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Even though dogs don't necessarily understand the meaning behind kisses in the same way humans do, it does not mean they are above getting smothered with love. Some pups expect daily kisses.
In a December 3 TikTok video, posted to the account @maggiepotamus_, a dog owner's boyfriend needed to make it up to Maggie the pit bull as she saw her mom get kisses. The dog felt that it was unfair she didn't get anything. The boyfriend noticed this immediately and stepped in to make things right.
He sat down on the couch with Maggie facing him, bent over, and kissed her all over her big "house hippo" head. Maggie's wagging tail said it all: pure bliss. Not only did the boyfriend kiss Maggie after seeing that she got jealous, but he also gave her "equal kisses." The adorable clip has more than 515,000 views and almost 43,000 likes.
Humans view the act of kissing as a way to show their affection, and plenty of pet owners will smother their animals with kisses, but do dogs understand the meaning behind the smooches?
Dr. Mary R. Burch, Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist and AKC Family Dog Director, previously told Newsweek: "From repeated pairing with petting and affectionate tones in the voice of the owner, dogs may go beyond tolerating kisses to liking everything that surrounds the kissing experience."
It will take time for dogs to understand kisses, especially puppies, but, as they age, canines will associate affection with happy owners. Kisses are often linked with owners talking to them in warm, baby voices, with pets and treats to follow. This positive reinforcement means that dogs will gladly accept all the kisses in the world.
However, if a dog does not respond to the kisses with wagging tails, alertness, licking, racing around, or excitement, then it is recommended to find another way to show your dog that you care.
"Nothing but green flags here," commented a user under the video.
Another viewer added: "Dog math: For every 1 kiss mom gets, pupper gets 2 kisses."
"That's not your BF [boyfriend], that's your dog's BF now," a third user commented.
Newsweek has reached out to @maggiepotamus_ via TikTok for additional comment.
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About the writer
Liz O'Connell is a Newsweek Reporter based in North Carolina. Her focus is on pet news and videos. Liz joined ... Read more