This is a question from a reader of my website. 

Question:  My four year old male Beagle licks constantly. He will either lick his feet or he just sits and licks the air. This behavior probably started about six months ago. What causes this and what can we do about it?

Answer:  I find that dogs have excessive licking for several reasons.  It may be tough to determine the ‘why’, so you may want to try several methods to fix this behavior problem.

- Nutritional:  Many dogs lick due to poor nutrition.  Dog foods that contain corn or corn gluten are very unhealthy for your dog.  Dogs can’t digest corn and many dogs are allergic to corn.  The net effect to feeding corn to your dog is often a dog that will lick and chew their feet because their feet swell from the corn.  Feed your dog a premium dog food  that doesn’t contain corn and that may help your dog get over his licking problem.

- A lack of self confidence:  I find that a lot of excessive lickers are also dogs with low levels of confidence or high levels of fear.  Licking seems to be their means of coping with their insecurities.  There are lots of ways to help your dog overcome this. 

Use obedience training as a means of communicating.  When you see him licking tell him ‘no’ and then have him sit, or lie down, or heel, or anything.  The idea is that you use obedience as a mental stimulant that distracts him from his insecure behavior.  Obedience is also a great tool for cementing a proper relationship with your dog.  This can go leaps and bounds towards having the dog feel well adjusted in your home.

For a dog with low self confidence I would also make sure to get the dog out to see the world on walks.  Training your dog for agility is also a great way to build confidence.

- Obsessive compulsion:  Humans aren’t the only ones who can have obsessive compulsive behaviors.  Your dog may simply be compelled to lick for no good reason.

The solution for a dog like this is the same as for a dog with low self confidence.  Correct the dog for licking and then immediately redirect his attention to obedience.  Also make sure the dog is getting a good outlet for his nervous energy with walks and personal time with you.

Good luck!