Your home is a no-kissing zone.
Whenever you and your partner start to get intimate, your dog barks at you to stop.
“No making out, pls. Thamks!”
What’s the deal with your pooch?
Keep reading to find out:
- Do dogs get jealous?
- 7 things to do when your pooch hates kissing.
- 11 reasons why your dog barks when you kiss someone.
- And much more…
Table of contents
Why does my dog bark when I kiss?
Your dog barks when you kiss for reasons such as trying to intervene in a ‘conflict’, wanting to join, feeling jealousy, being protective or suspicious, having curiosity, resource guarding, lacking socialization or exercise, experiencing trauma, or your partner’s behavior towards them.
11 reasons why your dog barks when you kiss
#1: They’re jealous
You’ve heard of other dogs refusing physical affection.
But your pooch’s the complete opposite of that. Thankfully, they love hugs and kisses.
The only problem is this:
They only want these kinds of affections for themselves alone.
Once they catch you doing it with someone else, they get jealous. Not only with your partner, but with other dogs too.
Uh-oh!
You may have a green-eyed pooch.
They’re behaving this way because they think of your partner as a rival.
“Hold on, So you mean dogs get really jealous?”
Yes, they do.
A study shows that your pooch gets agitated when you’re being affectionate towards another person or animal.
Your dog may bark, whine, or even get in between to stop you from giving them attention.
#2: To stop a ‘conflict’
Weekend nights are for ‘Netflix and chill’, if you know what I mean.
One thing led to another, and then you find yourself kissing your partner.
Arf! Arf! Grrrr…
“What the heck, doggo?”, you exclaimed.
Now, that’s definitely a mood killer.
So why does your pooch constantly bark when you kiss?
The reason for this is that your dog may be seeing kissing or any form of intimacy as a form of conflict or fight.
Therefore they bark to stop it.
Seems weird how your dog will react this way? Try to look at kissing from your dog’s perspective.
You and your partner’s lips are interlocking. (For your dog, this looks like you’re biting each other’s face off.)
You may be hugging as well. (Your pooch may think you’re being restricted from moving.)
Possibly, you’re also moaning. (And this may sound like low growls for them.)
Your dog doesn’t hug and kiss other dogs as we would. So they may not understand these activities are a human’s way of showing love.
#3: They want a kiss too
When you kiss someone, your body releases oxytocin, a.k.a. the ‘love hormone’.
Since your dog will be able to detect and sense this, they’ll begin to wonder:
“What’s going on? The smell of the air has changed.
My humans are doing something fun, I bet.
Let me guys join you!”
Your pooch may perceive kissing as a form of play.
And because they can sense that you two are having fun, they bark to let you know they also want in.
#4: Being cautious
Your dog’s worse than a strict parent who never lets their child have a boyfriend or girlfriend.
They’re not only territorial, but they’re also protective of you.
Every time your partner gets close for a kiss, your dog barks as a warning.
“Why?”
This happens because your pooch has the personality of being a guard dog.
So if you have a new lover or friend, their protective instinct shows up.
They’re cautious and suspicious of the new person in their territory. And so they perceive them as a threat.
Whenever the new person gets close to you, your dog thinks that they might hurt you.
Here are more signs to tell if your dog is being protective whenever you’re with someone:
- Following you around.
- Snarling at the other person.
- Growling when a new person comes near you.
- Watching the other person’s movements carefully.
#5: Being curious
Dogs are curious about everything. Like for instance, how we do things in a certain way.
A dog’s body communication is different from humans.
To show their affection towards you, they’ll lick your face. They can also sit close to you or offer you their favorite toy.
But humans are different. We show our love to other humans by hugging and kissing.
Because dogs don’t actually know the concept of kissing, they get curious.
It’s not an ordinary ‘dog’ thing to do, you see. Therefore they get confused.
“What r u doin’ with your lips?
Iz there something tasty in there?
Where are all those smackin’ sounds coming from?
Human, why u doing this?”
There are so many questions in your pooch’s mind.
Woof! Woof! Woof!
