Dogs occasionally exhibit odd behavior. And as dog owners, we frequently know about their peculiar small behaviors. Licking the carpet is one of the strange things that dogs occasionally do. Although it can be weird and inconvenient, there are a number of reasons why dogs do it.
Even if it’s an odd behavior, it’s critical to be able to distinguish between a single incident of licking the carpet or floor and excessive licking syndrome, a real medical illness marked by persistent licking of home objects including walls, furniture, carpets, etc.
What could be the cause of your dog’s licking the carpet, then? The fact that something delicious was spilled on the carpet is one of the most evident causes. You might have unintentionally left some food crumbs on the floor if you were dining in the living room. The dog will be able to detect the fragrance of any food particles we might not be aware we’ve left behind thanks to their excellent sense of smell.
Emotional reasons might also be a factor in a dog licking. Dogs will occasionally lick as a way of expressing their anxiety, depression, or tension. Your dog may have started licking the carpet out of boredom or another factor. Physical discomfort, neurological issues, or canine dementia may also be contributing factors for persistent floor licking.
Strange behavior might also be caused by other medical conditions, such as digestive problems. In fact, a 2008 study found a significant link between digestive problems and excessive licking. IBS, giardiasis, delayed stomach emptying, foreign bodies, and chronic pancreatitis are just a few of the illnesses and conditions that have been linked to excessive licking in dogs.
Although licking the carpet isn’t inherently harmful, there is always a slight possibility that your dog could swallow something harmful by accident, like a long carpet fiber, bacteria, or any unfavorable residue. But if your dog merely licks the ground on occasion, the likelihood of it happening is low. If your dog licks the floor constantly, they get worse. The size of your dog can also make a difference, as a little Chihuahua may experience a bowel obstruction if they consume lengthy carpet strands, as opposed to a Great Dane who may be able to pass the same fibers with no issues. Similarly, as larger canines are less likely to be harmed by modest amounts of germs or cleaning agents, Granted, you need to use floor cleaner that is non-toxic with extreme caution if you have a dog that is regularly licking the carpet or the ground to prevent your dog from accidently ingesting harmful substances.
You can attempt a few easy fixes if you want to convince your pet to stop excessively licking the ground. Try spraying licking deterrents like Grannick’s Bitter Apple Spray or Bohdi Dog’s Bitter Lemon Spray, for instance. Additionally, you might be more cautious when removing crumbs or spillage. Increase your dog’s exercise schedule to see if their increased licking is simply the result of pent-up energy. Additionally, take them to the doctor for additional advice on how to deal with your dog’s licking behaviors as well as to rule out any underlying medical conditions.
Have you ever had this problem with your dog before? What were your tactics? Inform us!
What causes my dog to lick the carpet and furniture so frequently?
We are aware that dogs enjoy licking soft objects in the house, such as the carpet or the sofa, as well as their own paws, people, and peanut butter treats. They groom themselves, show their people affection, enjoy the flavor of our salty skin, or savor exquisite foods with their mouths. However, there can be more concerning factors if you observe that your dog is consistently and frequently licking the furniture. Does your dog lick things like the couch, your favorite chair, the pillows in your bed, and other things? The peanut butter-covered sofa suggests that it probably isn’t. A dog’s tendency to lick the furniture may be an indication of worry, stress, or even a medical ailment.
A bored dog might lick the furniture. He might simply be attempting to pass the time as there isn’t anything else to keep his mind and body active. Make sure he has toys, games, and treats to amuse himself with when you aren’t around if the behavior isn’t constant and if he can be quickly distracted from it.
A change in the dog’s environment or routine might cause anxiety and tension, which can lead to excessive licking. Is there a new resident in the house or a significant increase in activity, for instance? Dogs are creatures of habit, so changing their regular routine can worry them. Dogs use repetitive licking as a kind of self-soothing and endorphin release. Licking the couch is frequently a one-off reaction to stress, loneliness, or boredom. If left unchecked, it might develop into a habit, though.
