Dogs would lick almost everything and enjoy it and your hands are definitely on the top of the list. They do it for various reasons, but generally, they do it out of love and they simply enjoy showing you their love and trust this way.
However, there some other reasons that cause this behavior in dogs.
Om, nom nom
Dogs simply love that delicious and forbidden people food.
Sometimes you don’t even have any actual food residue on your hands. Your fingers and palms collect natural oils, salt and sweat over time and that smell and taste is simply beckoning your dog to lick it right off.
Old habits and pack submission
As you already probably know, dogs are descendants of wolves who live in packs. Packs have their own rules, group behaviors and most importantly – a leader. The pack leader has established dominance and it is common for the rest of the dogs in the pack to lick the dominant dog as a sign of respect and obedience.
Well go try guessing who is Buddy’s pack leader. Yup, it’s you, and Buddy feels compelled to lick you as a sign of his love, trust and submission.
Compulsive Behavior
On the other hand, some pooches might develop compulsive behaviors. Much like us humans, they find it comforting, however, their compulsive behaviors are not related to the release of endorphins. They are more about satisfying the inexplicable urge.
Think of it as your nasty habit of biting your nails or plucking your own hair. If Buddy simply won’t stop licking your hands or other parts of your body, it might be time to consult a canine behaviorist who can determine the root of the behavior.