I Double-Dog Dare You !!

Hey Folks,

Here's just a bit of folklore-debunking I happened upon. (I realize that many will take supreme umbrage over this report - including my dear granddoggy, Casey, the Wonder Dog. But no one HAS to believe it - I mean, it's "Ask Yahoo" not "Dear Abbey."

- Uke Man

Dear Yahoo!:

Are dogs' mouths really cleaner than humans'?

................................Jenna - Glendale, California

Dear Jenna:

All dogs lick themselves. Some eat their own feces. Humans (most of 'em, anyway) do not. So how in the world can the mouth of a canine be cleaner than that of a person? Simple -- it can't.

According to ABC News, this is basically an urban legend. However, unlike the one about the psycho killer with the hook, this story has a grain of truth.

Although the mouth of a typical dog is full of bacteria, it's "species specific." So, if a dog were to lick a person, most of the germs wouldn't transfer. "Bottom line -- you're more likely to get a serious illness from kissing a person than kissing a dog."

The myth may have stemmed from the way pups lick their wounds. A dog's tongue gets rid of dead tissue so wounds heal faster. Perhaps folks concluded that dog saliva is "healthy."Hardly the case, but you shouldn't be afraid of licks. They might be gross, but they're not dangerous.