Dog Training: How to "Lick" Your Dog's Incessant Licking Habit!

by Caroline Kent
Does your dog seem to spend an infinite amount of time licking himself? Why is he doing it? And how do you, as a dog owner, correct that annoying licking habit? Here are five of the most common reasons why your dog might be incessantly licking himself and the solutions to correcting the habit.

1. Your dog might have developed an unrelenting licking habit because he needs a bath.

If your dog spends alot of time outside, romping through the woods, tramping in the mud, rolling in the grass or wading in the nearest stream or pond, he is probably dirty. So, your dog may be constantly licking himself because the dirt is irritating him! Plus, all that outdoor activity may have gotten him infested with ticks, fleas, mites, or lice. Your dog's incessant licking may be an attempt to rid himself of those nasty varmints!

Give him a bath with a veterinarian-approved flea and tick shampoo. Before bathing him, make sure you brush out all the mats and tangles from his coat or the bathing will make them worse.

2. Your dog might have developed a chronic licking habit because he has a skin disorder.

Some common skin disorders that a dog may develop are mange or dermatitis. Mange is a skin disease in dogs that is caused by various types of mites. The dermatitis could be caused by an allergic reaction to fleas, dust mites, mold or a certain brand of dog food. If you suspect that your dog has a case of mange or dermatitis, your veterinarian will be able to diagnose what the disorder is and prescribe a course of treatment.

3. Your dog might have developed a persistent licking habit because he is under stress.

The stress may be a result of a new adoption, physical abuse, separation anxiety, or even a reaction to a new food. If you think separation anxiety might be the cause of his stress, there are several methods for solving the problem. Try exposing your dog to being alone for very short periods of time. When your dog has adjusted to being alone for that duration of time, gradually increase your departure period. If you must be away from your dog for a long period of time, while you are away at work, try to find a friend or neighbor who could come over and take him for a walk a couple of times during the day.

Perhaps a new dog in the family is causing the stress? It is very common to experience a period of stress and adjustment when a new dog is brought into a household that has an established pet. One way to help make the transition a little easier is to give your older dog alot of attention and love. It will let him know that he's still a vital part of the family. Just remember that it will take time for your dogs to adjust to one another and be one happy dog family!

Changing your dog's diet can also cause stress. If you're thinking of feeding your dog a new brand of dry dog food, do it gradually and over a period of four days or longer. On the first day that you change the food, feed your dog one quarter of the new food with three quarters of the old food. dd in another quarter of the new food after a couple of days or so. After another two days, add in another quarter of the new dog food. Finally, after another couple of days or so, you will be able to leave out the old dog food entirely!

If you cannot determine the cause of your dog's stress, talk to your veterinarian. He'll be able to refer you to a dog behaviorist who will be able to determine the cause of your dogs stress. If your dog has severe separation anxiety, an anti-anxiety medication might be considered to alleviate the anxiety. Drugs are not a complete solution, however, and should be used along with a treatment program.

4. Your dog might have developed an incessant licking habit because he has an injury that has resulted in an open wound.

A dog that has developed an injury that has resulted in an open wound will lick himself incessantly in an attempt to clean the wound and keep it free from bacteria. Dog saliva has been proven to kill some germs and when your dog licks an open wound, it will aid in keeping the wound infection free.

Veterinarian treatment may be required if your dog appears to be in pain, the wound contains a foreign material and is deep enough to require stitches, is bleeding excessively or becomes infected.

5. Your dog might have developed a relentless licking habit because he has developed the bad habit of doing so.

Some dogs develop the habit of licking their paws incessantly despite them being clean, uninjured and parasite-free!

Your dog may develop the habit of constantly licking himself because he has alot of nervous energy and no way to alleviate the stress. He also may have learned this behavior because he is
bored and this is a way to entertain himself!

Give your dog lots of time to play and run and work off any excess energy. If your dog is well-exercised and happy, he won't feel the need to relentlessly lick himself to relieve stress or boredom!

The information detailed above will help you discover and correct your dog's habit of chronic licking. With careful observation and a little attention to proper grooming, training, along with regular veterinarian visits, you can 'lick' your dog's incessant licking habit!

Article Source: Dog Training: How to "Lick" Your Dog's Incessant Licking Habit!

Training Your Pit Bull Terrier With Dog Treats

by Tim Amherst
Every responsible Pit Bull owner wants a well trained pet. There are several training options which may be used to achieve the desired results. One of the most popular methods used by owners is treat training. Treat training is a reward system using either the dog's favorite snack food such as cheese, bits of hotdog or by using store bought treats.

Treat training allows the owner to use these small bribes as a form of positive reinforcement for good behavior. Proper use of treat training will enable you to teach your Pit Bull to follow the sit, come and lie down commands, as well as teach him almost any trick you can imagine. If used with friendly rubs and praises, it can also assist you to housebreak your Pit Bull.

To teach your Pit Bull to sit, you'll need to prepare a treat bag just before you begin. A plastic zip top baggy comes highly recommended by me for use as a treat container. It allows you to put the treats in your pocket while allowing you to keep your pockets from getting soiled and soggy. Believe me, try it without the baggy and you'll not try it that way again. This is especially true if you opt to use bits of table food such as the cheese and hotdog slices.

Decide upon what you will use as the treat. Think of what your Pit Bull likes to eat, but you don't give him very often. This makes an irresistible bribe, and you will see faster results than if you'd used an every day treat. Once you've chosen your bribe, put the baggy in your pocket so you can reach it easily. Don't try to hold the bag in your hand, as this will distract your Pit Bull, and may even get him to jumping up in an attempt to try and grab the entire bag.

If you have more than one Pit Bull, or other dog for that matter, take the time to put the other dog away so you can do one on one training. Other animals in the vicinity will only hamper your training as your Pit Bull will think the session is a competition for which dog can get the treat fastest, rather obedience training.

Now that you've prepped your treat bag and have your Pit Bull alone with you, it's time to begin.

Take a bit of your chosen treat and hold it above your Pit Bull's head while giving the command to "sit." If you hold the treat high, the dog will have to sit to see the treat. Once he sits, give him the treat and be sure to praise him as a "good boy" for the sit. You can repeat this four or five more times, but after that give it a rest until the next day. I know it doesn't sound like rigorous training, but it is considered a full session.

Once your Pit Bull has mastered the "sit" command, start to gradually offer gentle rubs and praises rather than treats. You'll eventually phase out the food treats, and your Pit Bull will continue to sit on command.

Using treat training is an effective and gentle way to train your Pit Bull. It also allows you to be close to your pet for a session of giving treats and praises. Imagine how much your Pit Bull will enjoy that!

Article Source: Training Your Pit Bull Terrier With Dog Treats