Bichon Frise licking wall

Question
We have a 10 MOS old Bichon Frise. He eats a food product called Chicken Soup for puppies, the first 5 ingredients are protein, we give him 1/2 C in am and 1/2 C in p.m. He doesn't always eat each portion at one time.  He also gets fresh water.  When we first got him we seen that he was licking his paws and sides of his hind legs literally down to the skin.  Took to vet and got some topical spray, for  poss allergies.  Still licks his one paw to the point it is red.  Now we used to have him sleep in our bedroom, only to wake up to a section of the wall where he has licked off the pain to the drywall.  We found several of these.  We do work and he is crated till we get home.  He is non stop for my attention from the time I come home to the time I go to bed.  I started taking him for walks after work.  I'm wondering if this is a habit(Licking the paint) or is he lacking some type of nutrient?
Thank you for taking the time to answer this.  We have had a Bichon in the past, who we lost to lung cancer at the age of 7 yrs old.  Just like kids, no two are alike.  

Answer
Well Denise,
You are a victim of "fad Feeding" I am afraid.
Instead of feeding a food that has a proven track record, such as Science Diet, you are feeding a diet that most likely has way too much protein and not enough essential nutrients to keep him balanced and healthy. Licking the wall is called pica, and while there are many causes of it, some vets do think nutrient lack is one of them.

Diets like the CSfPets diets are not trial fed and even though they state on the bag that they meet the requirements for AAFCO, all that means is that they formulated it so that it met those, not that it has high quality ingredients that work and are good for your dog.

You can meet those requirements with an old pair of shoes, a can of oil and other ingredients. (it's been proven also).

I have fed and recommended Science Diet for over 28 years. Why? Because it is the only food out there with over 50 years of Veterinary research behind it, trial feeding studies for that entire time and the innovation to be the first in the pet food industry to create preventative diets.

If you want a food that is balanced completely in the nutrients that your dog needs, I would get him a bag of Adult Sensitive skin formula. He is old enough now to put on and adult food. You won't feed more than a up a day of that food either, most likely less. 3/4 to one cup a day is the recommended amount. Mix it in with your current food over a seven day period until all he is eating is the new food.

After a few weeks (it takes three weeks for the new food to work) you will notice his stool is smaller and darker also, because this food is very highly digestible so that very little of it is passed out.

I am not saying that diet is the only reason he is licking but when he is licking the walls I would say that could be a part of it.
Licking of feet can be a manifestation of many things: pain, nerves, loneliness, separation anxiety, and allergies.
Allergies usually manifest all over with itching and red skin on the back and by the tail.

Make sure his crate is big enough that he can romp in it a bit and has some water too. He should have his favorite, non-destructible toys in there too. It is hard for a dog to be alone all day and especially a puppy.

Let me know what you do and how it goes in a few weeks. It would be great if this food helps and you are not started on the endless cycle of pills and shots for allergies.