Sometime ago, Ray initiated a desire to wash our hands after dinner*. We never really understood why, particularly as we rarely have “finger food”, so concluded that either he simply believes that our hands need a good licking, or it is a grooming sign of affection thing!
Just recently, the evening hand wash routine has been a little inconsistent and, as before, we have no reasons that would explain it unless perhaps he likes us a little less due to being reprimanded for coming within “tongue reach” of our dinner plates?
Ray’s problem (our problem), is that he uses his face, his eyes, and every other weapon at his disposal to achieve his own agenda. At dinner time, his agenda is to get as close as possible and watch very carefully. If I even wave food remotely in his direction**, he sees that as an offering which would be rude to decline … and suddenly a piece of food has disappeared!
He has even been known to wait until we are distracted***and then help himself to whatever he can reach. Those designers of “stealth” military weapons should come and observe him because he is very good at it!
Ray is therefore constantly being told to “Go to your chair” or “Go to your bed” which he generally does and watches us from there! Periodically he will get up and come back to us but this time, knowing the limitations, he will go into a “down” position (“Look … I‘m no threat! I can’t reach your food from here”). Then he will use his full arsenal of cuteness to try and weaken our resolve. We try to ignore him.
This is probably the excuse for his recent desire to wash my legs! He started doing it from his “down” position in front of me and, while being washed by a dog’s tongue is not the “smoothest” of experiences, I have no problem with it if it makes him happy.
This was the routine for a few weeks but then things changed. While I was finishing my dinner, and having a leg wash, I suddenly realised that he was now washing my knees. He cannot possibly wash my knees from a “down” position! As soon as I realized how close he was getting, it was a “To your bed” directive. He went back and voiced his objections before settling down once again!
Never under-estimate a devious dog!
*See Post “Hands Washed Anybody?” – April 19, 2015
**See Post “Pumpkin Pie & Whipping Cream” – November 8, 2014
***See Post “An Impressive Tongue” – May 5, 2015
A New Direction Perhaps? 
Very conniving, Ray. I like that. I would use your methods except 1. i am too short and 2. I already have my own chair at the table.
Lexi with the excellent table manners
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Wow! Woof! Ray.
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I have always believed that dogs are the canine equivalent version of lawyers…they’re always looking for the loophole to get what they want. 🙂
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Cannot fault that logic! 🙂
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I think the licks are either a gift (which would require a gift in return) or a distraction. Or perhaps you are just tasty!
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I am going to believe “all of the above”! 🙂
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Sneaky Ray 🙂 Always thinking…
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Kind of scary in a fascinating kind of way! 🙂
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hahaha … My dog is like that too. He is a black Lab; a gentle hunting dog and most loyal. But, he is lack of discipline because the kids spoilt him, giving him anything under the table or anywhere. I’ll find some food crumbs in odd places and the next thing is the kids would hear their Mommy yelling out, being pretty upset with disorganized and dirty corners of their rooms. But we all love him much! And he is the MORE a little baby than my two years old son! 😛
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Neither of my boys are big lickers, except when I put coconut oil on after a shower. To keep what I put on my body, I need to put some on Breck’s paw so he can lick that off and leave me alone.
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I am trying to comment on that ……. but I can’t! 🙂
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That made me giggle… Ray is so cute!!!
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He is …. He knows it …….. He uses it! 🙂
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He obviously does know. He is a smart dog 🙂
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Maggie seems to love our elbows, and a previous family pet liked to lick our feet (didn’t help that I’m ticklish!) In the animal world, new mothers constantly wash their babies, so who’s to know that Ray is just looking out for his own as there is no canine female to do the job? Either way, it’s obviously a dog thing, and if we, as owners, don’t object and our pet is content, then it can’t be that bad!
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Interesting. When we stroke our cat he immediately licks himself. Is he trying to tell us something I wonder. Ray is ultra clever methinks.
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Probably very different messages! Cat = “Did you have to do that? Now I have to get my coat feeling just right again!” vs Dog = “Ok …. I’ve done my bit, so where’s my treats? Should I just help myself?” 🙂
If you haven’t read the Post “Cats and Dog” – Nov 30, 2014, you might find the comparisons interesting.
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As usual Kali and Ray are in lockstep. Kali loves to wash our feet (we are frequently barefoot in the house). We call it “Spa Treatment”, and is actually quite a pleasant experience. We can’t nail down the reason she does this. The occurrences are rather random and sometimes occur while we are eating our dinner and she is lying underneath the table. To a non-dog person Spa Treatment may seem gross or disgusting but to me it’s pure love.
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3 years ago, I would have been quite peeved at having to pick up dog poop. 3 years ago, I would have been a little disgusted at having a dog lick my legs. 3 years ago, I did not have a Ray in my life! 🙂
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