Most Common Reasons Your Dog Is Licking Your Couch · Kinship Leave a comment

Rather a lot occurs on the sofa, and all of it’s fascinating to your canine. Licking the sofa is their method of “studying” what occurred there. Dr. Antje Joslin of Dogtopia says canines lick the sofa as a result of they like the way it smells and tastes, they’re bored, or they’re making an attempt to get your consideration.

The sofa is especially fascinating if in case you have kids. Irrespective of their age, children wish to eat on the sofa, and can spill meals on the sofa. “Couches usually have meals crumbs, drink spills, or scents from those that appeal to canines,” Joslin says.

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Typically, nevertheless, licking the sofa is an indication of a medical difficulty. “Licking could be a self-soothing conduct, just like how some individuals chew their nails. It might assist relieve anxiousness or stress,” Joslin says. 

Why do canines lick furnishings?

Licking is regular instinctive, exploratory conduct. The obvious cause canines lick flooring and furnishings is to select up fascinating issues (aka edible objects) left behind. However licking the sofa veers into obsessive territory when regular deterrents equivalent to train, meals, toys, and play aren’t sufficient to distract your canine. 

Commonest causes your canine is licking the sofa

1. Boredom 

In case your canine doesn’t have a lot to do when you’re at work, and the sofa and different furnishings are sitting there, nicely…. Smith says, “Past medical causes, there are behavioral causes for extreme licking. Boredom is a significant factor. Canine develop a behavior of licking just because it supplies psychological stimulation.” 

2. Stress or anxiousness 

Similar to individuals develop nervous habits (equivalent to hand-wringing and toe-tapping), anxiousness and stress set off compulsive nervous licking in canines after they really feel uneasy or overwhelmed.

3. Well being points

Dr. Marc Smith of Natchez Hint Veterinary Companies, says ache and discomfort may result in localized licking. “Joint ache, accidents, and infections could trigger canines to focus their licking on a particular space in an try to assuage discomfort,” he says. Irritation or non-obvious points equivalent to nausea, dental points, or a neurological downside could set off compulsive licking. Don’t be alarmed however do name the vet.

Dr. Lindsey Kaplan, veterinarian on the canine care firm Woof, says canines will lick areas of their physique that harm. “Dry pores and skin, fungal or bacterial infections, or sizzling spots can result in extreme licking of the canine’s physique or furnishings,” Kaplan says.

4. Obsessive conduct

In case you’ve heard of obsessive-compulsive dysfunction (OCD) in individuals, then you recognize it happens when regular conduct turns into repetitive with no apparent objective or perform, and disrupts every day actions. What could begin as innocuous couch-licking can grow to be obsessive conduct if it’s not addressed. 

“Separation anxiousness or stress can also trigger your canine to lick surfaces just like the sofa, flooring, or themselves as a coping mechanism,” Kaplan says. “If licking is directed at a single object just like the sofa, it could possibly be an indication of a compulsive conduct dysfunction.”

5. There may be meals on the sofa

That is an apparent one. My canine Lilac loves popcorn as a lot as I do, and through film night time will lurk across the sofa, licking up stray kernels. Even after you’ve cleaned the sofa, it might odor sufficient like meals that your canine is tempted to see if you happen to missed any salty crumbs. 

6. The sofa smells such as you

Assuming you spend a few of your non-working hours on the sofa, it might odor strongly of you. In case your canine is left at dwelling for lengthy durations, they could gravitate to the sofa to consolation themselves along with your odor. 

7. They like the feel of the sofa

 “If the sofa smells like meals or has a sure texture, it’d appeal to your canine to lick it,” Kaplan says. Nubby-textured couches or actual leather-based sofas manufactured from cowhide could style and odor significantly good. Leather-based, fake or not, and microfiber will be simpler to wash. 

8. They’re exploring

Canine discover with their mouths and noses, so it is smart that the sofa and different furnishings of their territory are ripe for exploration. 

9. Scent-marking

Scent-marking is when canines use urine to go away a message. Canine sign their readiness to mark by sniffing and turning parallel to their goal. It’s not the identical as home soiling, and equally shouldn’t be punished. In case you see your canine sniffing close to the sofa or detect indicators of urine, block their entry to the sofa and different targets, and seek the advice of a veterinarian or behaviorist for recommendation about discouraging scent-marking within the dwelling. 

