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Dog Licking Problems: Affectionate, Disconcerting, Or Just Plain Disgusting?
By doglover | January 22, 2010
For us humans, it will be a small amount tough to spot with the doggie habit of licking each other in greeting. We have a tendency to don’t do it, after all, and though our tongues return in handy for things like ice-cream eating and sucking that last dollop of peanut butter off the knife, we have a tendency to actually wouldn’t welcome a visitor into our home by giving them a long, lingering lick on the cheek (unless you were cited to embrace certain social mores currently extraordinary in Western society).
Dogs use their tongues to explore the world. A dog’s tongue is as necessary (and useful) to him as our eyes and hands are to us: it’s a multi-purpose utility tool, used to taste things, explore the presence of new individuals and animals, express submissiveness, and to let you recognize that he values your companionship and friendship. Licking may be a fully natural behavior for dogs, and more often than not, the experience isn’t one thing to worry regarding: the odd lick from a heat, moist tongue on your hand or ankle is, at worst, tolerable (and, I should admit, I really notice it pretty adorable when my dog licks me – but then once more, he’s trained to not overdo it, thus I don’t have to fret about the smothering capacities that a a hundred-pound male Rottweiler’s tongue possesses!)
Some dogs just take things too so much though, and this can be where issues will set in. It’s not pleasant to be persecuted in your house by a so much-reaching, agile, mobile, and slobbery tongue: some won’t allow you to get an instant’s rest, but will pursue you from bedroom to hallway to lounge to kitchen, making sporadic dive-bombings of affection on your toes, ankles, calves – anywhere that flesh is exposed and available. And for a tall dog, the obtainable terrain is much additional varied, and thus, attractive – ever had a protracted, wet dog’s tongue lathering your bellybutton as you stretch up to those elusive prime shelves? When surprising, the resultant shock is a lot of than slightly unbalancing!
Masses of dogs won’t limit themselves to your skin alone, either, and owners of these dogs can attest to the forever-visible consistency of dog saliva on clothing: whether or not your outfit is black, white, or any of the myriads of shades in between, there’s nothing like a viscous patch of dog slobber on a freshly-laundered hemline to advertise your possession status (and your dog’s personal level of demonstrativeness) to the globe at large. And once it’s dried, it’s there ’til the next laundry run: the physical evidence of a dog’s friendship is like egg white. It’s there, it’s dried on, and it’s not coming back off until a combination of suds, hot water, and vigorous effort is applied. And all this because your dog wants to mention “I like you”! But there’s often a bit a lot of to it than simply plain affection.
Like all animal behavior, the logic behind licking is sometimes more complex and refined than you may assume, and the same gesture can have multiple meanings addicted to circumstance, your dog’s approach, and the other behaviors being exhibited at the identical time. Thus, although we have a tendency to can postulate until the cows come back home (or until your dog stops licking – whichever comes first) as to why your dog’s licking you, such generalizations aren’t invariably a hundred% correct: it’s partly up to you to determine the reasoning behind the actions. And, since you know your dog better than anyone else, you’re the best candidate for the job.
If your dog is licking you as a result of he’s feeling affectionate and wants to let you know, it’ll be pretty easy to work out whether this is the case or not. His body language will be relaxed, and although the circumstances will be variable, the encircling mood can generally be stress-free and happy: for example, when he licks you on the shoulder or ear from his vantage-point within the backseat as you’re driving him to the park, or lathers your hands and wrists with goodwill and devotion when you come back home from a onerous day at the office.
“Puppy love” is by way the foremost common explanation for licking: it isn’t anything to stress about, and it’s simple to ‘cure’ him of the habit if the behavior is a downside for you. (We’ll get to that any down the page.) Another not-infrequent reason for repetitive, owner-targeted licking is that your dog’s feeling anxious and stressed. If there are things happening in your dog’s life to cause him unhappiness or tension, he’ll typically show it through obsessive-compulsive behaviors, and licking is a pretty common manifestation of these.
Some dogs can lick themselves, others can lick you – it’s extremely a case of individual preference. It shouldn’t be too hard for you to pinpoint the cause of your dog’s less-than-relaxed mindset: is he getting enough attention and mental stimulation, or is he cooped up inside for long hours every day by himself? Does he get enough exercise and outdoors time for sniffing, exploration, and general exuberant tomfoolery? Do you pay him lots of attention when you’re at home, or tend to greet him hurriedly before speeding off to your next commitment?
These are all things that you’ll want to think about, before adapting your lifestyle to handle the problem accordingly. Relying on the circumstances surrounding the licking, and the generalquality of your dog’s life, you’ll want to form some general changes of your own to ensure that, when the licking does stop, it’s as a result of you’ve treated the cause, not the symptoms – otherwise, you’re just trying to take away a valuable outlet for his negative emotions, which is unrealistic (and unfair on your friend, too).
Perhaps you need to come home a lot of usually during the day. Perhaps you wish to induce up 0.5 an hour earlier in the morning to convey him a more substantial pre-work walk (it varies from dog to dog, however as a general guideline, most dogs perform best and are at their most relaxed with an hour and a 0.5’s exercise every day). Or even you simply need to spend additional time with him within the evenings, taking part in, grooming, coaching, and simply hanging out together.
Make positive you’re being attentive to his demeanor (does he appear content?) and his activity levels before you try to induce rid of the licking behavior as a stand-alone downside: even though he will’t talk, he can still use his tongue to try and tell you something, and this might be what’s happening here. Having said that though, normally excessive licking is merely due to excessive exuberance in your dog: he’s happy, he loves you, and he has got to let you recognize right now.
When you want to urge the purpose across that his licking’s getting a small amount too much for you, a easy modification in your body language can convey your message loud and clear. All you wish to do is withdraw the outward show of your affection for him to understand that, truly, you don’t like it when he covers your skin in an exceedingly composite of saliva, dog-food particulate matter, scraps of debris from his fur, and general oral-cavity detritus.
In plain English, this means that you only have to flip yourself away from him: when he starts to lick, arise and move away instantly. Create positive your face and eyes are dramatically averted from him: face in the whole opposite direction. Preface this with a revolted-sounding “No!” if you wish (I say “No lick!” but you can use whatever comes naturally. Simply keep the phrase short and easily-identifiable thus your dog quickly learns to recognize it). At this point, he’ll probably rise and follow you. Look forward to him to try and do therefore: the licking should begin once more soon. When it will, repeat the process. Withdraw all signs of affection from him once more: turn away, stand up and leave, and don’t pay him any attention or talk to him (except another “No!” in a disgusted, I-will’t-believe-you-haven’t-got-the-message-yet tone of voice).
It’s likely that your dog can be persistent. He’s to not be easily deterred; you’re the undisputed centerpiece of his life, after all, and he desires to let you recognize this whenever the opportunity should present itself. You only want to outmatch him in persistency. Be consistent along with your actions, and therefore the message can sink in. Don’t feel that you have to shout or react negatively – the straightforward withdrawal of your love (or the appearance of this, anyway) is kind of enough. A word of warning: some people very like it when dogs lick them, even if the dog involved is not their own. If visitors to your house (or admiring passersby on the street) greet your dog and permit him to lick them, you’ll want to intervene or else they’ll undo all of your sensible work. It’s best if you’ll explain ahead of time that you’re coaching him to not lick, and then make a case for the appropriate response for them to require if he ought to begin to lick them.
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