If you have ever gotten a sloppy tongue to the face, you know what I'm about to say is so true. It is both the best and the grossest thing. Then you think to yourself, should I be grossed out by them licking my face? Probably. But our hearts are filled with so much joy that we chose to forget that they could have just licked their butt or ate cat poop about 5 seconds before licking our face. I love that despite the slobber they leave behind, a kiss from Athena brings me such joy. While I am wiping off my saliva covered face, I know she is just saying, "Hi, Mom! Glad you are home! Wanna come play?! I've been waiting for you all day (or twenty minutes lol)!!!" It is no wonder that Athena has been so beneficial for my mental health đžđ
I'm pretty sure that it was a rumor started that dog's mouths are cleaner than humans. If you have taken a microbiology course or know anything about bacteria, you would know that this is not a compliment. It concerns me if dogs' mouths indeed are cleaner, considering they will drink toilet water or lick their parts. What does that say about humans? I did look into it because hey! If we let other humans kiss us, what's so bad about a tongue to the face? It turns out that dogs have a bacteria in their saliva supposed to help keep the bacterial load down, but it is more specific to dogs. In reality, the bacteria we have in our mouth is different. With my quick research on the interwebs, I cannot claim that dogs' mouths are cleaner than humans.
I wonder who else has a dog that is a licker. For those of us who do, you know what I am talking about. I am referring to those just getting out of the shower, and you need to grab a towel before they can get to you type licker. The only time I'm telling Athena to go away is when I am trying to bathe, and there she is with her pretty face just licking away at the water, happy as a clam. My favorite past time is shielding my face when lying on the couch. Athena knows she isn't supposed to be on the sofa, but will give you some sloppy wet kisses if it is low enough. The worst is when you are trying to sleep. She will lick your face, your hands, your feet to wake you up because it is playtime to her. We are pretty lucky that she isn't an excessive licker on herself, but you definitely have to watch out for her sniffer. To me, most of Athena's licking (unless water is involved) are quick kisses. I remember telling her that I love her, and I received a quick little lick to the face as if she was trying to say "love you too, mom." Regardless if their mouth is cleaner, I don't think I'd ever stop getting kisses from Athena.
Thanks for chews-ing to read,
The Pawsitive Writer
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