Consider giving your dog additional opportunities for socializing, stimulation, and exercise. Increase your child’s playtime by bringing in new toys and hard puzzles, setting up playdates, or starting a new hobby like a dog sport. By the way, activity and exercise are well-known stress relievers that can benefit people. Even if the problem is not resolved, it is the most straightforward solution and has virtually no drawbacks.
Furniture Licking and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Some dogs actually exhibit true obsessive-compulsive behavior when they lick their furnishings excessively. Obsessive and/or compulsive behavior is displayed when your dog cannot be diverted from licking, licks intensely or aggressively, or appears to be almost dozing off. In people, it’s the difference between anxiously biting your nails and being unable to leave the house without making sure the door is secured seven times.
Canine OCD can affect any breed equally, however certain canines may be more prone to compulsive behaviors than others. This can be observed in dogs that have lived in extremely constrained, sterile conditions, such as being chained in a yard or housed without access to exercise or socialization. These canines might be exhibiting stereotypy, which is characterized as a single, recurring, non-functional habit, in this case, licking furniture. Moving to a kind, stimulating workplace could not even result in a change in the behavior because stereotypes can solidify into hard-to-break habits.
However, dogs raised in a reliable, caring, and healthy environment can also suffer from OCD. It’s possible that stimulation and diversion won’t help here. Discuss potential therapies, including as anti-anxiety medication and behavior modification therapy, with your veterinarian. You’ll eventually develop the ability to recognize triggers and foresee conduct.
The physical causes of excessive furniture licking are also possible. Due to their delicate digestive systems, dogs may exhibit symptoms of nausea or an upset stomach. Canine cognitive deterioration (dementia) in older dogs may cause compulsive licking.
So, Before Your Dog Licks the Sofa Threadbare, What Can You Do?
You have a decent probability of ending the habit if you can identify what’s driving it.
- Assume that the cause is boredom, and provide him with an alternative kind of entertainment like a toy or game.
- A new baby, visitors, loud noises outdoors, the doorbell ringing, or other stressors in his environment should all be kept in mind. Once you’ve identified the behavior’s origin, you might be able to either get rid of it or divert your dog’s attention with more suitable stimuli.
- Think of ailments like dementia or digestive difficulties.
- Speak with your veterinarian. She might suggest treatment for anxiety or obsessive compulsive disorder after ruling out any specific medical factors.
It’s not necessarily aberrant behavior if your dog occasionally licks the sofa and can be distracted from it. After all, dogs will lick a variety of objects to feel and learn about their surroundings. It’s also a typical method of coping with anxiousness. But when licking results in wet chair arms or sofa cushions and becomes so persistent as to border on obsession, it’s time to take action. You’ll prevent damage to your furniture and distress for your pet’s body or mind.
Something on the Couch Tastes Good
One of the most obvious explanations is that your dog enjoys something on your couch. What do you do when you discover something that tastes good? Generally speaking, you just eat it. But if it’s something specific, like an ice cream cone or a lollipops, you’ll lick it instead. Even as you won’t likely lick your ice cream off the ground, your dog has very little at his disposal in this situation.
Couches have a strong ability to retain flavors. If you drop a sticky, sweet beverage on the couch, you might be able to remove the stain, but even if you can’t tell, your dog will still be able to detect the taste and scent. Additionally, the fabric of the couch may become covered with food particles from meals you consume while sitting on it. Your dog might also be tasting some of the tiniest crumbs that become trapped in the fabric’s weave.
Sadly, you might not even have spilled something on the couch. Suede and microfibre are two materials that can truly taste and smell good to your dog. Depending on the material used to make your couch, your dog might simply like the flavor of it.
A Bad Habit Has Formed
The majority of the causes on this list are supported by a real cause, such a flavor on the sofa or underlying health issues. There may, however, be no underlying issue behind your dog’s poor habit of licking the couch in some cases. Your dog can develop harmful behaviors just as readily as you can. The good news is that your dog developing a minor negative behavior like licking the couch is not harmful to their health. The bad news is that if you wish to stop this habit, you’ll need to untrain it.
Behavioral Conditions Like OCD
Obsessive-compulsive disorder, which we frequently associate with humans, can also affect your dog. OCD-related symptoms of the licking include:
- It licks aggressively or intensely.
