Why won’t my dog stop licking my sister?
DEAR JOAN >>
I read that dogs lick you while they’re playing to assure you they don’t intend to hurt you.
I have a Rhodesian ridgeback-Lab mix that licks my sister all the time, even her clothes. She can’t seem to help it even when she is told to stop.
Do you know why they do that? — Debby Lawson, Bay Area
DEAR DEBBY >>
I’ve never heard that dogs lick you as a sign of assurance they aren’t going to bite, but there are reasons for the licking.
When a puppy is born, its mother begins licking it right away, partly to clean it, but also to stimulate its breathing and wake up its circulatory system. The continued licking gives the growing puppy a sense of well-being, much like a baby relaxes and feels loved when the parents stroke her back.
When it comes to licking humans, dogs are showing affection to you. They might also be showing subservience, giving you respect and saying they know you’re the leader of the pack, or at least higher in the standings than they are.
Dogs also lick because they like the taste of us. We often taste salty, which many dogs like, and they might also like the taste of lotions, deodorants and even our laundry detergent and softeners.
They’ve also learned that licking garners them attention and reward. If your dog gives you a lick, you’re more likely to reach down and scratch her ears, give her a treat or play with her. Even by telling your dog to stop licking, you’re giving her a reaction, which tells her she’s training you well.
To stop your dog’s excessive licking, just get up and walk out of the room.
There’s no need to scold or try to physically stop the licking. After a while, the dog will learn that licking means the human goes away.
That doesn’t mean you can never get kisses from your best pal. You just need to set limits. Dog are pretty smart, and they’ll figure it out.
DEAR JOAN >>
My monkey puzzle tree attracts beautiful red-headed, red-breasted birds — maybe buntings — that come each February, raise their families and leave in late summer.
They left soon after July Fourth. Would fireworks cause their departure? I miss their beautiful singing. — Ann Chappell. San Lorenzo
DEAR ANN >>
I’m not sure about what birds you have in your monkey puzzle tree, but I don’t think they are buntings, as the ones we have in Northern California — the indigo and the lazuli — are blue. I’m thinking perhaps house finch, especially if you have flocks of them in the trees.
Fireworks can drive away birds. The most infamous case, perhaps, occurred when about 5,000 red-winged blackbirds were killed in an illegal New Year’s Eve fireworks display in Arkansas. The birds, startled from their nighttime roost, flew into buildings, trees and cars. There also are reports in California of Fourth of July fireworks displays causing shorebirds to abandon their nests.
As for driving your birds away, it would depend on how close the fireworks were to your tree, how loud they were and how long they went on. It likely would have had to have been a sustained barrage to drive them out completely.