Why does my havanese lick everything

Puppies begin their lives by being licked clean by their mothers in the early stages of development. Because their moms lick them, they are kept clean and healthy while also helping to keep their dens clean and free of sickness.

Licking each other as they mature into a pack is a way for them to communicate with one another. In this way, not only are Havanese introduced to licking activity at a very young age, but they also develop an instinct to continue doing so throughout their entire lifetime.

In general, Havanese are peaceful and easygoing, but they still require exercise and mental stimulation to maintain their well-being.

Your Havanese may be bored and in need of some mental stimulation if you have noticed them aimlessly licking your furniture, the walls, the floors, or other odd objects about the house.

In the same way that we demonstrate affection by kissing, our dogs exhibit affection by licking us! It dates all the way back to when they were puppies. As we discussed earlier, mom dogs lick their babies to show them love and affection, and your dog has learnt that licking you is one of the ways he can express his love and affection for you.

In other cases, licking you may be an indication that your Havanese is trying to groom you, which is also a gesture of devotion and concern on his part. This is an indication of stress if you observe your dog has whale eyes large eyes where you can see the white area of the eyeball , tucked ears, a tucked tail, and excessive lip-licking. Your Havanese may begin licking himself as a coping method to help him relax and quiet himself down.

Licking can be extremely self-soothing for dogs because it releases chemicals known as endorphins, which cause a happy mood and help to reduce stress. Some Havanese owners say that their dogs prefer to lick themselves before curling up in a ball to sleep ; it was almost like a ritual for them, and it seemed to help them settle down and go asleep more quickly. Licking may also bring back memories of when they were children and their mother licked them frequently.

It transports them to a state of relaxation and tranquilly. In addition to seeking to please you, your Havanese may attempt to do so in order to submit to your authority over him by licking your cheeks. Dogs are mostly pack animals, and members of their pack are frequently greeted with a wet kiss on the face as they arrive. The first thing your dog will do if something smells good is lick it to test how it tastes.

The fact that they are licking the floor or furniture at random can be explained by some sweet-smelling substance that was spilt on the floor or furniture last week.

Havanese were bred to be companion animals. They adore you and would happily cuddle with you for the rest of the day if you allowed them. Your Havanese will attempt to grab your attention in a variety of ways, including whining, barking, staring at, or licking you.

Lurking on you is one of the more subtle methods for him to grab your attention, and it is also likely to be less annoying than barking or crying. Your dog is intelligent, and he or she is undoubtedly aware that licking you will be more appreciated than barking in your face. If your Havanese is attempting to communicate with you, he may lick you as a way of indicating that he desires something.

Someone saying something to you could be just declaring his or her love for you, or it could indicate that he is hungry, needs to use the restroom or wants you to join him in a game of some sort. To taste something dogs lick their meal bowl, floor, or even their own body if there are still any food particles left. So if your dog is licking too much after eating suggests he is appreciating the taste. Hookworms, roundworms, heartworms, and whipworms can get into her system in a number of ways: drinking unclean water, walking on contaminated soil, or being bitten by an infected mosquito.

Some of these parasites can be transmitted to you or a family member and are a serious concern for everyone. One of the best things you can do for your Havanese is to have her spayed neutered for males.

In females, this means we surgically remove the ovaries and usually the uterus, and in males, it means we surgically remove the testicles. Spaying or neutering decreases the likelihood of certain types of cancers and eliminates the possibility of your pet becoming pregnant or fathering unwanted puppies. Performing this surgery also gives us a chance, while your pet is under anesthesia, to identify and address some of the diseases your dog is likely to develop.

For example, if your pet needs hip X-rays or a puppy tooth extracted, this would be a good time. This is convenient for you and easy for your friend. Routine blood testing prior to surgery also helps us to identify and take precautions for common problems that increase anesthetic or surgical risk.

Unfortunately, Havanese can inherit or develop a number of different eye conditions, some of which may cause blindness if not treated right away, and most of which can be extremely painful! We will evaluate his eyes at every examination to look for any signs of concern. Cataracts are a common cause of blindness in older Havanese. Many dogs adjust well to losing their vision and get along just fine. Surgery to remove cataracts and restore sight may also be an option. Distichiasis is a condition caused by extra hairs that grow inside of the eyelid and rub on the surface of the eye.

