Constant Licking

My family really loves Sophie, one of our three Jack Russell Terriers, but she has a really annoying habit of licking our hands constantly. Sophie is a snuggler: it’s one of the best things about her, but she can’t seem to relax and enjoy it without constantly bathing us. She will also try to reach up an lick our faces or arms. It almost seems like a neurotic behavior. Sophie happens to be deaf, and I’ve often wondered if the licking is a compulsive behavior brought on by her sensory deprivation in the the hearing department. Maybe she’s overcompensating through her oral senses? Whatever it is, it’s aggravating. I’d love to hear if anyone has tips for some way to lessen this behavior. I’d especially love to hear from any other owners of deaf dogs to see if their pets do the same thing.

That’s an interesting problem Kelly, and I didn’t know that Sophie was deaf. I don’t have any experience with deaf dogs, but I think your hypothesis about her overcompensating may be the culprit.

My little one does this sometimes. For example, she’ll sit upright on the couch, really close to you, look at you, and then try to lick your face. Usually, I let her get away with one lick, but then I give her the signal for down. Maybe that would work with Sophie? Or just gently pushing her face to the side. Does she have a signal for “no” or “stop”? When Misha gets to clingy, I sometimes push her gently over to “her” side of the couch or tell her to move. If Sophie is snuggling with you, and starts licking, maybe you can just gently push her over some?

I’d love to hear some other opinions as this is an intriguing dilemma.

Hi Jackie,

We do have a signal for stop (Think of the hand in “Stop in the name of love”). Sophie will respond to it for a moment, and then she just can’t seem to help going back to the licking. I’ve also tried putting her down on the floor as a consequence for the unwanted behavior. Within minutes she is right back up and trying to lick. I feel bad because she is a very loving and soft-hearted dog, but I don’t want to encourage an unwanted behavior. She just doesn’t seem able to make the connection like my other dogs do. We joke around and refer to her as our “Simple Sophie”, but perhaps she really was in the birth canal a little too long. I just wish I could find a way to discourage the habit.