My Dog Likes Licking Things

Question
Hi Patti,

My 11 month old puppy, Bear... loves to lick things! He licks sheets till there soaked and licks lips and my knee and the carpet. At first I thought it was just because we spilt something but he does it all the time and we don't spill that much! I'm just curios and so I want to know! Thanks so much! We trained him not to bite when he was little maybe he licks instead of biting?

Thanks So Much!!

Laura

Answer
Hi Laura,

Dogs will lick for a multitude of reasons: obsessive/compulsion disorder, anxiety, boredom, investigatory behavior, positive feed-back, greeting behavior and establishment of social pecking order... and it's also possible that he just plain likes the taste of whatever he happens to be licking.

Licking is a submissive social signal, first of all, allowing dogs to show deference to dominant "pack members." Puppies lick to solicit solid food from their mothers when they're weaned, so a young dog may lick to request its dinner. Some dogs lick as a substitute for puppy mouthing behavior. They've been trained not to put their teeth on people, so they lick to occupy their mouths. Licking may be a sign of affection, your dog's way of showing you that he's enjoying spending time cuddled on the couch with you. Or, he may just like the taste of your soap!

You can try increasing your dog's exercise. He's a young dog, and the licking may be a sign of boredom. Along with the extra activity, you can try squirting your dog with a mixture of water and vinegar, while you squirt tell him "NO LICK!" You have to be firm and consistent with this.

Here is an article on excessive licking:
http://www.perfectpaws.com/lick.html

Best of luck,
Patti