They’re uncertain and this makes them frustrated. Therefore they bark to relieve their tension and stress.
#6: Resource guarding
Another reason why your pooch barks when you kiss is because of resource guarding.
Whenever you give a peck to someone – whether another dog or a member in the family – your dog barks in protest.
Why’s that?
Your pooch is being like this because they don’t like to share you with anybody else.
It’s a common thing for dogs to do, more so if you’re their favorite person.
Chances are you’re the one who’s always feeding them. And you constantly play with them and take them on walks.
Your dog is scared that when you give others your interest, their benefits like food and playtime will be gone or possibly become less.
So they bark as an objection when you get close to others. They don’t want you to give others the attention that belongs to them.
#7: It’s something new
For some time, it’s just you and your dog at home.
Then all of a sudden, the love of your life came into your life.
Now, there are 3 of you at home. You, your partner, and your sweet doggo.
Because your dog’s unfamiliar with having another person in their space, they’re not used to activities involving two people in love.
Showing intimacy like kissing is new for them.
They may stare at you. Tilt their heads left and right – wondering what the heck you guys are doing.
These are abnormal activities for your dog, so they get totally confused.
And the only thing they can do for now is to bark to make you stop doing it.
Your pooch’s excessive barking may be caused by a lack of social skills.
Whenever you have a guest over at your place, they’d just bark and bark until their throats run dry.
Then they’d have a short drink of water and be back at it again.
And don’t even get started when things start to become steamy…
The moment you come close to kiss your partner, your dog will bang the door wide open to bark and object.
For your pooch, barking is a way to relieve themselves of stress.
They’re not exposed to seeing and being around other people except you.
#9: Your partner’s behavior towards them
You feel like your pooch doesn’t like your partner very much since your dog doesn’t show affection towards them.
Your dog avoids their touches. They’re always watching your partner’s moves.
And your dog barks whenever the two of you’re kissing or getting intimate.
You wonder why they’re being like this.
Well, there could be several reasons.
Your partner may not be used to having a dog in the household. And so they don’t engage with your pooch often.
Or your partner could be showing aggressiveness towards your dog when you’re not looking. Like shouting or hitting them whenever they bark.
Therefore your dog’s being protective of you. They bark to give you a warning whenever you get close to them.
#10: They’re bored
One lazy day, you’re cuddling on the couch with your spouse.
But wait, where’s your dog?
Oh, there they are, staring intently at you two.
It seems like they’re waiting for something.
The moment you get close to give a kiss to your partner, your dog stands up in alert and starts barking.
“Don’t you have something else to do?”, you ask your pooch.
Because your dog is bored, they spend their energy disturbing your private time with your partner.
Or they could also bark because they want you to play with them instead.
See, a lack of mentally stimulating activities will cause your dog to misbehave.
They’ll try to get your attention any way they can until you give them what they want.
#11: Past experiences
Your dog barks when you kiss because of their bad experiences with a certain person in their past.
“But me and my partner did not abuse my dog in any way.”
That’s right, but your partner might have the same physical and behavioral characteristics as their abuser.
They could have the same sex, color, or voice.
Or they have the same manners or behaviors as the person who abused them.
Because your partner may be similar in some way to your dog’s abuser, your dog is wary of them.
So they bark to give you a warning. Or in an attempt to protect you.
Sheltered or rescue dogs are the most often dogs who have experienced trauma. That’s why they’re cautious of people at first.
But how can you tell if your pooch is traumatized?
They could be showing other signs aside from barking such as:
- Panting heavily.
- Sudden aggression.
- Shaking or trembling.
- Uncontrolled pooping or peeing.
- Being hyper-vigilant of a certain person or their surroundings.
Bonus: Your pooch doesn’t like kisses
It’s impossible to understand your pooch.
They bark when you kiss someone. Then they also bark (even with a growl sometimes) when you kiss them instead.
You try to hug them. And then as your face gets closer, they extend their neck to avoid your smooch.
“What’s the deal with you, doggo?”
Well, you may have a pooch who isn’t really a big fan of physical touches.
Kisses make them uncomfortable.
