[liz321]

why does my yorkshire terrier lick so much....sometimes it is us....sometimes it is the rug or lino?

any ideas?

Liz

[Princsstrish]

some dogs just LICK!!! It's a hard habit to break.

[Tara D]

My former dog used to lick and nip a bit when we first got her as a puppy. Since no one in my family was into being bitten or licked, we would simply get up and move away if she started doing that. She learned pretty quickly not to do it, and learned to show affection in other ways. Dogs really like attention, and they can figure out how to get it and keep it. They'll stop doing things that cause them to lose affection. Pay more attention to her when she's not engaging in the behavior.

My dog was a cocker spaniel, so probably not as hyper as a little yorkie, but it might be worth a try.

[Get n healthy]

Might just be she likes to lick BUT it could also mean she is low no some vitamins or minerals. Look over her food ingredients, is meat in the first two ingredients? Does it have a lot of corn? Corn has no nutritional value for dogs, it is just a cheap filler. If meat is not in the top of the ingredients, it is not a good dog food. A lot of these dog foods claim to be so great with an emphasis on grains and vegtables....really, what grains and vegtables to dogs have to have in the wild...arent they carnivores? I always just think it is funny when Beniful starts with thier lots of grains and veggies commercials. Dogs cant digests grains at all, and most veggies are useless to them as well. There is a reason they have sharp teeth...and its not to eat corn on the cob, ha ha. I dont feed my dog grocery store commercial dog food, but if i did, i would feed Purina One, it has lots of meat in it and not a lot of useless fillers.

[Jeep Girl]

Hope this helps. found it on the net..
If you want more info google " why do dogs lick"
I swear when I shave my legs my dog sits and waits for me to put the lotion on so she can lick it all off.

Dog licks because its the only way to express itself with people their own breed . He does it in the morning and as a greeting . he does it for quite some time and is very determined with it. Interesting subject and there's many theories. Of course, the answer I'm providing doesn't specifically answer this because Dog Licking Human Faces is universal to all dogs - no matter what breed or Sex. Dogs lick for a lot of reasons. 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!
Though it's usually harmless, licking can be a problem if carried to an extreme. All dog lovers have seen how a dog greets either its owner or another dog by wagging its tail, pulling its lips back in a grin or licking the face of the welcome friend."
The licking of the face is an intriguing gesture, coming directly from the instinct of the wolf. When the mother wolf has returned from the hunt, her pups will lick her face to stimulate the mother to regurgitate food for them. In this way, they are weaned from milk to solids. Little do most dog owners know that when their dog gives them a kiss on their return home, it is actually asking them to regurgitate some food!"
I know that face licking is usually more vigorous than other licking purposes, but is there anything a dog will not lick? In addition to their own parts and our faces, I have seen them lick toys, walls, carpet, rocks, and dirt. With this in mind, I think we can lower our requirement for a reason why they lick our faces. I would say a combination of cleaning instinct (they do the same thing to puppies, sometimes for a very long time), a standard greeting, exploratory purposes (mouth and toungue are their primary method of manipulation, and a nice salty human face should leave us asking why a dog wouldn't want to lick people. Dogs like salt, as do most animals, and perhaps this is why they lick your face. I know that my dogs will lick my bare arms and legs in the summer



Lynn

[alinnell]

I have had many dogs, each that lick for different reasons.
One licked her paws a lot and the vet said it was due to her allergies and they changed her allergy medicine. (golden retriever)
One licks everything always--freshly lotioned skin, sweaty skin, tile floor, carpet, faces, hands, you name it. He stops when I tell him to, though. (labrador)
One licks if he is given the opportunity--but not like the other one, and he will stop if asked. (labrador)
One wouldn't lick if she was given the opportunity--she just didn't do it (American eskimo)

[LovesBassets]

In one of my former lives I was a vet tech (LOL, up until I quit in Aug.) I've asked my (former) boss this question quite a bit, and he's of the opinion that -- with the carpet/lino licking at least -- it's either a stress relieving activity or "just something to do," like people who twirl their hair or bite their nails.

Warning, though, if your dog SUDDENLY and DRAMATICALLY starts licking every surface in your home (taking paint off walls, making obvious "clean spots" on your I-thought-it-was-already-clean lino, etc.) it's can be a sign of Addison's Disease. But that doesn't sound like what your dog is doing.

I live with a dog who spends 45 - 60 minutes a night (usually starting around 9pm) licking the carpet. He's a rescue (off the streets) and supremely neurotic ANYWAY. My former boss and I both think that the repetitive and "scheduled" nature of his licking shows it's a stress reliever for him, and that he probably has some form of OCD (yes, dogs can have OCD!).

Just my $0.02

[liz321]

Thanks for the info everyone...I am definately going to look at the ingredients on my dogs food......Nutrience derma-lamb meal and rice????? will also observe my dogs behaviour in a more meaningful way.


Liz

[ShoreChick]

Our dog doesnt really lick us, or the floor,but she did lick her paws so badly that she practically licked the pads right off of them. Turned out it was a wheat allergy. Now we give only food & treats that have no wheat & she's pretty muched stopped.

[Wolfena]

My dog is the same way.

My boyfriend says he's OCD. He can't go to sleep til he licks his butt, the blankets, his front legs, the sheets (in that order) for at least 20 minutes at bedtime. If we interupt him he MUST start over or he can't sleep!

LOL


He's a licker in general, he'll lick your feet, the carpet, the couch, his toys, EVERYTHING.... My kids friends run past him so he doesn't lick their legs when they walk by him.

Originally Posted by LovesBassets

My former boss and I both think that the repetitive and "scheduled" nature of his licking shows it's a stress reliever for him, and that he probably has some form of OCD (yes, dogs can have OCD!).

(just read LovesBassets posts about dogs having OCD... thats so funny because we always joke about it!! Perhaps it's really true!)

[ShoreChick]

Wolfena,thats really funny- I wish I could see a video of that....hey maybe animals CAN have OCD too!?!?!?
All I know is I am glad the vet bills have decreased since we FINALLY figured out what was causing her problem. Darn dogs are almost as expensive as the kids!!

[angel-eyes]

It looks like alot of great advice given already, but here's my thoughts about licking. Dogs lick to relieve boredom, to clean, to smooth an irritation of the skin (not actually the hair). My dog also experiences allergies from the outdoors and often develops staph infections from the excessive licking. I would check the food ingrediants as wheat is a biggie and you could try to be the dog whisperer...and "shuuush" her from any active behaviour with the licking. My cat also was extremely nuerotic at one point and had to wear a head cone and put on valium....but thats another story.

[LovesBassets]

I know a Bichon who's on Prozac.

Not that that is helpful information in any way.

[MomToKaylaAndTwins]

Terriers have a tendency to have an extremely high energy level (as if you didn't realize having one!) and on the flip side, have a tendency to get bored extremely easily. Although my terriers are much larger than yours, we had a serious problem with our younger baby chewing and licking spots on herself (until they were bald and scabbed!). We had her tested for everything under the sun-and found nothing. I started leaving bones in her cage when we left during the day, and it stopped completely.
We did have a poodle growing up that loved to lick everything. If it is annoying, I would suggest that you start training the dog not to. (Sort of like you would a puppy who is constantly mouthing-you hold the snout and say NO-OR, when the dog starts licking, you get up and walk away!)
Good luck!
I can't get enough of my doggie kisses, but I think it would start to wear me down if she was constantly doing it!