Dogs will lick your face for a variety of reasons—maybe they’re looking for attention or they just think you taste great. Not surprisingly, if a dog’s saliva finds its way into your mouth, nose, ears, or eyes (a gross image, but it happens), there’s a chance you’ll end up with some kind of gastrointestinal disease. It makes sense when you consider dogs aren’t the cleanest (reminder: They eat stuff off the ground), and they’re home to a bunch of bacteria we’re not used to dealing with. If you can’t be bothered with watching this Business Insider video, here’s the simplified explanation:
- Dog poops.
- Dog doesn’t do a great job cleaning itself.
- Dog licks human.
- Human ingests poop particles (delish!).
- Human gets poop-related bacterial disease.
So if you let a dog lick your hands, wash them afterward. And if you let a dog lick your face, be prepared for what might happen.