This is one of the most commonly inherited diseases in dogs, and your Havanese is more likely than other dogs to develop this painful condition. If untreated, these abnormal hairs can cause corneal ulcers and chronic eye pain.

Several treatment options are available, and the prognosis is good once the hairs have been permanently removed. Most of these developmental errors cause no problems at all, some can only be detected by a vet using special tests, some are obvious, and a few can cause serious vision problems. Sometimes small strands of tissue that were meant to disappear soon after birth remain attached to the iris. Progressive Retinal Atrophy PRA is an inherited disease in which the eyes are genetically programmed to go blind.

Unfortunately, Havanese are a bit more likely than other dogs to have this condition. PRA is not painful, but also not curable. In dogs with the bad gene, early symptoms such as night blindness or dilated pupils generally begin around three to five years of age. A genetic test is available for this condition. Your Havanese is more likely than other dogs to have a liver disorder called portosystemic shunt PSS.

Some of the blood supply that should go to the liver goes around it instead, depriving the liver of the blood flow it needs to grow and function properly.

If your Havanese is trying to tell you something he may lick you as a sign that he wants something. If you respond to your Havanese licking by patting his head, giving him a cuddle, or talking sweet calming words then his way of getting your attention by licking you worked! This will reinforce this behavior and he will continue to do it. If you find this behavior annoying and want them to stop licking you to get your attention then ignoring them is your best step forward.

Decide if you should reward his licking behavior with attention or not. Generally, Havanese are very calm and easygoing, but they still need exercise and mental stimulation. Channeling that boredom into something more constructive will help to release some energy and create those feel-good endorphins your dog is trying to create by licking. Working on training together or taking an extra walk sometime in your day may just be the thing your dog needs to get him focused on something else.

This widely popular program has helped a lot of owners bond with their dogs and creates better behavior and habits to replace the not-so-great ones including obsessive licking. A lot of owners have also had great success with getting something like this lick mat or snuffle mat Amazon affiliate link.

Fun Fact: Dogs have fewer taste buds on their tongues than humans but more than cats. Researchers think that dogs have fewer taste buds because they use their powerful noses and sense of smell to enjoy food more than tasting it. You will be able to tell if your Havanese is stressed by paying close attention to his body language.

If you notice your dog has whale eyes wide eyes where you can see the white part , tucked ears, tucked tail, and a lot of lip-licking this is is a sign of stress. Your Havanese may start to lick as a coping mechanism in order to calm himself down. Licking can be very self-soothing to dogs, it releases chemicals called endorphins that trigger a positive feeling and lowers stress.

Some Havanese owners told me that their dogs like to lick themselves before curling up in a ball to go to sleep it was somewhat of a ritual to them and it seemed to help them calm and fall asleep more quickly. Licking may also remind them of when they were young and their mother licked them a lot.

It brings them to a place of comfort and calm. Some dogs have specific triggers that cause them stress and anxiety, so if you are able to pinpoint the stress trigger then getting to the root of that problem and trying to fix it is the best long-term plan for your pup.

For example, if your dog always starts licking at a certain time of day, try to figure out what is happening at that time of day that is stressing him out. Is it when the mail delivery comes, or when traffic gets louder outside?

If so work on solutions to help address these fears in your dog. You can also try helping them achieve a state of calm in other ways like using these calming treats, or a Pheromone spray. This one is pretty self-explanatory. If something smells yummy your dog is going to lick it to see how it tastes. Similarly, your dog could simply think that you taste nice. Certified applied animal behaviorist Dr. Mary Burch points out that humans have slightly salty skin, especially after sweating during exercise.

Therefore, those licks might be more about seeking salt than giving affection. Or, well, any meal. But, there is also evidence that licking is sometimes a sign of affection. Horowitz points out that, although it started as a food-seeking behavior, licking has now become a ritualized greeting for many dogs. Some wild species in the dog family will lick pack members just to welcome them home.

So, those daily slobbers really might just be a sign that your dog is happy to see you. Even so, there are some scenarios when you might want to head off a slobber fest from your pup. But sometimes licking is a symptom of a more serious problem.