[Bella's Momma]

Any suggestions? As a family, WE have never allowed it, but she tries mercilessly. If you get your face anywhere near hers be ready to ward of a dog tongue. Others, like the groomers and friends, seem to find it endearing and do allow it of her. Is it impossible to train her NOT to lick us when others allow it? And in any case, how do I teach this!? The second part of the problem is when she just can no longer contain herself and your face is NOT near her, she might pop up with amazing accuracy and surprise you with a wet-nose smack and lick. This is particularly troublesome to my son b/c she will invariably smack the nose on his glasses shoving them into his eye uncomfortably. Else, the jumping on people (and even when she does this she is not jumping ON you) has pretty much fallen to the wayside.

Thank you!

 

[KPoos]

I don't like face licking but I will allow chin licking but it's about what I want not what she wants. I just let them (mostly Mia because she's a puppy and Harry's not big on the face licking) lick once or twice and then pull up. Dogs lick each other to communicate so it's going to be hard to train out something that is an innate way of saying "hey how are you" or "hey I'm acknowledging that you are my pack leader." I just lift up my face and Mia gets a chin but Harry isn't a big face licker.

 

[thestars]

In training, it is Sit for Greeting practicing S.P.O.T frequently; Sit Pet and Offer Treat This is for greeting all humans of any size.

Never give your puppy attention of any kind (no petting, touching, praising,etc) if even one paw is off the floor and up on a human.

Concentrate on what you want your puppy to do - sit for greeting - and prevent or ignore everything else. If they put one paw on you go away, turn your back to them, be a statue, look away from them.

Always lavish extreme attention, toys and treats on your pup whenever they are sitting.

If you don't like licking...teach hugs, where they can snuggle their head at your chest or neck and can smell you with no licking. Hugs are rewarded, licking is not. If people come up to greet you and the dog then keep practicing the sit and greet. You can ask greeters not to allow for licking and to ignore the dog if it happens.

 

[spoospirit]

Taffy is a merciless hand and face licking machine. I don't like it and stop her from doing it. I like one or two licks for a greeting. Anything beyond that gets annoying. When she starts to lick at my hand or get in my face, I allow a couple of licks and then I put my hand up in front of her face and say stop. It took me a few times of doing this, but she finally understood that she is to stop licking me when I do that. Then she will lay her head in my lap and just cuddle.

 

[poodleholic]

Lucia is the "groomer" of my crew. She licks the other Poodles' eyes and lips, and she would lick mine, too, if I had allowed her to. I ask her for a hug instead. And that's what I get! She's a great hugger, putting arms around me, and pressing cheek to my cheek, or her face to my chest.