Boredom licking?

[roguskie]

Pippi (17 weeks) is licking everything! People, furniture, floors, bedding, literally everything. Mainly happens when she isn't busy. Anyone have any ideas about why she would do this or how we can stop it?

TIA

 

[trini]

Puppies do use their mouths to explore the world, but there is always a small chance that a behavior can become obsessive. I would work on "no lick" or "enough" with little Pippi and also come up with some mental games that help her refocus.

Trini

 

[Caro]

Tully is a licker, and her licking has been quite obsessive. Turns out the licking was due to underlying allergies. It was only when I mentioned to the vet that Tully licks and he said it's probably an allergy not OCD, and sure enough the licking abates when I give her an antihistamine. Wish I'd known a lot earlier because it wouldn't have developed as such a habit.

And yes she licks mostly when she isn't busy (but also when she meets someone). Think of it this way - if you have an itch you're more likely to think about it when you aren't busy, when your mind is focused on other things you don't really notice you have an itch. The reason they lick furniture and people, not just themselves, when it's an allergy is licking release endorphins and helps ease pain. So they won't necessarily lick where it's itching, if it's hayfever for example they can't get to the itch.

I'd suggest talking to your vet about whether she has an allergy. Tully is allergic to the grass here as well as unknown pollens. Many dogs where I live are allergic to the grass so it wasn't hard for the vet to work it out. You could always try a human antihistamine (like Benadryl) and see if that does alleviate the licking - sometimes it's a matter of trial by elimination. Here's a link to some dosages if you want to try that http://cheyennewest.com/antihistamines-for-dogs-cats/