The question of whether to let a dog lick your face divides opinion sharply. While some believe dog saliva offers surprising health benefits, others caution against the risks of exposure to harmful bacteria and pathogens.
Professor Graham Roberts, an honorary consultant in paediatric allergy and respiratory medicine, highlights the positive side. Speaking to The Hippocratic Post, he notes that children raised with pets, including dogs, are significantly less likely to develop allergies compared to those in pet-free homes. “If you are born into a household where there is a pet,” he says, “you are less likely to be allergic.”
However, leading virologist Professor John Oxford of Queen Mary University stresses the dangers of close contact with dogs’ saliva. He explains: “Dogs spend a lot of time with their noses in dirty corners or sniffing around dog droppings, so their muzzles are loaded with bacteria, viruses, and germs of all sorts.”
READ MORE: Calls to End Legal Loophole as Cyclist Causes Fatal Collision in England
READ MORE: DWP Deploys Spy Vans with Cameras Outside Homes to Catch Benefit Fraudsters
In contrast, Chris Packham, the naturalist and BBC Springwatch presenter, strongly advocates for the benefits of dog saliva. On the Oh My Dog podcast, he reminded host Jack Dee that humans instinctively lick wounds because saliva contains antibacterial properties. “When we cut a finger, the first thing we do is lick it,” he notes, attributing healing qualities to the bacterial flora in saliva.
Packham points to historical examples where dogs licking wounds helped reduce infection during medieval battles. He claims dogs’ saliva provides health advantages, and even suggests that wolves’ saliva—unfettered by antibiotics—holds even richer healing properties. “I’ve been licked by wolves,” he shares, “and their saliva is cleaner and bacteriologically richer than that of dogs.”
Explaining dogs’ licking behavior, Packham traces it back to wolves, describing how wolf pups lick adult wolves’ lips to trigger regurgitated food feeding—a practice lost in dogs but retained as a greeting. He also addresses the seemingly unappealing behavior of dogs eating feces, linking it to wolf survival instincts that help reduce parasite loads in young wolves.
“Research shows dogs tend to eat feces that are one to three days old,” he says. “In wolf packs, adults consume feces in the den area to minimize parasites, protecting their cubs. While unpleasant to us, it’s an ancestral behavior aimed at keeping the pack healthy.”
The debate continues, balancing the potential immunological benefits of dog interaction against the undeniable risk of exposure to harmful bacteria. Whether to allow your dog to lick your face remains a personal choice informed by both instinct and science.