Doggie licks everything?

[Marebear74]

I have a rat terrier and a s-zu. They lick everything. I mean the table, floor, rug, bed, blankets, wall, and themselves! I dont get it. Every time i turn around there is wet spots every where from them. It drives me crazy. I am ready to sew their barkers shut!!!! Please help. What is their deal????

[Marebear74]

Hey it's worth a try!!! I have to wipe my hands on my pants cause i am always out of paper towels!!LOL Thanks -Marebear74

[Marebear74]

I will try that. And thats so true. While my rat terrier takes her food to hide it, the other one steals her food while she is out of the room. I will keep you updated. You seem to know what your talking about! Thank u!!!!! Now if i could figure out how to stop waking up with them under my covers in the morning that would be another problem solved!LOL It's strange to wake up and the blankets are moving but, your not!!!! Thanks again. -Marebear74

[gman262]

The potty training issue is easy for the s-zu. My wife brought this s-zu in my house of labradors and I tried to treat him like i did my labradors but it never worked. I switched it with my little s-zu and put him out side to potty. When he pottied I gave him a treat right away and that cured it. Ever since I did that he has done alot better. He still has his aciedents but it's alot better.

[deadgamegrrl]

Let me know how it turns out.  Good for you for giving these dogs a loving home!  Since they have um..interesting habits it may be that this is a learned response to stress and or poor diet from their previous home that has now become a habit.  The hiding/hoarding food habit speaks to that as well.
I've had my share of 'odd' dogs, if nothing else they sure generate lots of stories to tell!

BTW, my 'fly-catching' bulldog didn't save food but she would carry it into another room, piece by piece, to eat it.  Meal time took forever, and when she left the room the other dogs would try to get the remaining food from her dish.  Someone told me to put a small rug under her dish because some dogs don't like to stand on a hard surface while eating.  Sure enough she stopped.  Don't know if this will help you or not...

Good luck with your characters!

~~ dgg

[Marebear74]

I don't think it's that they copy each other, but you may be very right about the food. I got both of them from a lady who could no longer take care of them. When i went to get them it became very clear that they did'nt have a very good place to live! It felt good to get them out of there, but with them came alot of strange habits. They wont eat their food out of the bowl. They take it, hide it, than go and eat it later. I am really having a time potty training them to. But, i don't think it was a big deal where they went potty were they used to live. It took me giving them a bath everyday for almost 9 days just to get the smell off them. (Plus a hair cut and some doggie smell good spray!)LOL I will try changing their food thou. Thank you for the info. They are cute thou. Strange but cute!!!!! -Marebear74

[deadgamegrrl]

There could be a vitamin or mineral deficiency in their diet causing them to lick.  What are you feeding them?  If you can switch to a good quality super-premium food or one of the grain free foods it may help.  Dogs can also do this as a result of an obsessive compulsive disorder that can sometimes be treated with prozac or another medication.  

However, I doubt that both of the dogs would be OCD, although its possible that one is and the other is copying the behavior.  

I had a bulldog that was OCD and used to lick everything in sight; she also would fly-catch (snapping at imaginary flies) periodically.  Distracting the licking by providing something to chew on would sometimes help.

Good luck!