How do you get your canine to cease licking the sofa?

First, Joslin says, clear meals and residue with a pet-safe cleaner, and keep away from consuming or ingesting on the sofa (or different furnishings) the place your canine is licking. Like many different undesirable behaviors, licking will be deterred with a distraction. Strive to not react while you see your canine licking as a result of even a unfavorable response is consideration. As an alternative, firmly and gently redirect them. “Supply your pup chew toys, lick mats with peanut butter, or puzzle toys to maintain them occupied,” Joslin says. “In case your canine licks as a result of anxiousness, attempt calming treats, pheromone diffusers, or a snug canine mattress as a substitute.” 

Smith says another choice is an anti-lick spray. “Anti-lick sprays for canines are specifically formulated with bitter-tasting elements that deter licking, chewing, or biting of affected areas,” he says. “These sprays create an disagreeable style that daunts the conduct with out harming the canine, serving to to interrupt the cycle of extreme licking that may result in situations like lick granuloma.” He cautions that whereas anti-lick sprays will be efficient as a short-term deterrent, they work finest when mixed with remedy of the underlying trigger, whether or not it’s medical, behavioral, or emotional.

Backside line

If the conduct persists or turns into obsessive, it’s a good suggestion to examine along with your vet to rule out medical points and deal with any underlying sickness. That is significantly true if licking is accompanied by indicators of hysteria equivalent to damaging conduct, panting, and pacing. “It might point out stress or separation anxiousness,” Kaplan says. 

FAQs

What do I do if my canine received’t cease licking the sofa? 

Extreme sofa licking could also be a symptom of an underlying difficulty. Strive diverting your canine’s consideration with an interesting toy, a puzzle feeder, or perhaps a canine mattress made of material just like the sofa. Investing in a slipcover to your sofa is another choice till the conduct is beneath management. If the difficulty persists, seek the advice of a veterinarian. 

If my canine is licking the sofa, will they destroy it? 

In case your canine licks the sofa sufficient that the material is thinning, they can entry the stuffing extra simply. Comply with the methods, above, to scale back licking. 

Do canines wish to lick leather-based couches greater than cloth couches? 

Leather-based is manufactured from cattle cover, and for that cause, could also be extra interesting to canines, identical to chew toys manufactured from rawhide. The upside of leather-based is that it’s simpler to wipe-off meals residue. In case you’re fearful your canine will destroy your leather-based sofa, take into account shifting it to a room your canine can’t entry or investing in a slipcover. 

Does compulsive licking imply my canine has Cushing’s illness? 

Solely a vet can diagnose Cushing’s illness. However obsessive licking could be a symptom of this endocrine-based dysfunction that causes overproduction of the stress hormone cortisol, significantly in older canines. 

Does my canine have OCD in the event that they received’t cease licking the sofa?

Obsessive-compulsive dysfunction (OCD) is when regular conduct turns into repetitive and disrupts every day actions. In canines, OCD can manifest in quite a few behaviors equivalent to tail-chasing, fence operating, and sure, couch-licking. In case you suspect OCD, go to your vet for a prognosis and remedy.

References

• Astacio, Raquel. “Cushing’s Illness in Canine: Signs, Causes, and Remedies.” Tails “N” Tummies, Tails “N” Tummies, 16 Jan. 2023, tailsntummies.com/blogs/training/dog-cushings-disease?srsltid=AfmBOorO00sEKSvzsVwIurt5HJ-pwTOokmL2MXkdFDVjeqX4zhdTQL–. 

• Farricelli, Adrienne. “10 Methods to Cease a Canine from Destroying the Sofa When Left Alone.” HubPages, Feb. 2022, uncover.hubpages.com/animals/How-Do-I-Cease-My-Canine-From-Destroying-the-Sofa.

• “Cushing’s Illness in Canine: Signs, Causes, and Remedies.” Tailsntummies: https://tailsntummies.com/blogs/training/dog-cushings-disease?srsltid=AfmBOorO00sEKSvzsVwIurt5HJ-pwTOokmL2MXkdFDVjeqX4zhdTQL–