The dog licks itself to communicate
This post will answer these questions:
- My dog licks himself, what should I do?
- Why does my dog lick his paws?
- Why does my dog lick his groin?
- My dog licks himself compulsively, what should I do?
- My dog licks himself, does he groom himself?
It goes without saying that the licking at the dog is for most of us, a gesture that we believe is related to its hygiene. But why does my dog lick so much?
But the excessive licking ? The "notching" of the legs? These gestures can be a means of communicate !
Here are situations where licking is more than a gesture of hygiene. If your dog compulsively licks himself, he may be hiding something from you.
Upon your arrival
Dogs don't have the same means of communication as we do. They have neither hand nor word to greet people. The ritual between dogs that meet is licking at the level of the chops. It is for this reason that the dog has the reflex to come and lick our face or whatever is at its height. It is important not to correct the animal firmly, because it is a very learned behavior. young from their mother. It is desirable to create a new greeting sequence.
How to fix:
- When you come home, don't excite your dog. You can greet him with the word, but nothing more.
- Take the time to arrive, take off your coat, drop off your packages and ignore your pet. This moment will give him time to calm down.
- When your hands are free. Ask your pet to sit. Then flatter him, speaking to him in a low, calm voice.
- If your dog tries to lick you or jump in your face, immediately stop petting, stand up, and give the command again.
- Repeat these steps until you can pet him nicely. The comprehension time differs from animal to animal.
- With practice, your pet will understand that to greet you, he must let you in, then sit down without licking to receive his caress.
When playing or caressing
The dog will use licking to have physical contact with you. The dog discovers its environment with its mouth and its tongue.
How to fix:
- If you are in a position that does not inspire hierarchy, adopt one that will give more weight to your correction. Do not stay at the same level as your animal to continue the activity.
- When your dog begins to lick you, mimic a growl. This form of communication is very clear and acquired at a young age by the animal.
- If the animal does not stop, combine the growl with a stoppage of the form of attention you were giving it.
- If your pet still won't stop, do the two points above, then grab the pet by its collar to unstick it from you. Don't push him, it would be too much like a game. Take him away from you and demand that he stay away. Replace him if he tries to get closer. This may take a few repetitions for the animal to understand.
- When the animal is calm, call it back and try again. Use the fix that worked best.
He just did something stupid
The dog also uses licking to be forgiven. If during a game, he bit you too hard and you showed him your pain, he will often have the reflex to come and smell the place and lick it afterwards. Same thing, if you have just corrected him for bad behavior, he will tend to adopt a more submissive position, lower ears, walking gently almost on tiptoe and will come and give you a lick while looking at you with his guilty eyes.
How to fix:
So that the dog does not lose his instinctive communication cues, I recommend that you let him carry out this ritual, because it is difficult to provoke these situations so that you can work on the correction.
need comfort
Licking can also become a form of tic in dogs. Sustained licking of their body, their cushion or their master only calms the dog, reassures him and thereby reduces his anxiety. Dogs who lick compulsively will often “focus” on the object being licked. They will go there with a certain slowness, slightly closing their eyes. These are signs that the dog is calming down. You probably think it's a good thing, but tell yourself that it can hide less good things. Some dogs just cut themselves, swallow bits of fabric or become aggressive if we disturb them.
How to fix:
Try to target when your pet starts licking so you can figure out why. Is it from boredom, pain or stress. Improve your situation if possible or come and ask us for advice.
Pain
It is important to know that a dog can lick places on his body when he is in pain. A dog with pad pain will lick the top or bottom of the paw. A dog with arthritis will lick at the painful joint. A dog with full or infected anal glands will lick at the base of the tail etc.
How to fix:
Consult your veterinarian if you have any doubts about your animal's health, or come and take advantage of our wide range of natural products in store.
By dominance
Domination is a very picky subject, as there can be a multitude of things to consider in order to be able to diagnose it. Here are some behaviors that might alert you. If your dog climbs on you uninvited and starts licking you. If your dog who is licking you growls at people or the cat who pass by you. If the dog growls at you or tries to bite you when you want to stop him from licking you.
How to fix:
All these behaviors are a source of problems and we advise you to consult someone who has good knowledge of dominance, so that he can help you find the appropriate solutions.
Food intolerance
A subject that is becoming more and more topical both in humans and dogs. Recent research has proven that a dog who licks objects or parts of his body in a sustained manner (often his front legs and/or the inside of his thighs), can be subject to a food intolerance. Usually other symptoms will also be present.
Your dog licks himself, how to correct:
We invite you to come and consult us if you believe that your dog might suffer from an intolerance and we will be able to show you a wide range of products that can improve and even solve his problem.
In all cases where you are going to have to re-educate your dog not to lick, it must be clear to all family members that the dog is now prohibited from licking. You must also inform all family members of the procedure to follow in the event of licking. The key to success is consistency and perseverance.
