# constantly licking the floor/carpet/rug/etc.



## kakarot (Feb 16, 2014)

he'll sit on his foamy bed thing (it has a really soft cover) and he'll just sit there and lick the crap out of it. he also does the same thing to the carpet.. just sits there and licks it. why does he do it? i was googling and people were saying 'allergy' but i don't think he has that.. he isn't scratching, licking, or biting himself constantly.. just the carpet. or his bed. no other changes.. but he does drink a lot of water. don't think that has anything to do with the constant licking of the rug though.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

This is OCD behavior, if he does it incessantly. 

It can indicate stress. Licking releases endorphins, so the dog is doing it to feel good. 
It can also be a sign of nausea.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

My Mini Dachshund is a rescue. She has the same behavior - it is an OCD behavior. She only does it when she's resting. The thrist is due to the constant licking. 

When I brought her home she was very over weight. Her chest would rub the ground when she walked. Therefore, she'd lick that area over and over as it was raw. I thought that was why she was licking. But now, even though she is much thinner and her chest is no longer raw, she licks it. 

She'll lick her bedding, the carpet, my leg (staying in one spot), my arm, the pillow etc. If she's licking my arm and I correct her, she'll move just off of my arm and lick. So she's then licking my shirt or the chair etc. 

I've found that if I re-direct her, she'll stop. But only for a short period. If I correct her, it'll make it worse and she'll lick more frantically. The best thing I've found is to allow her to lick for just a short period (less than a minute), then I'll gently nudge her and say quietly, "enough." She'll stop and go to sleep. 

The down side is that I'm used to her licking, I'll suddenly realize that she's been on my lap licking the throw pillow (till it's really wet) before I remember to nudge her to quit. 

She is normally a stable, friendly dog. Never met a stranger. Loves kids. Loud music doesn't bother her. Sleeping all day is fine with her. Not afraid of anything. Will hunt and kill anything that crawls or flies in my house. She has to be crated when I'm not home as she will potty in the house. When I'm home she'll never mess in the house and will do the squealing potty dance at the door if I don't notice her wanting to go out.

The vet did offer a specific drug that is supposed to help with the OCD behavior. But I'm not real big into the use of drugs if the behavior isn't harmful to her. Just have to put up with a few soggy pillows when I'm not paying attention.


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## kakarot (Feb 16, 2014)

ahh, i see. i always correct him and he'll stop, put his head down, and look up at me with those eyes.. you know, the look.










he only really does it when he's out of his crate. i don't catch him doing it in there.. but when he's out lying down on his bed or the floor, he'll lick it. leaves wet doggy drool spots all over his bed. i guess i shouldn't be too worried then, i'll just keep correcting him. i don't want to drug him up either if it's a behavioral thing. x:


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Otto has some OCD behaviors we've worked at for years. At night sometimes, he likes to lick the floor.


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