dog licks carpet

[beagle11]

my dog ALWAYS licks the carpet.. i dont get it! anyone have any tips or tricks to get her to stop??? it is quite annoying!

[erykah1310]

Sorry no tips or pointers, but I can feel your frustration/ annoyance.
I had a Rottie a few years back who did this too.
Gets very annoying.
Good luck hope you find some answers

[kathryn]

I dunno, spray the rug with vinegar or lemon juice? I don't know if that would hurt the rug though

Um, is the dog damaging the rug, or just driving you crazy?

[Chaser]

Not entirely sure as to the why of it....but it sounds like an obsessive behaviour that could use some redirection. Try interrupting your dog when he does it. Call his name or clap your hands, then direct him to play with a toy or something more appropriate. Praise him when he engages in the new activity. Increased exercise may also help....tired dogs have less obsessive energy!

[Bina]

I had an Airedale who used to lick the floor. With him it was stress related....the more nervous or upset he was, the more he licked. It helps to have a calm, quiet house environment and to keep them exercised enough so that they are tired out when indoors and will sleep well. Make sure there are no powders or sprays on the carpet.

[Bina]

Chase, we posted at the same time with the same thoughts....LOL

[Chaser]

Originally Posted by Bina

Chase, we posted at the same time with the same thoughts....LOL

[tenderfoot]

It does sound like an OCD behavior and it can be related to stress.

You might try getting DAP - it is a 'plug in' pheromone that releases the scent of a mother dog and can have a very calming effect (providing your dog had a good mother :>). You would want to place it in the room that he is most likely to exhibit this behavior.

You can do behavior modification - but often times the dog will simply transfer the behavior to someting else. We have a Pom who came to us with ALD - in which he licks his leg raw in one spot. We can discourage the behavior but I am not with him 24/7 so that is a challenge. We tried wrapping the injury but then he just went to another spot on his leg and started a new spot.

You also have to be careful about not giving the behavior too much attention and rewarding it by accident. We had a Rottie who licked the carpet and then threw up - a one time incident. So the next time I saw him lick the carpet I lept up and got him outside fearing he was going to be sick again. From that day forward he licked the carpet in order to go outside. I had rewarded a behavior and he made a perminant association to it.

[Longblades]

A long shot, but you are not givng him treats with peanut butter are you? Our pup licks anything he can reach after we give him peanut butter. I guess licking the walls, floor mat, floor whatever, helps get the sticky stuff off his tongue.

[beagle11]

Originally Posted by Longblades

A long shot, but you are not givng him treats with peanut butter are you? Our pup licks anything he can reach after we give him peanut butter. I guess licking the walls, floor mat, floor whatever, helps get the sticky stuff off his tongue.

thanks for your insight!

we do not give him peanut butter at all.. i really don't know why she does it! so strange! i will try that DAB thing.. where would i get that? any pet store?

thanks to everyone else who responded as well.

[amyb0610]

Not to scare you but I would get your pet to the vet as soon as possible. Our dog started licking the carpet a little over a year ago. We had to put him down on Thursday. He had a tumor in his stomach blocking his intestine. From different things I've read, carpet licking is kind of like eating grass. They have some GI irritation and are trying to relieve their discomfort. It may not be the issue with your pet but it's worth looking into. I hate to see anyone go thru what we're going thru now after losing our pet in a matter of days to stomach cancer.

[Syren]

I noticed the "beagle" in your name and wonder if that's the kind of dog you have licking your carpet. I've recently acquired a beagle and she also licks the carpet, blankets, clothing, people, lots of odd things really. I asked my vet about this when we had shots done and he said she was healthy. His most likely explanation is that being a beagle she smells everything all the time, which is absolutely true. They are hounds and they have a sense of smell a lot better than many other breeds. In his experience he had noticed owners complaining of this in beagles. Since they smell so well they often times sniff out things that haven't been there in quite a while. If there was a piece of food dropped there weeks ago she might still smell it and begin licking. Not necessarily what's going on with your dog, but just another idea of what might cause it.

[angieandmilo]

i read somewhere that they do this due to vitamin and mineral diffeceincy. not sure how true this is, but i have confirmation that human babies will eat paper and lick rocks if they are iron defficeint (my daughter did it)