- While licking, the dog seems to be daydreaming.
- Your dog cannot be distracted when it is licking.
OCD can be brought on by the circumstances in which the dog was reared, but even dogs that were raised in absolutely healthy homes are susceptible to the condition. Even altering the dog’s environment won’t likely be able to stop the behavior once it has become ingrained.
OCD can develop in dogs who live in incredibly constrained circumstances. For instance, if your dog is confined to a small area of the yard and is chained up all the time. It also frequently affects dogs who aren’t exercising or who aren’t allowed to interact with other dogs. In these circumstances, dogs frequently resort to stereotypy, which is a single dysfunctional activity that the dog repeatedly engages in without being able to stop, such as compulsively licking the couch.
Once more, dogs with completely normal backgrounds and upbringings can also develop OCD. Anti-anxiety drugs among others may be able to help with this issue. To stop it, behavioral modification therapy will probably be required.
The Texture is Irresistible
Your dog doesn’t necessarily have to like a certain type of furniture. Instead, what may be causing it to lick so much is the feel of the fabric against its tongue. Dogs use their tongues for a variety of purposes, making them more in tune than our own. You may need a couch cover or a new sofa if your dog is drawn to the texture rather than the flavor of your couch.
There’s an Underlying Health Condition
There are many less serious reasons for your dog’s excessive licking that are relatively innocuous. Though it’s not always the case. Compulsive licking is a symptom of several medical illnesses and might provide you with a clue as to what illness your dog may be dealing with. It’s often a sign of a more serious underlying issue that needs to be addressed when a dog exhibits behavior that doesn’t seem completely natural.
The licking behavior in your dog may be brought on by discomfort, dental problems, pituitary gland illnesses, or a variety of other health conditions. This is especially true if the licking is a recent occurrence or has become more intense. You should seek the assistance of your vet’s trained staff to identify any potential underlying issues.
Your Dog is Just Bored
There may not always be a clear perpetrator to identify. In actuality, your dog spends a lot more time confined to your house than you do. Even though your home is vast, it’s easy to get bored in such a small place. Dogs frequently engage in actions that we might find weird because they don’t have as many outlets for their boredom as we do, like licking the couch to death.
The good news is that there is an easy fix if your dog is bored. Simply give your dog some new toys, mentally challenging games or puzzles, or increase their exercise level till their extra energy is reduced.
It Smells Like You
Canines and their human counterparts develop incredibly close and unique friendships. They adore their family and constantly seek to be close to them. And because they have much stronger powers of smell than humans do, dogs are able to detect scents that we would entirely overlook. The location on the couch where your behind regularly rests, for instance, undoubtedly smells just like you. You do, after all, sit there pretty much every day.
Most likely, you never give your aroma on your furniture a second thought. However, your dog undoubtedly does. Your dog may seek out that unpleasant location when it wants to be close to you and lick it to taste you; this behavior may be soothing and comforting to your dog. Fortunately, a thorough steam cleaning will likely remove the most of your aroma from the couch, however it will probably rapidly start to smell like you again!
What should I do to stop my dog from licking the carpet?
Isolated instances of licking the floor or the carpet may usually be stopped with a little trial and error, but more severe cases will need veterinarian care.
Several options for remedies include:
- Using a deterrent, such as Grannick’s Bitter Apple Spray or Bohdi Dog’s Bitter Lemon Spray, to spray surfaces that your dog enjoys licking. These and similar products might deter your dog from licking the carpet, but you should always try them first in a hidden spot to be sure they won’t stain it.
- being more watchful of spills and crumbs This isn’t your college dormitory, and you’re no longer a young person. Get your house in order and avoid scattering tasty treats across your carpet. You can’t blame a dog for snatching up those delectable crumbs!
- increasing the quantity of play and exercise your dog receives. Many behavioral issues are the result of lack exercise and stimulation, therefore you might be able to completely cease the habit by simply extending your dog’s walks or giving him extra time each day to play with the ball.
- To solve the root issue, veterinary attention could be required. If your dog’s floor-licking tendencies are caused by a medical condition, you must discuss the issue with your veterinarian if you want to have any chance of curing the licking problem.
