Why Do Dogs Love To Lick Their Feet
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Licking is a natural behavior of dogs. Apparently the tendency to lick begins from puppyhood. Mother dogs lick the puppies not only for grooming purposes but also to encourage urination and defecation. Hungry puppies that want to nurse would lick the dam. As the puppies are about to be weaned, they would lick the mother's mouth to encourage regurgitation of food. By licking each other, puppies enhance the tie between the littermates.
The tendency to lick will remain even if the dog matures. Dogs are commonly seen licking the human family to show affection. Dogs not only lick humans and other dogs as they are also seen licking themselves. The dog's tendency to lick the feet is very annoying to most dog owners. Dogs are very active animals and you can just imagine what things the dog would have on its paws. A dog owner annoyed at the dog's habit of licking the feet cannot be blamed, the feet after all apart from being dirty may have stepped on feces and other hateful things.
Dogs have various reasons for licking the feet. Dogs are not fastidious as cats when it comes to grooming but man's best friend would lick a dirty feet. Dogs are very loyal to humans but these animals have the inclination to love things that humans hate. Dirt and abhorrent things may be lodged between the paws and the dog would not stop until it is removed and eaten. Dogs would lick an injured paw to ease the pain. Because these energetic animals have the inclination to wander, it would not be uncommon for the feet to be wounded, to have thorns or splinters. The dog will simply lick the injured paw to alleviate the pain.
The dog's habit to lick the feet can be associated with anxiety and boredom. The habit of licking the feet is the same as humans tendency to bite the nail when nervous. By licking the feet, the anxious feeling will be eased. For want of anything better to do, a bored dog will just settle to licking the feet.
Made to choose between a dog that licks the feet and one that destroys the furniture, the licking dog will win hands down. However, constant worrying of the feet can result to raw and bleeding skin. Licking can develop into an addicting behavior that will result to sores known as granulomas.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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