hi all ! i was wondering if anyone has ever seen this kind of behaviour. my 1yr old mini smooth boy, Bobby D, Licks & sucks the scruff, of one of my girls, Tyko's , neck . as he is doing this, in slow motion, he pushes one front paw then the other, just like a puppy does when suckling !! it doesnt seem to bother her at all. he doesnt do this with any of the others, only Tyko. i find it irritating though cos Tyko is black & tan , & has a beautiful , high gloss coat , but now she always has a massive wet patch as if i put a hundred philes of flea drops on her!!!!!!!! hope this makes sense & u can imagine what i mean :)
caron

can anyone help ????

I think you're right, he's sucking like a puppy in the same way a child sucks its thumb - because it gets some comfort.  Bitter Apple spray mayhelp, but check it can be used on an animal as I'm not sure about this.  You may also find if you stop him doing this, he may find something else to do which could be even more of a problem to you - such as licking himself and forming lick granulomas...

I have known several dogs that do this with a toy or blanket, it is a comfort thing, like sucking a dummy.  One was a male dobe that loved his Pom Pom ball on a rope (made of polypropeline). He woudl hold it in his mouth and suck at it while kneading.  He went through several.  the same owners bitch dfoes this to Vetbed, but she also chews bits off it, another is an elderly Golden retriever bitch who makes a terrible sorry mess of stuffed Toys.

I would endevour to substitute something washable for him to fix on as this will not do your bitches coat or skin any good.

This sort of behaviour is common in dogs.  You don;t say whether or not he has always done it.  He should grow out of it if he has - if not then you should be careful how you discourage him from it.  He is still a young dog and getting away with more liberties with the others than he will in a few months - Iwould be inclined to let the other dog deal with the problem.  She will eventually tell him off for it.  Has he always seen this dog as a mother substitute?
Jo

This only started about 2 months ago. yesterday , he started growling at the other girls if they went near Tyko & he wouldnt leave her alone at all. as she walked around ,he had his front paws on her back & was toddling after her on his back legs !!! however, i have just got back from my night shift & Tyko has come in season, so this is probably why he wont leave her. although  he will now coz ive put her in a crate in the dining room & he cant get in there ! i was planning to mate these two this time , but im not sure if that would make him even more clingy to her afterwards. advice appreciated.
caron :)

I've only used my own dogs on my own bitches twice but - in my limited experience -it's been "love 'em & leave 'em". Just watch out, if you do use your dog, for the NEXT season though - they might both be very willing for a repeat performance. :D