Ask a dog trainer: how do I get my dog to stop licking everything?

Video: Why Does My Dog Lick Everything?

While most of us don’t mind a gentle lick from our four-legged best friend now and then, if you have a dog that constantly licks it can wear on the nerves and even cause pain. While some dogs restrict themselves to licking any part of human skin they can find – legs, toes, hands, face, etc. – some dogs will literally lick anything. This dog has licked the floor so much, it’s wet:

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Obsessive licking can also cause health issues with your dog, including a raw nose and loss of hair around the mouth so it’s something that should not be ignored.

Why Your Dog Is Licking

If you have a dog that’s just licking you, and nothing else, it’s most likely due to lack of training and the fact that licking is reinforcing to dogs because you taste good. Dogs like the saltiness of our sweat and if you just ate, they can taste your food on your fingers and your face.

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If your dog is licking anything and everything, including you and themselves, there may be an underlying cause. Our 12-year-old sheltie (the floor licker above) has what we affectionately refer to as O.L.D. dog syndrome (obsessive licking disorder). But in all seriousness, her licking is a side effect of her health issues. We know her medicine dosages aren’t right when she starts licking everything, including herself. She also gets a rash on her tummy from the constant licking. For us, it’s a cue we need to tweak her meds.

What To Do With The Dog That Licks

So there are two solutions to licking, depending on why your dog is doing the behavior. If it’s simply a matter of your dog liking to lick you because it’s rewarding to him, then you need to do a few things.

First – avoid allowing your dog to be reinforced for licking you. So, wear long pants and socks, and wash your hands and face immediately after licking. This is just until you have trained your dog not to lick, so she doesn’t keep getting reinforced for the behavior.

Second – decide how you want to retrain your dog. You have several options. You can put “kissing” on cue and reward your dog only when he licks you on cue. You can work on an auto-leave it, so your dog never licks you ever. You work on regular leave it, so your dog is allowed to lick you, but needs to stop when you ask. It’s up to you.

Third – make sure you let anyone who visits know the rules. If people come over and let your dog do whatever they wish, against your new rules, you will have a harder time training your dog. So be sure to let people know what the new protocol is.

If your dog is licking everything and anything, take her to the vet. If the vet rules out any type of health issue, then you can do the above training to curb the habit.

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