Licking dog

[rossibear]

Hope someone can shed light on this. bracken licks herself frequently and it's not just the important little places, she will lick her legs, chest and anywhere she can reach. It's not frantic quite methodical, in fact ! She will also lick any part of me if she can, be it bare skin or clothes. I have read somewhere that this is a sign of OCD in dogs ? She also drools a lot without food being present but her teeth are fine, for a dog her age they are strong and white. Any idea why she does this ? And what can I do to stop/minimise it if it is a problem, there is no raw patches or irritation at this point on her skin. any ideas would be apprieciated
Denise

[Sweetie0202]

Hello,

I would have to say it sounds like there maybe something missing in her food. Have you had any type of blood work done on her? And have you had her tested for OCD? That's where i would start.

Just a thought Good Luck

[libbyt]

I would take her to the vet. We had a dog that started licking the carpet, she did it til her tongue bled. She also snored and this got worse as she got older. She had a problem with her throat that needed veterinary attention, so I'd get her checked. They may also be able to recommend a behavioralist if there is nothing medical.

[emmabeth]

It can be a stress/anxiety thing (which can then become OCD'ish as the dog finds it rewarding and addictive to do!).

Can you think of the things that might be causing her stress/anxiety?

[rossibear]

the only thing that could be causing her stress is thst we have only had her since the begining of Dec and she was in the same home for the past 9 years where she suffered a hellova abuse and poor diet and now isn;t so isn't settled yet ?

[Nettle]

Well, yes, exactly that. Nine years of abuse and a few weeks in a new home - she's waiting for the abuse to start.

Which is when we humans think awwww poor baby and make things worse by giving hugs and paying her lots of attention.

Hard as it is, she needs no hugs and only attention when she comes and asks for it - then very gentle and low-key. For the rest, lots of good things like walks and quiet company, and some clicker training to show her that she can do things correctly. If your household is noisy, try and lessen the noise. Yelling from room to room, and loud happy noises, music, TV and so on may be traumatic for her.

The chewing etc. is stress-related - she doesn't know where she is with you yet. It'll stop as she gets more secure.

[Horace's Mum]

It can take the average rehomed dog with no bad history 6 months to settle properly into a new home - a dog who has any kind of history will take a lot longer. Mine has been with me 2 years but is still changing and relaxing. Make sure she has a safe place to hide away, such as a crate covered with a blanket with a nice bed inside, and don't disturb her if she goes inside unless it is to gently drop treats in to make it a good place. Give her the space she needs without smothering her as nettle has said, and she will start to relax and show you her true character. My boy used to scratch constantly, he only does it now when he is anxious so I can use it as a tool to measure how stressful he finds different situations.

[rossibear]

Thanks for your advice, folks, I have thought it's to do with the stress of beinging moved as when we first got her she actually broke the skin on her back but it soon cleared up but the licking isn't as bad as it was. we do have a quiet house just me n hubby and he doesn't like lots of noise anyway. She asks to be petted all the time she would be quite happy to be petted 24/7 ! I have started clicker training with her and she seems to be enjoying it, espically the treats