?!”)? These are all forms of positive reinforcement—showing your dog that licking you will get some form of attention.

TO SHOW SUBMISSION They might be showing some form of submission, especially if he’s licking another dog’s muzzle. Wild puppies lick their mother’s mouth as a signal for her to regurgitate the meat she’s hunted and as a way of demonstrating subordination. Domesticated dogs use this instinctual behavior when interacting with other dogs (or humans) they consider superior to them.