Some owners consider dog licking as a sign of affection and love from their dog, especially when their dogs are still young. But once the dog gets older and bigger dog licking behavior could become irritating. It is also irritating to see your dog licking itself all the time.
How to stop dog licking behavior?
There are training methods to teach your dog to stop licking people or themselves. If your dog licks its paws after it eats, then it might have an allergy to the food it has eaten. In order to avoid this, change the food ingredients.
Licking herself for emotional comfort is one of many bad dog habits an anxious canine can develop. It can take some detective work to figure out the cause of her anxiety. Is she left alone every day for long hours? Does she have dog separation anxiety?
If she won’t stop licking due to anxiety, it can develop into an obsessive-compulsive behavior very quickly, so it’s important to determine what is causing the problem. She may just need more attention from you.
Your dog will also lick itself out of distress that can be caused by flea allergies. In order to stop a dog from licking, you must take your dog to the vet to rule out any medical conditions.
When the dog is an excessive licker to you or other individuals, you must address this behavior immediately. One way is for dog owners to train the dog when it is still a puppy. If you allow your dog to lick you, then the dog will understand that licking people is acceptable behavior. But if you give positive reinforcement in dog licking behavior, then your pet will understand that dog licking behavior is not acceptable. Consistency is the key to stop the dog's licking behavior of your pet.
Training a dog to stop the licking behavior takes a lot of patience and repetitive training.
The most important word you will need to teach your puppy or dog to understand is, “No!” Your dog probably started licking people all of the time when he was young and he believes it’s appropriate behavior. It now has turned into a bad habit, but your dog doesn’t know why.
