Parade Pets and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.
Almost any pet parent has probably had this exact moment. You lean down to kiss your dog, and they freeze for a second. Sometimes, they even blink. And sometimes, they stare back like they are trying to understand what just happened. But after a few seconds, their tail starts wagging.
Dogs may not understand human affection perfectly, but they understand something deeper: connection. How we show affection and how dogs do it might not be the same, but the feeling we get is the same.
In a video that is making the rounds on Reddit, we see a border collie cuddling with her dad. They look into each other’s eyes, and in one moment, her dad kisses her. She instantly fell into his arms and blushed like a human. If she was a human, she would turn “tomato red” as the post says.
But after a few seconds, she relaxes. It is a simple moment: a dad leans down and kisses his dog affectionately. Dogs have an incredible ability to react to even the smallest displays of affection.
And sometimes, they look hilariously embarrassed when it happens.
What People Are Saying
Commenters instantly recognized the dog’s reaction to the kisses. One person said, “She is blushing.”
Most commenters were happy for the dog, posting cute and adorable comments like, “She is happy and laughing a bit” and “That smile.”
The video clearly shows this dog is in love with her dad, and they clearly have no problem sharing affection.
Related: Rottweiler Brings Most Adorable Drama When Mom Bestows ‘His’ Kisses on Human Dad
Why Do Dogs Kiss Us?
When dogs lick our faces, hands or noses, people often call it a “kiss.” The behavior actually has several different meanings in canine communication.
For dogs, licking is a common behavior. They lick humans for several reasons, including affection and bonding, curiosity about smells or tastes, communication, attention seeking, and greeting.
Studies show that affectionate contact between dogs and people can increase oxytocin levels in both of us, so go ahead and kiss your dog and hope they kiss back.
Do Dogs Enjoy Being Kissed?
This might surprise you, but not many dogs like to be kissed. Dogs do not naturally kiss each other the way humans do. Their social language is different.
Some dogs learn to enjoy it because they associate kisses with positive attention. Others tolerate it politely, much like someone accepting an enthusiastic hug from a friend.
While they might not understand that a kiss means “I love you,” they often learn that a kiss is something favorable and a way their human is sharing affection.
Related: Golden Retriever’s Kissing Booth Getup Has Everyone Lining up for a Smooch
This story was originally published by Parade Pets on Mar 12, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add Parade Pets as a Preferred Source by clicking here.