It can be quite frustrating when your Rottweiler keeps licking things. This post will show you why yours might be doing it and what you can do to get it to stop.
So, why does my Rottweiler lick everything? Possible reasons are that it is thirsty or hungry, trying to smell something better, it is excited, it wants attention or that it is actually a compulsive behavior.
There are actually many possible reasons why your Rottweiler has been doing it and it could be due to a combination of reasons. However, there are some things you can consider when trying to figure out the exact reason. There are also a number of things you can do about it.
Why your Rottweiler licks everything
Below are a number of possible reasons why it has been licking everything and what would make them more likely to be a main cause.
It’s thirsty or hungry
The reason why it has been doing it might be that it is thirsty or hungry. This would be more likely if it starts to lick things more when it does not have access to water or it has not eaten in a while. It would also be more likely if it does it right after being active and it does not have access to water. It could also be the case if it has started doing it after a change in its diet.
In this case, it would be important to make sure it has access to water whenever it might need it and that you are feeding it correctly.
It’s trying to smell
The cause could also be that it is trying to smell the thing to gather information. Rottweilers have a strong sense of smell and they use their noses a lot to gather information about things as discussed in this post.
It might be the case that your Rottweiler isn’t actually licking things. Rather, it could be trying to smell things a lot which would be perfectly normal. This would be more likely if it pokes things with its nose a lot instead of licking them.
It’s greeting you
Sometimes, dogs will great their owners by licking them. If your Rottweiler normally licks you in situations such as when you come home or when you are playing with it, being excited would be more likely to be the reason.
I have written more about why your Rottweiler might be licking you a lot and how to get it to stop in this post.
In this case, it would help to reward it when it does not lick you and to avoid giving it things that it wants when it starts licking you.
It wants attention
The reason why it does it might also be that it is looking for extra attention. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it extra attention when it does it.
It would help to follow the tips mentioned below, to reward it when it is being well behaved and to avoid rewarding it when it does lick things unless it seems to be due to a reason such as being thirsty.
Compulsive behavior
It might also be the case that your Rottweiler licks things a lot due to an obsessive-compulsive disorder. This is where it does an action repeatedly and it cannot stop doing it. This would be more likely if it has been licking things excessively over the course of weeks or months.
This would also be more likely if it started doing it after something happened that might have caused it to become stressed such as an owner passing away.
Possible things that could have happened could include:
- Someone mistreated it
- Another dog was aggressive towards it
- It was separated from another dog
Look here for more information about compulsive behavior in dogs.
It has something in its fur
The issue could also be that there is something stuck in its fur. This would be more likely if it has started licking itself suddenly and if it has been licking at the same spot.
It’s anxious
The cause could also be that something has been causing it to be anxious.
This would be more likely if it licks things more in situations where it might be anxious or if it has started doing it more since something happened that could have caused it to be anxious.
It would also be more likely if something triggers it to do it such as the doorbell ringing. It would also be more likely if it does it repeatedly in the same area such as on the floor or the couch and there is no food there.
Things to consider
When it first started doing it
It would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it since it could be the case that there was an event that caused it to start.
If it always has licked things a lot, it would be more likely to be natural behavior unless it has been doing it excessively.
Whereas, if it started doing it suddenly then it would make it more likely to be due to being anxious, ill or it might have gotten something in its fur. It would help to consider what else happened at around the same time that it started to lick everything.
When it does it
It would also help to consider if there is a certain time that it tends to do it more. If it does it more at a certain time, it might be the case that the timing has something to do with it.
For example, if it does it more when it does not have access to water, it could be because it is thirsty. Whereas, if it does it more when it is greeting you, it would be more likely to be due to excitement but, it would still help to train it to stop.
How to get your Rottweiler to stop licking everything
Below are some things you can do in order to get your Rottweiler to stop licking everything.
Take it to a vet
If your Rottweiler has been doing it excessively, it has been showing signs of being ill or it is concerning you, the best option would be to take it to a vet. By doing so, you will be able to get expert advice tailored towards your particular Rottweiler and to rule out the possibility of medical causes.
Use positive reinforcement training
Positive reinforcement training involves encouraging the behaviors you want to see by rewarding your Rottweiler when it shows signs of behaving that way.
To use positive reinforcement training to get your Rottweiler to stop licking everything you would tell it to sit or come to you and reward it when it does not lick things when it normally would.
The video below shows some tips on how to do it.
Give it access to water
It would also help to give it access to water throughout the day so that it can drink whenever it wants to.
Make sure its diet is right
It would also help to make sure that it is getting the right diet since a poor diet might be contributing to it.
It would help to consult with your vet about its diet, to make sure no one else has been feeding it and you can look here to see what you should and shouldn’t be feeding it.
Give it distractions
In addition to the above, you could also give it other things to be distracted by, such as toys or bones, so that it is less likely to start licking things.