If your dog has been licking everything at night, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible reasons why it has been doing it and what you can do about it.
So, why does my dog lick everything at night? Possible reasons why your dog has been licking things at night are that it is anxious, thirsty or that there is an issue with its diet.
Since there are a number of possible causes, it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely. Once you have a good idea of the main cause, it should become a lot easier to get your dog to stop doing it.
Reasons why your dog licks everything at night
Below are some possible reasons why your dog has been licking everything at night and what would make each of them more likely to be the main reason.
Anxiety
It could be the case that something has been causing it to be anxious at night and the licking is a soothing behavior. The reason why it might be anxious could be that it has some separation anxiety. This would be more likely if it starts becoming anxious when you are about to go to bed at night and if it sleeps in a different room to you.
Thirst
The cause could be that it gets thirsty at night. This would be more likely if it does it when it does not have access to water. If it does not currently have access to water, at night, it would help to make sure that it does.
Encouraging the behavior
It might also be the case that it has learned that licking things, at night, causes it to get rewards. If you tend to give it things such as toys, treats or extra attention, when it starts licking things at night, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.
An issue with its diet
The cause might be that it is hungry or that there is an issue with its diet. This would be more likely if it starts licking other things as well such as areas where there has been food and if it starts licking its lips a lot. An issue with its diet would be more likely if it has started doing it since a change in its diet. It would help to make sure that you have been giving it the correct diet.
Things to consider
Below are some things to consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.
What else changed when it first started
If your dog did not always lick everything at night, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it could be due to things such as a change in its diet, anxiety or illness.
What is different when your dog licks things at night
If it does not lick things every night, it would help to consider what is different on the nights that it does not lick things. For example, if it only does it when it eats certain foods, it could be due to things that it is eating.
What to do about your dog licking things at night
Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.
Get help
If you cannot figure out the main reason why it has been doing it or you cannot get it to stop, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you should be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular dog and to rule out the possibility of it being due to illness or a diet issue.
Avoid encouraging the behavior
As mentioned above, it might be the case that it has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. Instead, it would help to prevent other possible causes such as an issue with its diet but to avoid rewarding it when it does lick things at night.
Ensure that it is getting the right diet
As mentioned above, it could be the case that an issue with its diet could be causing the behavior. It would help to ensure that it has been eating the correct foods at night and that it has not been eating things that it should not be.
Ensure that it has access to water
It would also help to ensure that it has access to water at night since it could be the case that it has been licking things due to being thirsty.
Limit reasons why it might be anxious
It would also help to limit possible reasons why it might be anxious at night. Things to do would include ensuring that it is able to pee before bed and ensuring that the room it stays in is not too hot, bright or loud.