I'm sure it happened to go see a friend and as soon as you opened the door a dog came out and started licking your face like crazy. Or maybe you yourself have a dog that has to lick you every time you come home or when you pet him. This is a habit that all breeds have, even border collies. What you must know is that it's absolutely normal for a border collie to lick, because it's his way of greeting you, although not everyone thinks the same. That's why you should never punish him for this.

Border collies use their tongues in order to investigate the environment they live in. That's the reason why this part of their body is vital to them. They use it to taste food, discover new animals and people and show their love. But, sometimes a border collie licking can be rather annoying when he suddenly comes out of the nowhere and starts showing his affection.

For this reason you should start understanding your border collie licking habit. Most of the times it means that he's affectionate, but the meaning is not always the same. It could also be the sign of various behaviors. You just have to observe its licking and figure out the cause.

As stated before, a border collie would normally lick because he wants to be affectionate and show his commitment and love. You can realize this because his body is relaxed and he has a happy and joyful mood. The dog could also lick because he's anxious or stressed. In case he feels unhappy because of a certain problem, he can be obsessive with such behavior. To help him get rid of this habit you can take him out to do more exercise or you can pay him more attention. In some rare cases the dog can also lick people because he's spoiled.

A border collie licking can also be the cause of some health problems. This may happen because you don't give him enough water or the food you give him didn't have enough nutrients. Try to include more vitamins in his diet and always provide him fresh water on a daily basis. He may also have ticks or worms. This often causes skin irritations that make him lick others. To avoid this you have to always give him worming treatments. For some people, not precisely the owners but the visitors or friends, a border collie licking can be quite disgusting. They often think that the dog's bacteria can easily be transferred to them and thus get certain diseases. That's why you should try to change his behavior. You cannot stop him from licking, but you can limit this habit. That depends of course, on the reason.

What you can do is come home a little earlier or just find some free moments to give him some play time, grooming and exercise. In case the border collie licks you because he's happy let him do it and don't punish him. But,if you really don't like it you can change your body language and the dog will immediately understand. For example, you can walk away or you can say a "No" command every time he wants to lick you. Be calm, don't shout and have patience until your border collie finally understands.

So, anytime you get annoyed by your border collie licking, you have to remember that this is their natural behavior. However, if he is licking you much more than the usual try to figure out the reason and then solve the problem.