Hello everyone. What a great forum. Today is my first time here, or anywhere for that matter. I have a number of frustrating dog issues, but I'll pace myself and give you one at a time. I'm living with my brother who owns 2 dogs. His 6 yr old female Pomeranian/Chow mix, Maggie, he has had for four years. She came from a shelter and because of unrelated issues, was scheduled to be put down. The night before, one of my brother's friends, a worker at the shelter, knowing Maggie's fate, talked my brother into adopting her. She told him that Maggie had been adopted out 3 times before; each time being returned back to the shelter because of her obnoxious behavior. -- And she WAS OBNOXIOUS! -- The first 6 mths. were exhausting. Although she is a sweetheart now, one annoying behavior resists all remedies -- she licks people constantly. When you pet her, she licks  any part of you that she can reach with her tongue -- and she won't stop.  We have grown used to her, but visitors and other family members all hate it and they tend to push her away and/or yell at her. Does anyone have any idea how to break her of this?  Our box of tricks is empty.     Thank You, Sara     (She also will not stay in a room by herself - she follows one of us everywhere, she lays on our feet and we cannot go outside without her; if we do she barks non-stop and runs from window to window jumping up onto them, knocking over things, etc.

It sounds as if she is very insecure and no wonder with all these homes she came from.

I suspect that the licking may be a sign of appeasement/submission and her desperately trying to be liked and wanted; if she gets confused messages from this, and differeing reactions, it will likely make her all the more insecure and all the more needful of showing her appeasement esp. if, as you say, she is sometimes yelled at.

You say there are a number of dog issues and it's a good idea to give one at a time <vbg> but, sometimes the problems can be related so if you can it may be an idea to try to summarise them, also how you have tried to deal with them :)

Lindsay
x

she's not neurotic- my dog when she first came to stay would lick us all the time, and jump at other dogs mouths to lick incessantly- we saw this as submission, and slowly after she has settled with us- this has stopped as she gets enough attention and feels happy with where she is.

Hi,

I had a "licker" too - gosh do I miss her.

One of the best ways to extinguish a behaviour is to reward a dog for not doing it.  There are two approaches you could try.  The first is to give her a small treat before she has a chance to lick - whilst tongue is in midair or before :-).  Otherwise, the instant she licks to deposit her on the floor (if she's not already there) and either completely ignore her or put her in another room.  Completely ignoring means nothing - not even direct eye contact. The reward for not licking is that she gets to be with you - if she licks she's removed.  You can combine the two to get the message across, if needed.

The barking is separation anxiety, which I am sure you know.

I agree...I have a licker as well.:rolleyes:  We treated the licking the same as we did biting.  When he licked, he got a 'no kisses' and we moved away and ignored him.  When he stopped trying to lick, he'd get rewarded.  He's broken of it now, in essence, all though he still has the now and again compulsion.  :)  Hope you get it solved, I know first hand how annoying it is.