Have you noticed that your dogs get extra lick happy immediately after you give them water?
One answer for “why does my dog lick the couch after drinking water?” is simply that they love leather. Read on to know more reasons.
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Dogs are considered the best friend of humans, but the animals’ habits are quite different from their owners. After bringing a dog into your home as a pet, you might see that your dog is constantly licking objects that you keep in your houses such as couches, sofas, boots, and cushions. Most often, they do this right after drinking water.
Dogs develop a sense of affection with certain objects and in your case, your pet might like objects wrapped in leather over any other things in your house. This is a sign of OCD or other mental health problems
Other than that mental and physical health issues, gastrointestinal disorders can also be the reason that your dog is licking leather right after drinking water.
If you are dealing with this problem, then this article can prove helpful for you as here we are going to talk about all the possible reasons for this weird behavior of your dog.
Along with that, we will also talk about the root causes behind your dog licking objects such as leather, bedsheets, and a few others. So, read on and find all the answers to your questions.
Why Do Dogs Lick Leather?
At some point, you might have wondered why your dog is licking leather items in your house. Dogs have extra affection for objects which are wrapped in leather. Hence, it is better to know the reasons behind your dog’s habit.
Likes the Taste
The most apparent reason behind your dog’s behavior is that the pet likes the taste of that particular furniture in your house. Other than that, there is another possibility that your dog is searching for the leftover food items that you might have dropped while sitting on the same couch that your dog licks.
Dogs have a fantastic instinct and can sniff out all these food items. Some pet doctors also suggest that dogs lick a particular piece of furniture if they smell the odor of their owner coming out of it. Regardless of the reason behind this behavior, you need to make your pet understand that it is a bad habit.
Play
Dogs love to play with their favorite toys, and most dogs especially love to play with toys that they can chew. Your pet may think that the leather item is a chew toy made using leather. So, it will start playing with the leather item, including licking and chewing.
OCD
Obsessive-Compulsive disorders (OCD) can be the root cause behind your dog licking leather. Obsessiveness can occur without any particular reason.
Gastrointestinal Disorders
Some gastrointestinal disorders can make your dog lick leather items in your house. In this situation, only a veterinary clinic can solve this problem.
Affection
Dogs can remember and recognize a smell more than most animals. So, if you see that your dog is licking leather couches in your house, then they might be simply doing this because of the affection that your dog has for you.
While licking you, your dog can smell your body odor from that furniture, and they will start licking it more aggressively.
Out of Boredom
When your pet dog gets bored, it will try to use the excess energy stored in its body by doing something unproductive. Due to this, your dog might end up licking and eventually chewing your favorite couch along with other furniture.
If this is the reason behind your dog’s compulsive behavior, then you need to spend more time with your dog. You can simply take your dog for long walks and play with him to help your dog get out of the boredom.
Serious Health Issues
Licking couches may be a natural behavior of a dog but if licking becomes excessive, then your dog might be trying to communicate with you about one or more health issues in its body by doing this. Under these circumstances, it is better to take your dog to the nearest veterinary clinic.
In most cases, the health issues that your dog might be dealing with include toothaches and several diseases related to the pituitary gland. Alongside this licking, your dog can also show other compulsive behaviors such as chewing objects, running behind its tail, et cetera.
Force of Habit
Now, as we have discussed all the serious reasons, such as anxiety and compulsiveness, let us tell you that your pet can perform this action because of their habit. This psychological fact is quite similar to humans. We humans can’t stop doing things even if we know that they are bad for us if that satisfies us.
When a dog enjoys the sensation of licking a couch once in its life, he will keep on doing that over and over again. This can turn into a habit, and it is better to nip this bad habit in the bud.
Why Does My Dog Lick the Bed Sheets?
Your pet dog can lick the bedsheets to look for the food items left in the bed. There is another possibility that your dog is licking the bedsheet on your bed after sniffing the scent of your body from the bedsheet.
Why is My Dog Gagging and Licking
Gagging and licking together is a sign of health issues in your dog’s body. Dogs often gag when they try to get something out of their stomach. Other than that, your dog can also perform this action if it has a sore throat. On the other hand, if your dog is continuously licking the area around its mouth, it is a sign of nausea.
Frequently Asked Questions
In this section, we will answer some of the most searched questions regarding a dog’s licking habit by people on the internet by using several search engines.
Why do dogs lick blankets after drinking water?
Your pet dog might be licking the blankets to get the smell of your body right after drinking water. They simply do it out of affection.
Why does my dog keep licking the sofa?
Dogs can lick several pieces of furniture in the house. They perform this action whenever they get bored. Other than that, your dog’s anxiety and stress can also be behind this strange behavior of your dog.
Why does my dog lick the carpet after drinking water?
Whenever a dog licks household items unnecessarily after drinking water, the most obvious reasons behind this are feeling anxious, stressed, or bored.
Why does my dog lick his bed after drinking?
After drinking a lot of water, it might be time for your dog to go to bed. Before going to bed, you might see that your dog is licking the bed. The most apparent reason behind this is the stress that your dog might be going through.
Final Words
When you feel that the licking habit of your dog has become uncontrollable and disrupts your personal well-being, you need to stop it from happening. It is ideal to consult a veterinary clinic for professional help in this situation.
Thank you for reading the article, hope we have covered all your questions if not, please add them in the comments section below. You might also like to read about: Why Does My Dog Put My Arm In His Mouth? And Why Does My Dog Spin Around In Circles When Excited?