Excessive Licking: How Can I Deal with This Aspect

If you are a dog owner or have friends with dogs, you probably went through the part in which you got licked by the dog. Some think this is cute and it can be, as long as it is not exaggerated. But, some dog owners have to face a pooch that enjoys licking them way too much. Why do dogs lick us? And what can be done if we’re dealing with excessive licking?

When getting a dog, you should expect for it to manifest its states in a different way than humans. So, if humans manifest their affection through hugs and kisses, dogs will do otherwise. In other words, you should not be upset if your dog licks your hands after it eats the meal you served it or after a nice walk. But gratitude and appreciation are not the only reasons dog lick us. If you are a dog owner that has a dog with licking problems at home, you may want to find out the cause behind it and how to make it stop.

• Our skin tastes good

Dogs are creatures that rely on their senses a lot. Their taste is one of them, something you can see in your pup from a very early age. Your dog will like and try to pick up with its mouth things that appear to be interesting. So, if your dog is licking you after you’ve been cooking or eating, for example, it does it because you smell and taste good. Dogs have very sensitive noses and tongues, easily sensing small food particles that escape our eyesight.

Also, dogs enjoy licking the salt that forms on our skin when we sweat. Again, we won’t see it, but our dogs will be able to taste it. You don’t have to sweat a lot in order to taste salty and it’s the main reason dogs lick us, especially during the warm season.

• It’s a form of communication

It may be hard to believe, but dogs use licking as a way to communicate with other dogs and with humans as well. Dogs also lick other dogs if they want to transmit particular messages, like the desire to become friends, as a submission sign to a dominant dog, or when they are hungry. So, if the dog is licking you in an energetic and insistent manner, stop and take a look around. Your dog may be telling you that it’s food bowl is empty and it’s dinner time.

Of course, it’s not just food that may be missing. The water bowl may be empty, the door that allows it to go outside or provides access to its bed may be closed, or the dog simply needs anything. In this case, licking is a way your dog signals you that something is missing, so check out to see what it is by allowing your dog to guide you.

• It is a way to show affection

Our dogs can’t hug us or tell us how much we mean to them. They use their own form of communication and body language when they want to tell us something. We just need to learn how to read the kind of messages they transmit. Usually, when dogs lick their owners or family members, they do it out of affection. Yes, your dog loves you a lot and it shows you this by licking you, whether it’s about licking your hands, legs, face, or any other part of the body that may be available.

Still, such signs of affection maybe a little too much for some of us. A bit of licking can be accepted, but some dogs tend to do it too much and too often. How can we change this and save us from being licked all the time? When your dog starts licking you, just get up and go to another room of the house. Do this repeatedly until the behavior stops. The dog will learn that licking will make you leave, which is something it does not want.

• Licking can be compulsive as well

There are dogs that tend to lick a particular item or area over and over again. It’s like they can’t stop or appear to feel the need to do it repeatedly. Also, this kind of licking is insistent at the same time. Check out the state of th

Excessive Licking: How Can I Deal with This Aspect

If you are a dog owner or have friends with dogs, you probably went through the part in which you got licked by the dog. Some think this is cute and it can be, as long as it is not exaggerated. But, some dog owners have to face a pooch that enjoys licking them way too much. Why do dogs lick us? And what can be done if we’re dealing with excessive licking?

When getting a dog, you should expect for it to manifest its states in a different way than humans. So, if humans manifest their affection through hugs and kisses, dogs will do otherwise. In other words, you should not be upset if your dog licks your hands after it eats the meal you served it or after a nice walk. But gratitude and appreciation are not the only reasons dog lick us. If you are a dog owner that has a dog with licking problems at home, you may want to find out the cause behind it and how to make it stop.

• Our skin tastes good

Dogs are creatures that rely on their senses a lot. Their taste is one of them, something you can see in your pup from a very early age. Your dog will like and try to pick up with its mouth things that appear to be interesting. So, if your dog is licking you after you’ve been cooking or eating, for example, it does it because you smell and taste good. Dogs have very sensitive noses and tongues, easily sensing small food particles that escape our eyesight.

Also, dogs enjoy licking the salt that forms on our skin when we sweat. Again, we won’t see it, but our dogs will be able to taste it. You don’t have to sweat a lot in order to taste salty and it’s the main reason dogs lick us, especially during the warm season.

• It’s a form of communication

It may be hard to believe, but dogs use licking as a way to communicate with other dogs and with humans as well. Dogs also lick other dogs if they want to transmit particular messages, like the desire to become friends, as a submission sign to a dominant dog, or when they are hungry. So, if the dog is licking you in an energetic and insistent manner, stop and take a look around. Your dog may be telling you that it’s food bowl is empty and it’s dinner time.

Of course, it’s not just food that may be missing. The water bowl may be empty, the door that allows it to go outside or provides access to its bed may be closed, or the dog simply needs anything. In this case, licking is a way your dog signals you that something is missing, so check out to see what it is by allowing your dog to guide you.

• It is a way to show affection

Our dogs can’t hug us or tell us how much we mean to them. They use their own form of communication and body language when they want to tell us something. We just need to learn how to read the kind of messages they transmit. Usually, when dogs lick their owners or family members, they do it out of affection. Yes, your dog loves you a lot and it shows you this by licking you, whether it’s about licking your hands, legs, face, or any other part of the body that may be available.

Still, such signs of affection maybe a little too much for some of us. A bit of licking can be accepted, but some dogs tend to do it too much and too often. How can we change this and save us from being licked all the time? When your dog starts licking you, just get up and go to another room of the house. Do this repeatedly until the behavior stops. The dog will learn that licking will make you leave, which is something it does not want.

