Whats a good way to get my dog to stop licking me??
I think I have tried everything to get my silly one year old papillon to stop licking me but he just doesn't seem to get the picture. It seems to just like to lick.....grrrr If hes on your lap he will lick you leg and if he gets a hold of your arm or hand he will lick that too. He will even lick my pillow!?! He is a very good dog and hes very easy to train and we have training time everyday but for some reason I can't train him not to lick....grrr I know this all kinda sounds silly but it is truly driving me and my hubby up the wall. If you have any suggestions please share but just keep in mind I'm not coating myself in tabbasco sauce.
LuvMyBT's2007-10-16T10:53:54Z
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I wish I had an answer for you. My Boston Terrier does the same thing. If there is an inch of skin showing, he's all over it. I usually just tell him NO and try to distract him with a toy.
Unwelcome licking can be a sign of a pushy dog or it may be a sign of anxiety. If you have no other behavioral problems then it may just be anxiety. It could also be attention getting behavior.
You can certainly get a small dog to stop licking. Put him in your lap and give him a chew or a toy to play with. Get him out of his routine. Either find another behavior (playing, tug of war, etc.) or find another object for him to lick. If this is anxiety, you want to replace his behavior with another behavior or with an other object to lick. He needs stress relief.
If he licks at other times, turn your back on him and ignore him. Walk away and do something else. If he isn't getting something back for licking then he will find something else to do.
If he isn't getting enough exercise that could be part of his stress. You might try teaching him to fetch or at least run after a toy whenever you think he might start to lick.
The key is to stop all of his licking or he will get confused. If he can't lick you on one day then he can't lick you on another day. If you are consistent then he will get out of the habit.
By your dog licking you, he's showing his love and affection. This is also a sign that he is very happy. When my Boston licks me, I just go with it. He's a very happy dog.
But as the other poster stated, try distracting him with toys.