Yes, they may sniff other dog’s butts or even yours. They may also lick their balls then lick your face.
That’s why it might seem surprising to you that a simple kiss would make them avoid you like the plague.
7 tips on what to do if your dog barks when you kiss
#1: Teach them the ‘Place’ command
To prevent your dog from disturbing moments of kissing, teach them the ‘Place’ command.
It’s an exit strategy you can give your dog when you want them to go somewhere else.
By doing this, it enables you to have your own private space when things start to get intimate.
So you can be away from your dog’s prying eyes and their obtrusive barks.
Here’s how to train your pooch:
Step 1: Start by creating a comfortable and attractive bed for them. You can put their toys in that space to make it more attractive.
Step 2: Put your dog on a leash and guide them to the bed. Say the word ‘Place’. If they put their feet on it, say the word ‘Good’ and give them a treat.
Step 3: Every time your dog gets away from the bed, say ‘No’. Then guide them back to it.
Step 4: Repeat the ‘Place’ command and make your dog stay in the bed longer as the training progresses.
Step 5: Once your dog gets used to this, try to vary it up by saying the command while you’re with them in another part of the house. When they go to their bed, give them treats.
Watch this video to learn how you can train your dog at home.
Pretty cool, huh?
This command is also useful whenever your dog jumps on your visitors. Or when you’re eating and they’re constantly begging for food.
#2: Keep them distracted
If you have a guest coming over and there’s a good chance it’ll lead to some kissing, plan ahead.
Give your dog some toys that’ll keep them busy.
When they’re occupied with something that they really like and enjoy, they might forget about watching you kiss.
#3: Stop before they bark
Whenever you kiss, you’ve noticed that there are early signs your pooch does before they get into the barking mode.
First, they stand upright.
Next is staring through your soul.
The third is taking a few little pitter-patter steps to you and your partner.
Lastly, they give one loud bark as if telling you to back away.
Since their barking process comes in steps, you can stop them just as they begin to show the first signs.
Say a firm ‘No’ the moment they begin with the first or second signs.
By doing this, you’ll interrupt their routine and they’ll stop because you said ‘No’.
#4: Ignore their barks
This may be hard to do, more so when you’re trying to concentrate on your smooches.
But if you’ve got a strong will, then ignore your dog’s barks.
Since your dog is misbehaving because they’re being protective, let them know that there’s nothing to be wary about.
If you keep ignoring your pooch and carry on with what you’re doing, they’ll be tired of barking eventually.
A friendly warning, though. If you’ll try to ignore your pooch, you need to be committed.
Don’t give in to their barking midway. Or else your dog will think that they’ll now have to bark longer to get your attention.
If you’ll decide to dismiss their barks, do it 100%.
Only give them your attention once they’ve calmed down.
#5: Counter condition them
Let your pooch get used to you kissing with counter-conditioning.
Step 1: You can do this by slowly getting close to your partner. Stand 1 meter apart. If your pooch stays quiet, have your partner give them a treat.
Step 2: Continue with getting closer as the training progresses. The value of treats must also get higher as you get closer with your partner.
Step 3: Do it until you’re close enough to kiss. Then repeat steps 1 and 2 until your pooch gets used to it.
By doing this training, your pooch will perceive kisses or getting close as something positive because they’re receiving yummy treats.
#6: Give them enough exercise
Oftentimes, the reason why dogs misbehave is that they’re bored out of their mind.
Therefore, to stop your dog from barking, you have to take them outside.
Exhaust their energy and tire them out.
“Super tired.
Let me sleep now and don’t bother me, human.”
By doing this, your dog will be sleeping soundly when they’re at home instead of bothering you.
#7: Let them get used with your partner
Your pooch barks when you kiss your partner because they’re not used to them yet.
So to resolve this matter, they need to meet each other halfway.
Ask your partner to spend more time with your pooch, so your dog will also get to know them better.
If you’re always the one who’s feeding or playing with them, encourage your partner to do these things as well.
This way, your dog will not feel like they’re losing you. Instead, they’ll learn that they’re gaining two dog parents instead. 🙂