• Licking can be compulsive as well

There are dogs that tend to lick a particular item or area over and over again. It’s like they can’t stop or appear to feel the need to do it repeatedly. Also, this kind of licking is insistent at the same time. Check out the state of the dog during these episodes, as the dog can be scared or stressed, licking is a way to reduce a negative state and find some sort of comfort. If this is the case, you may want to seek help for your dog. When licking is triggered by something that is stressing your dog or scares it too much, it can turn into an obsessive behavior or fuel anxiety. Thus, it is not a method that brings comfort, but a habit that will become problematic in time.

Now that you know why dogs lick, you’re ready to become a responsible dog owner. Even if you don’t have a dog just yet and you’re in search of the ideal puppy, this kind of information is more than useful. Speaking of looking for puppies, you could use the help and guidance available on premierpups.com. Premier Pups revolves around an unforgettable puppy finding experience and focuses on offering future dog owners all the support they need when welcoming a puppy into their families. So, if you’ll be a first-time dog owner, Premier Pups will teach you how to do things right.

e dog during these episodes, as the dog can be scared or stressed, licking is a way to reduce a negative state and find some sort of comfort. If this is the case, you may want to seek help for your dog. When licking is triggered by something that is stressing your dog or scares it too much, it can turn into an obsessive behavior or fuel anxiety. Thus, it is not a method that brings comfort, but a habit that will become problematic in time.

Now that you know why dogs lick, you’re ready to become a responsible dog owner. Even if you don’t have a dog just yet and you’re in search of the ideal puppy, this kind of information is more than useful. Speaking of looking for puppies, you could use the help and guidance available on premierpups.com. Premier Pups revolves around an unforgettable puppy finding experience and focuses on offering future dog owners all the support they need when welcoming a puppy into their families. So, if you’ll be a first-time dog owner, Premier Pups will teach you how to do things right.

This might be far too simple on first glance. I am sure you are all thinking things like ‘my lap’; ‘walks’; ‘my slippers’! Are dogs the simple creatures we make them out to be? A cosy place to sleep and nice food, and they are happy?

If it were that simple, family dog trainers would not exist!

When we are trying to make sure our dogs are calm and settled, and have what they need for a good life, we might need to think a bit more deeply.

I work with lots of dogs and owners. They need help for all sorts of reasons, from the dog running away to the dog biting. If making them happy were so simple, the dogs would not do any of this. Families I work with often provide their dogs with all the things they need to have a cosy life! Most of the time, the dogs are perfectly happy, but it might be one or two situations where the owners have an issue.

I was at an appointment where a dog barked a great deal. He was a really noisy fellow. Mainly, he barked when he was on walks from sheer excitement and joy. The neighbours started to complain, put notes through the door, and used to slow down their car and shout at the owner as the poor owner attempted to stop their dog’s excessive noise.

The owner was of course very unhappy, but their dog was utterly joyful (and liked letting everyone know about it). What would have made the dog happy is to carry on as he was. Instead what we needed to do was try and keep the dog happy, just remove the barking noise, which would make the rest of the neighbours (and the owner happy) instead. It was hard work but making it fun was part of the job description, and we got there in the end.

My point is that a dog that looks like it has a behaviour problem might be perfectly happy doing whatever it is that is causing the owner, or other people or dogs, to feel distress.

Another example is a dog that digs up the garden. The dog is really enjoying what he is built to do! Pulling out huge plants from the borders, face first and nose down in a rapidly deepening hole in the middle of the lawn – dog paradise.

As the owner sees it, far from it! A dog, capering about covered in mud and twigs, then racing into the house ready for dinner and a snooze. A dog, surprised at the cross reaction of his normally quite amenable owner.

So, what does your dog like? Often, it is the very things you might like to stop them doing, and usually they are the very things that make them – yes! – just a dog.

Of course, I am not saying we should just let them do as they please. Dogs are chosen by us as companions, and we need to teach them what that means, even if it occasionally needs them to curb their canine impulses.

Nevertheless, we can work on being more understanding, so we can let (happier) sleeping dogs lie.

Karen Wild, CCAB

Why not check out my easy training guides?

Well – absolutely delighted to get an Awesome Blog Award from Jana at DawgBusiness Thank you Jana, we love your blog too! It’s lovely for us all to show appreciation.

The rules for accepting this award are:

• Link to the person who gave you the award.
• Share 7 things about yourself.
• Then pass the award on to 15 other blogs.

7 things that I can share about me
1) As well as adoring people and dogs, I am a black belt in Shotokan Karate and I run a Karate club/school here in the UK
2) I have 2 children and 3 stepchildren, two dogs and one cat but usually have around 4 or 5 dogs here.

3) I have a number of celebrity clients and the secret is, we are all the same people with the same worries and fears for our dogs.

4) I believe in facing your fears and learning and having no regrets

5) I wanted to be a human Clinical Psychologist as a career and am now heading to be a Clinical Animal Behaviourist instead!

6) I have an absolute passion for educating families about dogs

7) If you got this far, thank you, I love being friendly so please contact me on twitter www.twitter.com/WildPaw

And now… Blogs I would like to nominate for the awesome blog award!

 

As you can see I am still working on this list. This is why I have not published the page to all and sundry yet. I am busy all day today and at a conference tomorrow. Thank you for your patience my lovely peekers!

1)

 

 

 

 

 

Fearful Dogs Blog

 

The Other End of the Leash

 

Dog Spelled Forward