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My 6-year-old pug will lick his paws for several minutes at a time. It's usually when he's lying in his dog bed. Sometime he'll start licking the dog bed itself. If I say his name he'll stop for a few seconds, and then start right up again. Any ideas on what could be causing this? I've heard that some dogs lick their paws if they have allergies, but I'm not sure why he would lick his bed if that's the case with him. I'd appreciate any help you may be able to provide!
I would appreciate some input on this too. My new 2 yr. old pit licks his paws alot. He also will lick my pants, hands and the other dog. He did have a bad case of mange when I got him, but that is all cleared up.
I saw something similar (with a cat) on tv (Barking Mad, a UK animal program). A cat was obsessed with licking plastic bags, anything plastic.
I don't know if this relates to dogs but the vets/experts said the dog was fixated on plastic and bored.
They showed the owners how to redirect the animals by giving them new toys, trying to change the behavior to something more acceptable.
There can be several reasons for this behavior. My dog suffers from both food allergies and separation anxiety. Boredom, general anxiety, and even OCD can cause this. Often you can simply distract the dog and they will stop, for now. My dog will often give herself lick granuloma (Lick Granuloma Skin Lesions, Treatments and Management In Dogs at ThePetCenter.com) so I have to pay careful attention as these are difficult to clear up.
For many dogs boredom/unused energy is the most likely culprit. If I can keep Shadow busy enough she doesn't lick at all.
I just wish she would lick the whole couch, not just one spot. That spot is so much cleaner........
Thanks so much for your responses! My pug is very laid back and lazy. I walk him every day, but he really doesn't play much. We rescued him 2 years ago. He was a breeding dog, and he never "learned" how to play. I've tried different chew toys and balls, but he doesn't know what to do with them. I might try walking him closer to bedtime to tire him out. It's worth a try! If it is OCD, then I'm not sure what, if anything, I can do...
Thanks for your input! You're right, he was kept in a cage and small enclosed area basically ALL the time. Poor little fella was so freaked out by all the attention he was getting when we brought him home that he snapped at us a few times. He got used to the love quickly though! He's such a sweet boy.
As for playing, we also have a rescued beagle mix. She does know how to play. She loves tug-o-war and chasing balls in the backyard. Our pug will sit there and watch, but can't quite figure out how to participate.
I'll check out your suggestions. Hopefully we'll have some luck. Thanks again!
My dog licked his paws until they were raw. Kept us awake and drove us crazy, not to mention that the dog wasn't doing it for fun either. The vet said he had an allergy. Could be pollen, food, or whatever. He gave the dog pills for allergy and it stopped immediately. It's an allergy. Take him to a vet and it will be cured. And he'll be happy.
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