How can I get my dog to stop licking? She will lick your hand or any part of skin. She starts to lick and she won't stop. She does this all the time, and she will lick your hand until it's dripping with silver. Can it be an OCD matter or is it an affection problem? She was an abused dog. We saved her from north shore animal league in long island. And she is the smartest dog I have ever had. She was fully trained when we got her. But they told us she used to get hit by her other owner.
She is a great dog, but her licking is a real problem for me.
Well, you could try different kinds of chewtoys and maybe she'll fall in love with one and just chew it instead. I read in an article that dogs who have been chained up all the time may have developed the habit out of boredom.
She might just like the taste of skin, salty or the lotion or whatever. But it could just be a show of affection too. How about getting a puppy that she can play with and stay busy with?
Tiny has a habit she didn't have before when she entered in a relationship with me. She will lick my eyeballs, nose and sometimes it feels like she's trying to french me. LOL I don't know too much about dog psychology but your dog is a female like mine. Has she had a litter of pups yet? Tiny was fixed before she had one. I believe that the big display of affection is the result of not having motherhood. Dogs are animals after all and what they do best is have BABIES. I do believe that your dog and mine are feeling deprived of motherhood so they compensate for that by giving us the affection instead.
I am so sorry that her previous owner used to hit her. She didn't deserve that abuse. Sure I get mad at Tiny too but I would never hurt her. I simply yell at her to get out of my way and she goes running. LOL Dogs have feeling and they carry their unconditional hearts full of love on the tip of their face. Have you ever paid special care at the expressions that come across a dog's face? They show more expressions than a cat does and you can tell when they are anti-social and depressed. It's very noticeable.
I don't think that chew toys are really the answer. Tiny has toys and it doesn't matter. She still goes for my face.
You can train her not to lick you. You have to do it gradual though, otherwise, she will get confused.
Start training her not to by teaching her the word no if you haven't already. Be firm but not aggressive when you say no to her, you don't want to make her feel abandoned by you, it's simple things that can trigger her to think these things. Like Buffy said, get some chew toys in the house, when she goes to lick you say no and present her with a toy. Alternatively you could stretch your hand out in front of her and say it's okay. Threw repetition she will understand that you aren't mad at her for wanting to show you affection, only that you don't need affection all the time. Also, do you show HER too much affection because she was abused? At first it's okay to let he become comfortable and feel safe, but then some ground rules need to be met. Good luck.
Excessive licking can occur for many reasons. Medical issues need to be ruled out first. My recommendation would be for you to visit your Vet to rule out any neurological issues. If neurological issues are ruled out then I would tend to believe that the licking would likely be due to anxiety. This is actually more common than one would think.
Dog anxiety is usually caused by lack of exercise. Think about yourself. Aren't there times when you truly need to release energy, to exercise, to get out of the 4 walls of your house? Dogs are really no different!
Your baby is obviously fixated on licking. Try a few things. Engage in your pet more. Exercise in the forms of walking and/or playing with a ball or toy. Another tension breaker for a pet is Kong toy, available in multiple sizes at an area Wal-Mart or Target store. Purchase the kind that can be stuffed with goodies. Don't go broke buying the canned stuffing to squirt into the toy. Purchase a cheap jar of peanut butter, stuff the Kong toy and put it in the freezer. After it freezes, this toy will give your baby hours of entertainment! I keep 2 around and always have one ready and waiting. The best thing is that you can throw them in the dishwasher after each use.
I firmly believe that the combination of the above will offer great results. Go slowly with the exercise. Use gentle correction as well. A simple command of "no lick" can be used right along with the suggestions. Don't hit your pet though, this will only create more anxiety and isn't necessary.
