To communicate his affection to you
A dog can lick your feet simply to show you his attachment and his affection. The "licking" of a dog then constitutes a tender gesture like so many little kisses placed on a person you care about. But beware, if a little “passing” licking is completely normal and commonplace, it is worth worrying if these licks by your dog (on your feet or elsewhere) become systematic and compulsive. A dog that is constantly seeking affection from its master or mistress may be suffering from hyperattachment, in which case the implementation of detachment therapy will be necessary to restore well-being. of your dog!
To get your attention
When a dog licks our feet, we rarely remain indifferent to it. Either we hate and push away his dog! Either we love it and we start laughing or talking to him under the licks that tickle us! Whether you love it or hate it, in any case, the common point in these 2 situations is that you pay attention to your dog. Your pet understands this very well and can simply repeat this behavior to get what it wants: to get your attention.
Be careful not to reinforce this behavior which, even if it does not bother you immediately, could well become painful, if it becomes systematic for your dog. Take care then not to react if your dog comes to lick your feet and to completely ignore your animal when he adopts this behavior (do not speak to him / touch him / look at him), even if it means getting up and going to another piece if you are too ticklish!
To collect information about you
Our feet, especially if they have macerated all day in closed shoes, are full of biological information for a dog. The sweat glands in our feet release sweat and their glands release sebum, two secretions that dogs are able to analyze using their millions of odor receptor cells in their nose and vomeronasal organ of the same way as when they perceive pheromones left in the environment by their congeners. For the dog, licking the feet of a human being could simply be a way to find out more about him!
Because he likes the taste of your feet
Yes, you won't have missed it at all, but dogs absolutely don't have the same tastes as human beings, so licking their feet, especially if they smell strong, could well raise simple gustatory pleasure for the dog.Indeed, the s alty taste of the sweat of our feet could well be enough to explain the behavior of certain "foot-licking" dogs.
If, on the contrary, your dog's behavior occurs rather after you have taken a shower or moisturized your feet, it is certainly that your shower gel or your moisturizing cream are palatable to your dog's taste ! To stop your dog from licking your feet after showering, add a drop of lemongrass essential oil to your shower gel or moisturizer. Most dogs hate the smell, which should be enough to stop any unwanted licking.
To soothe anxiety or a tense situation
If your dog licks you constantly, it may also be to externalize a significant state of stress or to soothe a situation that worries him. In the first case, licking allows the dog to calm itself (like a nervous person biting his nails), and in the second, to calm you down when he feels you are too tense or angry.In the second case, the dog then puts itself in a low position, as if it wanted to make itself very small, with its ears down and wags its tail.
How to stop your dog from licking your feet?
The first thing to do is understand why your dog is doing this. If this behavior is recurrent and compulsive in your dog, it is either because you have unintentionally reinforced his behavior or because your dog is using this behavior to relieve his stress and anxiety. It is therefore essential not to add additional stress to your dog by arguing or punishing him but rather to apply the following tips to break this habit:
- be consistent: if you don't accept your dog licking your feet, never accept it but don't accept it half the time,
- completely ignore your dog when he licks you,
- then, when your dog has moved on, divert your dog's attention to another activity such as occupancy play for example, so he doesn't come back on your feet,
- meet your dog's needs with daily walks, socializing and occupation toys.
If these few tips are not enough and/or your dog shows other signs of stress, anxiety or hyperattachment, get help from a behavioral veterinarian and/or a behavioral dog trainer . Not only will these professionals be able to help you stop your pet's troublesome behavior, but they will also address the root causes of your pet's behavior and relieve stress and anxiety.