How to stop a dog from licking my face?

[Anonymous]

I've never had pets and they make me a little nervous. I'm staying to help take care of a relative after a surgery. Her dog is about one years old and not well trained. Every time I sit down the dog is trying to lick my face. The dog does it to everyone who comes over, so it's not that I'm extra tasty or anything. The owner likes it and just laughs when I ask how to get the dog to stop.

"You'll get used to it," she says.
I'm not.

With other dogs, saying "down" firmly generally gets them off of me, but this one doesn't seem to know what that means.

Any advice?

[Anonymous]

Ugh, this plus jumping on people are the two habits I wish more dog owners would train out of their dogs instead of just thinking it's cute and that clearly everyone likes it. Also dogs that constantly want to stick their noses in your crotch. I don't even like dogs to lick my hands, though that's at least less gross.

I don't know the solution though. I just suffer through it when I have to be around dogs like this.

[Anonymous]

I have a cat who has a habit of wanting to sit on my chest while I watch TV and lick my cheeks.

Something about cat tongues and how they can strip a carcass in the wild, I read that somewhere.

It's actually not a bad exfoliator, and there's some cat love involved.

But if you really don't like it there's nothing wrong with just gently pushing your pet into a different position so they learn, then you praise them and pet them when they assume the position you're most comfortable with.

I have a totally different cat who likes to jump up onto my bed and stare at me from inches away after say 5am, and even gently paw my face. I turn over and put the blanket over my face sometimes to get a few extra minutes.

I have another cat same as the one who gently paws me in the face who starts to walk on my body in bed. They are the wake-up team.

They get the idea when I push them gently away or off. I'm never mean, though. They're not afraid of me and I don't want them to be.

[Anonymous]

Op here. So would I gently push the dog away and then say "stay" and then "good job" with some head scratches when it stays away?

[Anonymous]

Op again. Is it crazy to think I could do a little basic training in the week I'm here? Learn from YouTube or something. Or is that way overstepping?

When I'd asked in the past if they were going to do any training, the owner basically said "that's probably a good idea but she's just a puppy." But now she's less mobile, at least for a few months, and the dog is now one. I guess that's still a puppy? Aren't they easiest to train as puppies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op here. So would I gently push the dog away and then say "stay" and then "good job" with some head scratches when it stays away?

Yes, basically. The dog wants attention, so if you push it away and ignore it when it licks your face, it will learn to stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op again. Is it crazy to think I could do a little basic training in the week I'm here? Learn from YouTube or something. Or is that way overstepping?

When I'd asked in the past if they were going to do any training, the owner basically said "that's probably a good idea but she's just a puppy." But now she's less mobile, at least for a few months, and the dog is now one. I guess that's still a puppy? Aren't they easiest to train as puppies?

Yes, you can absolutely train the dog in a week! You may only train them on how to behave for YOU, but they can learn. Each time the dog goes to lick your face, with your two hands put them under the dog's front armpits, move the dog down, and say "Toy!" and hand them one of their toys, and then scratch them behind the ears. Be super, super consistent. Then they will learn you don't like the face licking (I don't either).

[Anonymous]

I love dogs. I hate when dogs lick me. I trained my dog but gently pushing him away and saying “no” every time he licked. He learned to just lick himself. lol. With other peoples dogs, I do the same thing, but they will just keep trying if they are not trained.

Since this dog is young, they can be trained, but if the owner does not reinforce it, it will not stick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Op again. Is it crazy to think I could do a little basic training in the week I'm here? Learn from YouTube or something. Or is that way overstepping?

When I'd asked in the past if they were going to do any training, the owner basically said "that's probably a good idea but she's just a puppy." But now she's less mobile, at least for a few months, and the dog is now one. I guess that's still a puppy? Aren't they easiest to train as puppies?

Yes, you can absolutely train the dog in a week! You may only train them on how to behave for YOU, but they can learn. Each time the dog goes to lick your face, with your two hands put them under the dog's front armpits, move the dog down, and say "Toy!" and hand them one of their toys, and then scratch them behind the ears. Be super, super consistent. Then they will learn you don't like the face licking (I don't either).

Thanks! I'll try the armpits thing. Part of my problem is I don't really know how to move dogs. I think maybe I've been too gentle and tentative, just sort of nudging.

I might have to buy a toy. What's an attractive toy? There are a few things around here but I've never seen the dog interact with them.

[Anonymous]

NO in a really loud and displeased voice, and you knee them when they approach. I love my dog, but I trained him not to lick, because from a hygiene standpoint that's repulsive.

[Anonymous]

^ or use your elbow to swat the head away. if you make it disagreeable for the dog, the behavior will stop.

[Anonymous]

Push it away and look it in the eye and say no lick!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Push it away and look it in the eye and say no lick!

Are you supposed to look a dog in the eyes when training? Is that like a show of dominance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ugh, this plus jumping on people are the two habits I wish more dog owners would train out of their dogs instead of just thinking it's cute and that clearly everyone likes it. Also dogs that constantly want to stick their noses in your crotch. I don't even like dogs to lick my hands, though that's at least less gross.

I don't know the solution though. I just suffer through it when I have to be around dogs like this.

YES!!!

All of this, especially the crotch and butt sniffing.

If you can't keep your dog from violating people, don't let them out of your house.

[Anonymous]

Normal, say no licking and redirect with a treat.