Progress on the licking sores!

Not that anyone would or should care about this....but Joey's licking sore is nearly healed! I'm excited about this because it proves that dogs *can* get over these habits. I want to write an article about it on my dog website.

A recap: his licking wound started from a mosquito bite from last year. He chewed and licked it because it itched, but then it turned into a licking habit. And so, a licking habit wound was formed.

The one on top is the original licking sore, the one on bottom is a new one. What took a year of licking on the first sore, he managed to make just as bad, if not worse, on the second sore, in just a few days. This is because he didn't lick, he began to literally dig in with his teeth and pull out skin. Gross and yuck. And ouch.

It was getting to be a concern to me because he was making these sores everywhere! It wasn't good for him health-wise and I will be honest, it was disgusting to watch. I mean, can you imagine watching a dog literally eat himself to death??

I tried covering it with bandages which of course, either fell off or he chewed off. I tried Bitterspray, which he licked off (a little at a time.) I tried horse radish. Sort of worked but it made a mess both on him and wherever he laid down.

I even tried a pony tail made out of cloth, not elastic, and it was actually working! It didn't fall off and he didn't chew it off. I had it on for a full day and we were making progress. But then he must have been pulling at it because suddenly his paw had swollen up three times it's original size and I rushed him into the vet clinic, convinced I had just cost him his paw.

I was thankful to hear that his paw would be just fine (they didn't even charge me for the visit, for which I was grateful) and that this sort of thing happens all the time to dog owners and even in the vet, because dogs chew and pull their bandages so much that it makes a tourniquet. Made me feel less of a jerk.

But when we talked about what to do about Joey's licking sore, they told me there was really nothing that could be done. They suggested everything I had already tried--they even suggested anti-anxiety meds. But they never suggested a cone. In fact, I brought up the cone idea and they vetoed it. They said it would be "too uncomfortable."

Ok, so this is my biggest pet peeve in dog training. I have only been doing this for a year, but I see too many bad decisions made based on emotion and not common sense. Uncomfortable?? Which is more uncomfortable--a cone on the head or bleeding sores all over the body?? I just get very impatient with this sort of thing, as you can see.

I decided to put the cone on Joey anyway. We kept it on for two weeks straight (with small breaks here and there.) He slept with it on as well, since his biggest licking time was when he was in the kennel by himself (dogs normally don't sleep the whole night through because they nap so much during the day.) He did fine with it on. Yes, he had some problems getting through doorways sometimes, and we had to help him in his kennel since he would get stuck in there (sort of funny, actually.) But he was able to eat, drink and sleep with it just fine.

And guess what? It totally broke him of his licking habit! His wound that he's had for a year now is completely healed (just a little calloused) and even has fur growing over it.

One month later

His second licking wound is much better as well, but because it was larger and deeper, it still needs more healing. However, Joey hasn't needed his cone since. He's learned that he's not to lick these two wounds or the cone goes back on.

In the beginning when Joey would lick at his wounds (when we gave him short breaks from the cone) I would jump at him (literally) with a loud "No!"  This was not really any sort of training technique, but more like frustration. Watching all that work of healing come undone while your dog literally gorges himself can turn you into an over-reactive crazy person. Like bringing in your kid for stitches and watching him take them all out as soon as he gets home.

But my extreme reaction along with the cone immediately going back on actually helped Joey make the connection: I lick my sores, I get yelled at and the cone goes back on. No more licking sores.

That doesn't mean that Joey no longer licks. He is licking his groin area now, and yes, it is red. But it's not so bad, because the cone goes on when he does it too much.

He does suffer from allergies as well but his obsessing licking actually stems from anxiety. You know what helps anxiety? Exercise! A well exercised dog will be too tired to lick.

Anyway, not that anyone should really care--this sort of post would do better on my dog website and I probably will write one up. But still, it makes me happy to have finally solved this problem! And a little bit proud too.