You have probably heard that a dog licking a wound helps it heal. Can dog saliva really stop bacteria from growing? This project puts that idea to the test with two experiments. In the first experiment you swab bacteria from surfaces like hands and tables onto agar dishes. After the bacteria grow you make a broth from each type. You place the broth and dog saliva together in new dishes and watch for two days. In the second experiment you grow a lawn of E. coli on agar plates. You collect saliva from 102 dogs by touching sterile filter paper to their upper gums. You place each sample on the E. coli lawn and look for rings of inhibition (zones where bacteria stopped growing). About 16 percent of samples showed clear inhibition.