I have a delightful three-year-old Havanese named Buster. We share many snuggles together, and he often expresses his affection by licking my face, hand, or arm. However, when I playfully licked him back, his response was less than enthusiastic, leaving me with a mouthful of dog hair.

Dogs are aware that humans are different from other dogs. We have distinct scents, behaviors, and abilities. We can open containers of dog food, but we can’t chase rabbits with the same agility. We tend to use a bowl for our bathroom needs and rarely inspect it afterwards. Our way of expressing happiness is through smiling and showing our teeth, rather than alertness. Buster understands that he and I are part of a pack, but he recognizes that he is the dog in the pack, while I am not.

Buster absolutely adores seeing me return home. His little rear end wiggles and dances, accompanied by the joyful swaying of his tail. However, his reaction towards me is not the same as when I take him to doggy daycare, where he can engage in spirited play with other dogs. They excitedly greet my pup with a lively group dance of sniffing each other’s behinds. Licking Buster doesn’t alter the fact that I smell like a human, possess opposable thumbs, and hold the handle end of the leash.