Daily Times

Babies and puppies – it doesn’t get any cuter, right? The two often form a quick bond. But if your little one and the dog are getting too close, you’re going to want to put a stop to those kisses ASAP. Sure, there are the germs to think about, but it’s also important to know that your dog might not be showing affection with that smooch.

According to DogNotebook.com, while many dogs lick a human’s face as a submissive gesture of appeasement, others do it to get a reaction from their humans. This look-at-me behaviour is a sign of dominance in the dog. Touching a human with their mouths is also a controlling behaviour in some dogs.

Dr Thomas Kass, a veterinarian, agrees that sloppy kisses need to be nipped in the bud for two big reasons; Germs, and the dog trying to establish dominance over the baby. A lot of people are feeding their dogs raw diets these days, things like raw chicken, he says. This puts the dog at risk for salmonella and if the dog makes contact with a human’s mouth, that person is at risk for contracting the infection, too. He also notes that while it’s rare, dogs can pass worms to humans, too.

Their tongues are their toilet paper, as they lick their behinds to cleanse, adds Marc I Leavey, MD, primary care specialist. Dr Leavey says that, the variety and quantity of pathological microbes that can be conveyed with a slurp is astounding, and many of those bacteria are resistant to multiple antibiotics. Studies have confirmed this exposure, and it can lead to mouth and gum infections, or even systemic infections, he says.

But, germs aside, it’s also extremely important, for safety’s sake, to help your dog understand that he is not the baby’s master or pack playmate. While many of us see our pets as surrogate family members, we do not want our pets to feel on equal status with our children, Dr Ashanti W Woods, a paediatrician, says. In fact, the pet may become protective over the owners and attempt to defend them by attacking the child for yelling or merely playing with his parents. Dr Woods advises that you train the family pet to be submissive to children. Because both dogs and children are unpredictable in their behaviours, it is not a good idea to establish a relationship with the family dog licking the child’s face, he says. Dr Leavey’s final piece of advice, when poochie wants to smooch, offer your hand – and then wash it thoroughly before doing anything else.