Last Updated on April 24, 2024 by Dr. Julie
Rottweilers will often loosen their tongue and lick absolutely everything, making you wonder why do Rottweilers lick so much. There is no universal answer to this question, however. There can be dozens of reasons for your dog licking everything around them, and today, we’ll be looking into every single one of them.
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Why Do Rottweilers Lick So Much?
There can be many, many reasons for your dog using its tongue to an advanced degree. Everything ranging from simple displays of affection to health concerns, dogs use their tongues all the time.
Displaying Affection
Licking is likely one of your dog’s most favorite ways of displaying affection! Perhaps you’ve wondered what does it mean when dogs lick your face, and it’s time to learn that dogs don’t lick the faces of people they don’t like. If your Rottweiler is licking your face, it only means that they love you! If you’re not comfortable with that, you can teach your dog not to lick your face.
Learn more about: Dark Spot On Dog’s Tongue
Tasting
Just like humans, dogs use their tongues to taste. However, to detect what something is, perhaps something unknown that they’ve never seen before, they’ll often lick it to taste it. Other mammals do it too, with salt licks being very popular in zoos and wildlife reservations, and your dog is no different. In this instance, they use their tongue similarly to the way they use their snout – they’re exploring. If they find that what they’re licking has an appealing taste, they’ll continue to lick it.
This is similar to the behavior of bears – they often bite everything just to figure out what it is!
If you have a problem with your dog licking you constantly, you can actually purchase dog-repellant which doesn’t taste good to them!
Self-Comfort
Dogs help themselves out similarly to the way humans do. When we feel pressured or stressed, we’ll do something to find physical comfort; cross our arms, tap our leg, etc. Your Rottweiler licking everything can also serve as a way to find comfort when your dog is stressed. This habit of licking can become especially apparent after an event that brought a lot of stress to their lives; moving, death of an owner, etc.
This is perfectly normal, but there are methods you can try to pursue to change the way your dog finds comfort.
Habit
If you start encouraging your dog to lick everything, it will cause a Pavlovian effect and your dog will develop a habit of licking. Some dog trainers actually warn about this, as it could become a problem down the road. Licks and kisses from puppies are cute, but your Rottweiler will be a 100-pound beast in no time. It might be smart to start thinking about training.
Grooming
Many dogs, including Rottweilers, will self-groom if they feel the need for it. Many Rottweilers will lick and nibble on their hair to groom it, and you shouldn’t be surprised if your dog does this. This behavior is very similar to the behavior of cats.
Health Concerns
There are also a lot of reasons related to health concerns for your dog licking everything so much.
Infections and Skin Irritations
If your dog cuts itself on a piece of sharp grass (it happens more than you’d think) or on something else, it’s going to be drooling around a lot. It will also lick everything to try and mend their wound! Your dog could also be infected with a parasite it caught from a flea or a tick – bad breath, excessive drooling and your dog licking everything in sight can be a symptom of this. Dogs tend to lick a lot in an effort to mend their pain!
Allergies
Allergies are very common with dogs, similar to the way they’re common with humans. If your dog is suffering from an irritated tongue because of a food allergy reaction, it could try to deal with it by licking grass. This can also happen with environmental allergies, not just food allergies. It’s best to make an appointment with your veterinarian and have your dog checked out!
Pain
If your dog is licking a certain area in excess, it’s quite possible they’re doing it to alleviate pain. Dogs will also do this if they’ve suffered any cuts or bruising. Make sure to check your dog’s coat thoroughly and take them to see the vet if you sense that there’s a problem.
Other Health Concerns
Excessive licking can also be a symptom of various other health concerns, and taking your pup to see, should always be your first option.
Training Your Dog Not To Lick Everything
If you want your dog to stop this excessive licking, it’s going to take training. Most behaviors can be trained, and it’s important to understand that licking isn’t bad dog behavior. It’s more like humans don’t feel comfortable licking everything, which is why we don’t like our dogs licking everything around us.
It’s important to establish a command that your dog will understand as a ‘stop licking’ command. Your dog’s licking should be within the bounds of normal, and you shouldn’t use this command every time you see your dog wagging its tongue. Just like with any other form of training, this is going to take time and patience.
This is why it would perhaps be best to work with a dog trainer to teach them to control their urges regarding licking! Most dog trainers have experience with these problems.
Why do dogs like to lick your face? To sum up, licking can be caused by many, many different behavioral reasons: displays of affection, exploration, self-comfort, tasting, licking out of habit, or even grooming. There are, however, also possible medical reasons for your dog’s licking. For example, allergic reactions, cut or bruised body parts, infections, and skin irritations, etc. It’s important to identify whether your dog’s licking is truly excessive since most dogs will spend a lot of their time licking around. If you think that it is, you should work on some exercises to stop your dog from licking so much.
If that doesn’t work out, taking your dog to the vet and/or a dog trainer should help.