17
Feb
What Does It Mean When My Dog Licks My Toes. Dogs lick themselves as well as other dogs as a form of cleaning. If your dog constantly goes after your feet with their tongue its because they love the sweaty salty taste of your toes gross and they want attention says Dr. Being pushed away after all of these attempts at affection may make them try harder thinking that they were too subtle the first time. In severe cases the dog may cause acral lick dermatitis or granulomas.
This licking shows a combination of both love and submission of the dog. You should find out what causes stress in your dog. What and when a dog licks can tell you why they lick or what theyre feeling when they lick. Gently check the foot and consider bringing the pup in to the vet for any bad splinters or injuries. That provides reinforcement for him to do it again. If your dog is stressed he may lick his feet.
Other reasons include your dog is trying to show you affection or she just loves the taste of your legs.
If your dog is consistently licking the same spot theres a good chance something is bothering them in that area. Dogs arent equipped to do most of these things so sometimes they licka lot. If your dog is experiencing a type of pain from their feet theyll lick. Often if theyre licking only one paw that means your dog might have some sort of injury on that foot. Studies have shown that for many species social grooming stimulates oxytocin a hormone associated with bonding and emotional attachment. Dogs also lick feet because they usually get a reaction for doing so.