Licking other dogs

Question
My boxer has a licking issue.  When he sees new people he tries to lick their face like crazy.  I know this is excitement.  But he also licks other dogs faces/mouths.  With certain dogs he just won't stop.  The other dogs try to get away from him, but he keeps going at them until the other dogs puts him in his place.  I'm afraid some dog will end up attacking Murphy.  Why does he do this?? And how can we stop it?

Answer
Hi Maura. This kind of licking can be caused by a few different reasons. Your boy may just be really submissive, and licks to let the other dogs know that he is, and means no harm. Or, it may be an obsessive compulsive thing. I had a female that constantly licked, the vet thought it was an obsessive compulsive disorder. What we did was every time she started to lick, we distracted her really fast, before she could really get into it. We put pennies in a can, and shook them everytime she started. If the object of her attention didn't have the can, the person would stand up, make her sit or lie down. Making her do something else would take her mind off of the licking. As for her licking other dogs, we kept her on a leash at all times while she was around other dogs. We would, again, make her sit or lie down. If she started to lick, we would make her sit again. You have to distract them. This is really just about all you can do. It'll take some time, you may not see results quickly. Have patience, and you should see a difference in your boy. You may want to consider using a trainer to help. Good luck, and if I can help with anything else, let me know!