Our Aussie/Beagle mix has a licking "fetish". I believe it's a comfort behavior, but I was wondering if it could be anything more.

She'll lay down next to the coffee table, zone out and lick the carpet... until we tell her to stop (daily)

After drinking, she'll go to another area of the carpet and lick it... until we tell her to stop (after EVERY drink of water) Sometimes when drinking, she'll go and go until the bowl is empty or we tell her to stop(again, zoned out)

She goes into her crate by a certain time at night, lays down and licks her left paw incessantly until she's told to stop. (she's not locked in & bored - its always when the door is open)

If you let her, she'll lick your hand in the same compulsive way. In each of these moments, she zones out and licks non-stop until we "snap her out of it"

Now, the basset pup is learning to copy her odd habits. What can we do?
No matter how much or how little exercise she gets, these habits remain the same. If it helps to know, she was rescued (by us) at 15 weeks... abandoned at the shelter with ring worm at 6 weeks. She's 5 years now and done this the whole time...

Signs of stress or fatigue will cause a dog to lick excessively.

Some believe that behavior training corrects the problem, but punishment is not the answer. Rewarding the dog for not licking may take some time, but some dogs respond to this type of training to correct the licking problem. Some breeders believe in treats for curing excessive licking behavior.

Another simple technique you can use to stop your dog's excessive licking is to divert his attention. When he starts to lick his paws, your face, the floor or anything at all, catch his attention and throw a ball for him to fetch.
Regular exercise can make your dog healthy. Exercise can also stimulate the dog's brain, release a lot of pent-up energy, and keep the dog happy. This will help stop the dog from licking out of boredom or frustration.

There is an article I found that can help with licking issues.

Disobedient Dog Help

If a dog is licking a particular area a deterrent can sometimes work.
You can buy bitter sprays from pet stores to spray on carpets of furniture to stop your dog licking and chewing.
There is no guarantee this will work as your dog may just pick a new area to start licking, but it is worth a try.

Thanks for the suggestions.

Millie licks deterent spray. :rolleyes:

I thought it could be a sign of stress, but she does it routinely in even the calmest situations. It's a day routine in certain spots, then turns into a night routine in others. I know she gets enough exercise - I've been trying to distract her... I think persistence will be the key... she's one stubborn pup though since we've been doing for 5-ish years. Lol

Well best of lick... heheh I mean Luck!