Dog Licks Up his Urine

Question
Hello,
I have a 1yr old male JRT.
The past few days, I caught him licking up his urine ( I have him on a wee wee pad & trained to go outside)
After he is done, it looks like his mouth and tongue are trembling.
How can I stop this & what is it all about. Thank you in advance for your help.

Answer
Hello Frankie and thanks for your quesiton.

I know that this behavior is upsetting to us, but actually, it's pretty normal for dogs to lick urine and eat feces.

There are many opinions on why dogs do this, but no conclusive answers have ever been reached. One thing that has been agreed on is, if they ever start this habit, it's very difficult to break it.

Urine contains pheremones that are sometimes very interesting to pets. If you think about it, dogs use their urine to mark territory. Your dog is becoming mature and is interested in his "smell". Olfactory (smell) organs are contained in the mouth and it's just another way for him to understand his "mark".

I would recommend to take up the pads as soon as they are soiled OR break him off the pads all together and get him going outside exclusively. At one year of age, he should be physically able to hold his urine for quite a long time and shouldn't need the pads.