Constant licking- how to stop?

Bo is a licker dog, there no two ways about it. She will lick thin air if she feels like it, infact she licks just about anything! Her licking isn't like a constant thing, its not really clothes, more people and its sort of like a greeting thing and not a constant lick. She does it when you give her attention.

Anyway my question is can I stop her licking my teaching her the same way i stopped Molly barking all the time? When we taught Molly not to bark mum would say "speak speak speak" really firm and constantly when she was barking and gradually she stopped barking when she felt like it but started barking on cue. If i do the same for Bo and say "lick lick likc" over and over in a firm voice when she is licking do you think it will work? Or am i just being daft?

If that won't work any ideas what will, we used to say "no" but that only stopped the licking temporarily and now we just avoid the dreaded Bo tongue!

Sorry if this is unclear....

Good question, don't know how to help though. I have the same problem with my dog and I hate it. When she licks I say no firmly and move away from her, but it doesn't seem to be working.

I will be watching this thread with interest.

First get her checked to make sure there is not a problem in her mouth or throat, air licking is not normal. Licking you is a sign of submission and it could be she lacks confidence, sorry that is about all I can think of.

I had a dog that constantly licked I would be firm and say NO in a different tone of voice but did not work, then I tried giving water to see if the licking was an aspiration of asking for it and bingo it was the answer, I would consult your vets advice to see if all is well.

Hi Franc here is a suggestion to stop Bo licking if it the cause is just habit , it can be a form of OCD accociated with some breeds in particular and if she licks herself constantly in one place it can cause a hot spot..so distract her if you can.

http://www.dogweb.co.uk/talkdogs/sho...98&postcount=3

Licking can be an attention-seeking behaviour, much the same as jumping up, pawing, etc. Every time that you respond, positively or negatively, to the behaviour you reinforce it. I would just ignore the dog: no voice, no eye contact, get up and walk away, pretend the dog does not exist - much the same as you would do for inappropriate jumping. May take time, the behaviour may increase before it is exinguished, it may be inconvenient to move away, but if she gets no 'reward' in terms of attention from the behaviour it will eventually die out. Always praise and reward for behaviour that you approve of and ignore the behaviour that you wish to extinguish.

If she is air-licking or 'catching flies' there may be a more deep-seated problem that requires professional assessment and remediation.

ETA - Licking furniture, bedding,etc and self-licking can be a form of displacement activity. Does she get adequate exercise and plenty of mental stimulation? Self-licking is also associated with joint pain/discomfort.

Hi all,
Thanks for all your replies. Bo doesn't "air lick" as such, it was more a fragment of speech. I think the licking thing is attention linked because when you look at her she will lick her nose or show some sort of action with her tongue (odd bod :P). She doesnt lick furniture, bedding or anything like that but will lick clothes if there is something tasty she likes the look of (For example she will lick the carpet if something has been spilt)

She always has plenty of water and regular vet checks have never shown any problems. I think mum is keen to carry on the "lick" command and it seems to be working, i know how crazy that sounds. Maybe we will try it for a week or so and see if there is any improvement, if not we will have to go back to ignoring it.

Thanks for all your replies

Oh yeh she is a 3 year old Staffordshire Bull Terrier x Springer Spaniel rescue dog that came to us from the RSPCA at 7 weeks and she has been speyed if that makes any difference?