Dog Licking Carpet Anxiety

Some dogs chew up shoes and furniture and you ll find some dogs licking carpet or other areas.

Dog licking carpet anxiety.

Your dog s strange behavior can sometimes be a cause for concern. Dogs lick the carpet for many reasons including boredom stress and illness. The excessive licking behavior in dogs has been for many years attributed to anxiety and stress release. High energy dogs need to be exercised daily or at least have toys that keep them engaged and focused.

While this may be the case for some canines recent research has suggested that gastrointestinal issues may actually be a major factor in the development of the behavior for many canines. Dogs can also have behavioral causes of excessive licking such as anxiety or a type of obsessive disorder where they over groom themselves. Before you try to fix the problem it is important to find the underlying cause. Some studies have shown that the act of licking increases endorphins in the brain which calms the dog while it is licking.

Loud noises separation anxiety and or change in environment can lead to this. Excessive licking among older dogs could be a result of a number of different conditions. If your dog licking carpet for no apparent reason is a new thing this is something you should look into. A few reasons why your dog might be bored include lack of physical or mental stimulation.

Obsessive and compulsive licking in dogs have a few standard causes. Indeed when dogs have an upset stomach their instinct is to eat grass so they can induce themselves to vomit but in a domestic setting at home there s no grass to eat so the dog reaches out for the carpet or anything else in reach. Once you know what s wrong you can treat it in an appropriate manner whether that means cleaning the carpet or taking your pup to the vet. Your dog probably singled out the couches carpet and beds for acceptable reasons before the behavior became obsessive or compulsive and it has since escalated.

A study has also linked excessive dog licking with medical especially gastrointestinal disorders so a routine veterinary exam is the best place to start. Some researchers believe that when a dog licks something it releases endorphins in their brain. A dog with separation anxiety will sometimes obsessively lick the floor carpet a body part or something else as a sort of coping mechanism.