[yorkietalkjilly]

In the excessive licking department, Tibbe qualifies at times.

Tibbe came to me an older, nervous, wild, unsocialized, unsure dog and he's changed so much but he can get into OCD behavior during times I'm most stressed or his world is very different for some reason, such as when he's ill, on certain medications, many people have been around and left, when I came home from the hospital, etc.. He'll begin to lick the air, then me or anything he's near. I either tell him "no" or "uh oh" depending upon his demeanor at the time. A "No" to a very unstable Tibbe is not good, it seriously upsets him, so I try to read him before I say one or the other. I usually reserve "No" for actual serious misbehavior when he's acting so full of himself and not nervous at all but hardly ever use it to try to stop his nervous behavior patterns.

If he stops but very soon starts again, I realize he's likely feeling some serious secondary stress and redirect him to something like getting some kibble from a kong or letting him outside, we walk out into the front yard even if it's night - something to break the cycle. Anything to move the brain off that activity and get them working on something or involved in an activity helps. They learn over time that starting to lick is going to be disagreed with and usually stop it if possible for them. But at times, like with smokers or nailbiters, they pick up the habit again when times are getting hairy in their world and even when they try to stop themselves, they can't. So we have to help.

Tibbe rarely licks from boredom but I understand many dogs do - they just aren't challenged enough. So, depending upon a dog's lifestyle and the amount of challenges he or she requires during the day, that could be something to consider.