[lornadejager]

This is difficult to write, as up until recently, Ive always been a total dog lover!! My partner has a 10 year old Lab/cross, apart from dropping hair like its going out of fashion he constantly licks himself, sometimes for 10 mins at a time. The sound is like stiring gluppy porridge, it goes on and on and until you say STOP IT he will just carry on. The thing is, this dog is HIS baby, so Im constantly made to feel like the DEVIL!! A nasty person for saying something, but I have to say the slupping sound actually makes me feel sick!! He licks his paws over and over and over, his genitals (understandably) but mostly his feet. He doesnt get walked much due to arthritis. He doesnt get played with either much as his owner is usually too tired my feeling its bordem, the dog follows his owner as soon as he leaves the room or if he is in the shower just hangs about the hallway just in case hes missing out on something! Its driving me NUTS!

Please can someone give me advice, as Im sick of being made to look like the bad guy here! Myself and siblings have had dogs since childhood, but ive NEVER known a dog to be so damn irritating, I just need an expert to explain to my partner Im not the bad guy here, in that the dogs behaviour is ABNORMAL and its perfectly understandable for someone to find the sound really irritating!

[Lunareclipse]

I have a saint bernard that does that. I spray Bitter Apple around her "area" and it generally takes care of the problem for a few days until I have to do it again.

My doggie that does this has severe hip dysplasia and arthritis. I agree with Rees post below about boredom.

[reeskujo]

My Akita is a male and he from time to time gets on my nerves doing that as well but he stops when I tell him..As for your partners dog with the situation you've explained it really sounds like the dog is doing it out of frustration..If he's not able to get out much because of his health and he isn't getting attention from his owner he's most likely doing it out of boredom and frustration and honestly that the owners fault not the dogs..

Even if a dog isn't physically up for excersize they still need attention and mental stimultion and when they don't get it they get bored and frustrated..be glad he's an older dog because when puppies or younger dogs get bored/frusrated they usually turn to destruction to relieve it..As for him laying outside the bathroom door and following your partner around I'm sorry but that is completely normal..In fact I don't think I've ever had a dog especially my Akita's not do that...Before I got my Akita Seigi I had a rescue Akita and a Husky rescue both of whom followed me room to room and waited outside the bathroom door..In fact if I left it open when I took a shower my Husky would attempt to climb in with me.

I can sympathize with you as I know how very annoying that sound can be however with the situation you've explained it's not abnormal at all that that dog is doing it and quite honestly it's not his fault..

[lange]

Total agreement with the above.

We all have things that annoy us. It's just individual. My Wrigley follows me like you would not believe. The only thing I want to add is that a dog who licks his paws a lot can also do this because of allergies as an FYI.