If you ever owned a dog you’ll notice that sometimes they will just lay down and lick themselves for long periods of time. You’ll also see that they will lick other objects such as the furniture in your house or even the floor. Sometimes we’ll ignore it because we know that they do that to clean themself.
While this can be nothing more than them trying to clean themselves it can also be because of a health problem that you haven’t noticed as yet. It’s important to observe your Maltipoo from time to time to understand if they are okay.
Today we’ll be taking a closer look into why Maltipoos lick their so much and what to do if it becomes excessive.
Why Does My Maltipoo Lick So Much?
Just as other dogs love to lick, Maltipoos are no exception. Dogs find licking to be very calming and delightful and when they do it a chemical called endorphin is released and this gives them a calming feel that lowers their stress level. Dogs lick themself for various reasons so its important to try to find the cause when you notice any irregular behavior in your Maltipoo.
Dogs are known for licking alot to even communicate with their owner or other dogs but sometimes this can become excessive so you have to know when to put a stop to it. Maltipoos will starting licking because of boredom, health issues, stress and even to show affection.
Dogs have always been fond of licking themself and each from ever since they were puppies and had to be cleaned by their mother. Mothers will lick their pups to keep them warm, clean them or just to show love to them.
Licking becomes a way to communicate to each other and show love so you can call it instinct for them to lick so finding if something is wrong may be a bit harder.
Reasons For Excessive Licking And How to Correct It
We’ll be going through the most common reasons why your Maltipoo might be licking excessively and what can be done to fix this.
Being Stress/Anxious
You’ll have to pay close attention to your Maltipoo to figure out if he is stresses, you can sometimes know by their body language. If your dog has tucks his ears or tail and excessive lip licking as well as licking other stuff around the house it may be that they are stressed.
There are sometimes things that trigger your dog to be stress so its always important to observe your dog closely when you notice something is wrong so you can find the trigger.
Some dogs may start doing this when people may be walking pass your home making noise this sometimes will cause them to be anxious so you’d just start moving them away from the front dog so they aren’t able to hear. Finding the root cause of this is important in making sure it doesn’t reoccur.
Allergies
Dogs may also start to lick themselves excessively if they develop allergies from certain skin conditions such as dermatitis which is caused by bacterial problems or food sensitivity. This allergy may be caused by chemicals used in your house or yard.
Though there are many things that can cause allergies the safest thing you can do is eliminate all the chances of triggering it. You should ensure that your dog is drinking filtered water and not tap water so you can reduce the amount or chemicals your dogs gets in its system.
Others have recommended cleaning your dogs paws when they come from outside and trying a grain-free diet. If the allergies persist please contact your local vet and advise them of the situation.
Being Injured
When dogs have wounds licking it can ease the pain because of the moist warm tongue. Though licking it might help to keep the wound clean veterinarians advise against letting your dog lick its wounds because the continuous licking will irritate it and not let it heal properly.
If you notice your dog only focusing on one spot you should check to see why and if they are in fact hurt we recommend contacting your local vet right away.
Being Bored
Maltipoos are very energetic and smart dogs so they don’t just need exercise they also need mental stimulation to keep them interested. Even though they’ll love a walk when they are home and have nothing to do they will start to lick themselves and other objects as a way to stimulate themselves and pass the time. Whenever your Maltipoo just starts licking at the furniture, floor or even the wall this might be because of boredom.
To correct this you’ll need to find something to keep their mind occupied such as taking them on another walk or start to give them some training. This will keep them busy so that they won’t have time to sit and lick themselves or stuff around the house.
You’ll even be able to purchase a puzzle feeder online that will help to keep them mentally stimulated because Maltipoos are smart dogs so they look for a challenge.