While it’s no secret that dogs may be carrying a lot of germs from consuming raw meat to sniffing other dogs, there is actually another reason why you should never let a dog lick your babies face and it has to do with dominance. Veterinarian Dr. Thomas Kass reveals that although it may appear as affection when your dog licks your baby, the dog is possibly just displaying dominance over the child, which could lead to problems in the future.
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A Risk Of Salmonella
Kass also adds that if a dog is eating a raw meat diet they could be exposed to salmonella, which they could then pass on to your child. Marc I. Leavey, M.D., primary care specialist at Lutherville Personal Physician, acknowledges that “studies have confirmed this exposure, and it can lead to mouth and gum infections, or even systemic infections.” On the rare occasion, worms may also be passed on from the canine to the human.

- Dogs can pass on germs and worms when they lick the babies face.
- A dog may be licking a babies face to assert its dominance.
Offer Your Hand
Dr. Ashanti W. Woods, a Mercy Medical Center paediatrician elaborated on the consequences of letting your dog lick your baby by saying that “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.” So in order to keep your dog submissive to your child and avoid potential problems in the future it is important to put an end to kisses. Dr. leavey suggests, “When poochie wants to smooch, offer your hand—and then wash it thoroughly before doing anything else.”
READ MORE: DOG RESCUES ABANDONED NEWBORN BABY
References
Via WomansDay|DogNotebook|
That’s crazy. Dominance yeah right
Licking is submissive behaviour in a dog, a submissive dog licks the mouth of the dominant dog. The person who studied this obviously didn’t study dogs.
One way to make parents afraid of dog being near their baby- thanks for another wives tale!!!!!!
They would try to hump them, not lick them. LOL