I have a Giant Schnauzer that occassionally licks her front paw. I tell her to stop - and she does - but I also distract her by playing with her (tug, or something else). I find she does this at times when her exercise level is down. Assuming nothing is physically wrong with your dog, in my experience there is some link between boredom, exercise and the licking - at least for my dog.
All dogs are different, and age matters too, but I know several leash walks a day is not enough exercise for my Giant. I normally run with her in the morning and give her a 1/2 hour off leash walk at night. During the day she also gets off leash exercise/activity 3 or 4 times a day - not for long periods - just 10 - 15 minutes 3 or 4 times a day with some tugging and ball toss and mental stimulation (heeling, down/stay, retrieves, focus training, etc.).
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
Posts: 31571
Loc: North-Central coast of California
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Quote: jennifer lee
I always stop the crotch licking if I am in the room, it just bothers me. .... But otherwise I think that if they are irritating their skin, you see signs of rash or hair loss, or it just becomes obnoxious.
I try hard not to correct for itching or licking, I don't want them to hide the behavior or any associated problems.
Quote: john minaldo
.... I also distract her by playing with her (tug, or something else). I find she does this at times when her exercise level is down. Assuming nothing is physically wrong with your dog, in my experience there is some link between boredom, exercise and the licking - at least for my dog.
I redirect too.
But Simon, if your dog is doing a lot of paw-licking, I recommend that you start a new thread and describe the appearance of the paws. Also add whether or not you are seeing itching anywhere else (and pinpoint it -- not just "on the body," but "at the base of the tail," for example), whether the dog is so itchy that his sleep is interrupted, and what you see when you look inside the ears (anything but normal pale pinkness, such as redness or bumps or debris or any kind of gray slime).
If it's just boredom-licking, then I'd address that and nip it in the bud with more exercise and some frequent upbeat play and training sessions.
Maybe none of this applies, and maybe it's just the occasional lick. But if it's more, and if you're seeing signs of atopy, then it's far easier to address it now than later.
It doesn't seem like he's doing it all the time. I just notice him doing it once in awhile and it's not for an extended period of time... maybe 4-5 licks and that's it.
Thanks for the guidance on what to look for. I will start to pay closer attention to it and will start a new thread if it looks troublesome.
Connie Sutherland Moderator Reg: 07-13-2005
Posts: 31571
Loc: North-Central coast of California
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Quote: Simon Tai
It doesn't seem like he's doing it all the time. I just notice him doing it once in awhile and it's not for an extended period of time... maybe 4-5 licks and that's it. ...
Oh, good. Normal dog-licking.
Yes, I do overreact. You may not have noticed yet, but the number of folks here (and everywhere) with allergic dogs is really distressing, and trying to deal with it after full-blown secondary ear infections (and other miseries) have happened is so frustrating and painful all around.
It's a happy post when it's just a dog being a dog and licking himself! .... not the obsessive frantic lick-bite losing-sleep stuff that I was hoping you did not have.
Yes, I do overreact. You may not have noticed yet, but the number of folks here (and everywhere) with allergic dogs is really distressing, and trying to deal with it after full-blown secondary ear infections (and other miseries) have happened is so frustrating and painful all around.
It's a happy post when it's just a dog being a dog and licking himself! .... not the obsessive frantic lick-bite losing-sleep stuff that I was hoping you did not have.
You were just being the knowledgeable and concerned pet lover/moderator that you are and that's why we're here. Plus these are good preventative measures for us new/less experienced dog owners to learn and watch out for if those nasty symptoms do start showing up.
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Re: Paw Licking
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You may not have noticed yet, but the number of folks here (and everywhere) with allergic dogs is really distressing, and trying to deal with it after full-blown secondary ear infections (and other miseries) have happened is so frustrating and painful all around.
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