Does my dog understand kisses?

Kissing and hugging are very important displays of affection among people, but clearly they are not in a dog's behavioral repertoire. On the other hand, licking one another is important to dogs, but not something humans normally do! ... In turn, we wonder if our kisses and hugs annoy her as well. read more

I had many dogs in my life, since I was 7, I got my first dog and I am 64 now and still have a dog. I hug and kiss my dogs on the side of his muzzle and what I get back is a lick on my face, sometimes they bury their heads on my chest under my chin. read more

When we do use human gestures of affection that dogs don’t share, such as kissing and hugging, we must be sensitive to the dog’s reactions. Carefully monitor his body language for signs of anxiety, stress or defensiveness. Some dogs will be happier (and humans safer) if we find other ways to express our love. read more

But most of them *do* naturally snuggle into and kiss us as very young puppies, so I can't read it as anything else. As adults, however, I think a lot depends on conditioning. If you try to hug and kiss a dog who's not used to being hugged and kissed from puppyhood, you may lose your face. read more