It is a well known fact that dogs simply love licking stuff. They lick when they clean themselves, they lick their food bowls just to make sure no drop of food is left in it, they lick your hands to express gratitude and love, but when they start licking carpets, furniture or other unlickable things, it can be a bit confusing and it might be a sign of more serious medical issues.
Reasons for this kind of behavior can vary and it is important that you consult your vet for his professional opinion on this mysterious dog habit. But furst, let’s go over some of the usual suspects.
OCD
Excessive licking of carpets, beds, walls, himself or even air, is a sign of this behavioral condition.
OCD is usually caused by stress, so in order to treat this behavior you should eliminate any possible environmental stressors wich trigger his unusual behavior.
Playing with your pooch is also one of the solutions. Make sure that your dog has plenty of distractions, games and exercise throughout the day that will tire him out and make him too busy to lick.
Boooooring
Excessive licking might occur if your dog is simply bored. If he doesn’t have much to do and there’s not much going on around him, he may be licking to provide himself with an activity or stimulation, or for self-soothing and providing comfort.
Engaging your dog in a daily exercise or playing with him more in order to distract him from his state of boredom, will help rooting out the problem.
Premature maternal separation
If a pup is removed from his mother too early, he can develop compulsive licking even later in life. This behavior usually appears after puberty and dogs who develop this condition tend to excessively lick themselves or objects that surround them. Puppies who are prematurely separated from their mother should always be fed in a way that closely mimics natural feeding.
This behavior in dogs is relatively common, however, it is always important to consult a veterinarian, as licking can be a secondary condition for a variety of medical issues.