5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Dog Lick Your Face

Are Dog Kisses Ok?Most of us think it’s cute and adorable for your dog to give you kisses, even directly on your mouth. In fact, dogs do thrive on giving and receiving affection as it’s a huge part of their appeal and is what makes them our best friends.

But, is it okay to let your pet slather you with dog kisses?

Enduring a blast of dog breath to allow your dog to lick your face, may not be as cute as you think.

By allowing your dog to do this can open the door to disease and, believe it or not, in extreme cases can also be fatal.

And, the most alarming realization is that those at the highest end of the risk spectrum are: children.

Mind you, if your dog has constantly bad breath, it may be due to some other health issue and may need close attention. There are a couple of great products that I regularly use to keep this under control.


I’ve always been of the opinion that it’s not a good idea to let your dog do this. Why? Well, even the purest of dog will take a chance at licking the trash can, other dog butts, his/her own private parts, poop and a host of undesirables too long to list here.

A professor of virology and bacteriology, John Oxford explains that a dog’s mouth harbors a number of bacteria that can be seriously harmful to humans.

Oxford explains that, “It is not just what is carried in saliva. Dogs spend half their life with their noses in nasty corners – or hovering over dog droppings so their muzzles are full of bacteria, viruses and germs of all sorts.”

The list of diseases that can be transmitted by a smooch from your pooch is actually quite alarming and you may want to think twice before you allow your dog to lick lavish you next time you walk in the door.

5 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Dog Lick Your Face

1. Gum Disease

Periodontis, an acute form of gum disease causes the degradation of tooth supporting tissue. Research shows that dog owners with close contact with their pets are likely to be exposed to germs that are otherwise harmless to your dog.

2. Capnocytophaga Canimorsus

An organism carried in the mouths of dogs, and it causes a very bad sepsis infection. Symptoms range from mild fevers, vomiting, diarrhoea, malaise, abdominal pain, myalgia, confusion, dyspnoea, headaches, and skin rashes to full-blown fulminant septicaemia.

This is an organism active within your dog’s mouth and can cause a serious case of fulminant septicaemia, fever, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain, dyspnoea, mylagia, headaches, skin irritation, malaise and inflammation.

3. Staphylococcus Aureus

The US National Library of Medicine reports that Staph can be passed from dog to human. Most of the time you dog can safely carry this virus without it affecting their health, but transferred to a human can have life-threatening consequences. Furthermore, this is a disease that is developing a resistance to medication and treatment.

4. Ringworm, or Dermatophytosis

This fungal infection is the most commonly and easily transferrable bacteria from pooch to person.

5. Ecoli

Causes abdominal cramps, fever and vomiting.

“If your pooch is a scavenger, then a canine lick on the lips could jeopardize your health. The half-eaten hot dog your dog found on the street — or the feces he was nibbling on — could be loaded with germs and bacteria such as toxocara, salmonella, giardia, hookworm, tapeworm and many others, putting your family’s health at risk.” Dr. Oz.