paw licking

Question
Hi!  I have a Siberian Husky that I got from a friend about 1 1/2 years ago.  
My friend could not keep her anymore, and had to get rid of her.  I took her in
and she fits into my family perfectly.  She loves my kids and even gets along
with the cat.  I am a runner, and I enjoy taking her with me 3 or 4 times a
week for a run.  Also we walk about 6-8 miles a week.  Non the less, when we
need to leave her alone we have to crate her.  She chews stuff and "counter-
serfs" .  About 6 month ago she started to lick her paws while we are gone.  
The vet says there is nothing physically wrong with her, but she is just bored
when we are gone (usually about 3-4 hours a day).  I tried chew bones and
Kong ball..still she licks her front paws so much the nails get soft!  Of course
I worry about her, and about being a bad home for her..Please help!  I love my
dog and want best for her, but I cant' be home all the time!

Answer
Unfortunately, there are just some dogs that do certain things when bored or stressed - and being home alone can cause both of these.  While checking out the interactions between you and the dog could help shed some light on specific causes, these are difficult at best to diagnose from emails over the Internet.  There are so many small and possibly insignificant things that can cause stress in dogs that many people overlook (and to their credit, there are many dogs that aren't bothered at all either by these things).  However, there are other things that are done that can reinforce stress behaviors in dogs, so one has to be very careful there as well.

Here are some additional things to try that may help:

1)  Your vet may have some ointments that can be applied to the dog's paws that will leave a sour/bitter taste with the dog and help discourage the licking.  While I mention this first, this actually is only one I would recommend if the licking is causing serious damage to the dog's paws.

2)  Older dogs can become a little more prone to being upset in crates (Especially if they weren't trained to live in one from early puppyhood).  Is there a room that could be made "Sibe-resistant" that she could stay in?  This can often help the "cabin-fever" problems we see in crates.

3)  Avoid making a big deal about the crate or leaving - this is part of the reinforcement that you may not know you are doing.  Give a treat or something for going in the crate, but avoid making a big deal out of it.  It should be similar to "Sit" or "Down" as a command.  The dog goes in the crate and here's your treat.  To help with this, try crating her for a few minutes during the day while you are there.  Give her a treat, and let her out a few minutes later.  This may help eliminate any feeling of abandonment in the crate.

Last idea - if the dog is bored and/or lonely - another option can be another dog.  Another Siberian is always a good match, but it can be really any other dog (although a dog of roughly a similar build and intelligence/energy level is often helpful).  The interaction will help substitute for when you are not around.

Hope that helps and feel free to write back if you have any other specifics or want more information.