Why is my dog licking everyone excessively? How can I stop it?

It would be hard to say. It is a good idea to bring the affected pup into your vet to rule out any health issues or irritation that could be causing the excessive licking by your other dog, such as urinary infections, inflammation, etc. If your pup checks out healthy, distraction with other toys and treats, placing an Elizabethan (cone) collar on the licker so they can't lick things, and separating if it does happen may help break the habit.

That sounds frustrating! If she is truly obsessively licking and is not necessarily taking pleasure in it, two things I would consider are a trial on anti-anxiety meds (these are prescription) and/or that some studies are linking OCD behaviors with gastrointestinal imabalances (which may respond to diet change and probiotics). I hope this helps!

Hello, sorry to hear about your pup. These compulsive behaviors can be associated with stress and anxiety. Occasionally, anti-anxiety medications may be beneficial for your pup so that he does not lick. Alternatively, redirecting the behavior to something he also likes doing (ie playing with a favorite toy, going for a walk, etc.) would help gradually decrease and resolve the behavior. These types of behaviors may be difficult to resolve and could take in addition to medications behavioral classes. Hope this helps and best of luck.

This could indeed be a health issue. It has been observed that many dogs which excessively lick objects or even eat strange things are suffering from gastrointestinal problems. On the other hand this could also be just a nervous tick. I suggest you take Pepper to your vet for an exam. Your vet may want to do blood tests and an x ray to get to the bottom of the excessive licking. If Pepper is suffering from gastrointestinal problem, medications will usually alleviate the problem.

I’m wondering if the other dogs are intact (not spayed/neutered) as well and if some of this licking is related to hormones. Licking can also be a sign of submission. If the other dogs don’t seem bothered I’d let them sort it out themselves. If the other dogs snap and you’re worried about a fight I think unfortunately the only thing to do is to monitor them closely and continue to call and distract Pickles as you’ve been doing.

Is this a new behavior? If so I would be concerned about an upset stomach. If this is not a new behavior, it may just be her. I would talk to your veterinarian about an ant-acid. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there! I'm so sorry to hear about Mud Bud's troubles. Sometimes older dogs can actually acquire dementia over time. This could be the cause of Mud Bud licking everything. There is also a condition called, Pica, where animals will ingest odd things, due to vitamin or mineral deficiencies. I always recommend evaluating yearly lab work in elderly animals (7+ years old) to insure that they don't have any health issues that may cause this. I also think that sometimes if dogs lose vision at all to any degree, which can happen in older dogs, they may start to lick things more often for sensory purposes. I think it is best to have Mud Bud evaluated by his veterinarian. They can get some samples for lab work and give him a full physical exam, and make sure that he doesn't have any pressing health issues. From there, they can make recommendations for his behavior. I hope you find this answer helpful. Best of luck!