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Canine Behavior/Dog Licks Tree Bark

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Expert: Northerly - 4/5/2007


Question
My 5 year old beagle has started a curious habit-- she licks my box-alder tree. She has been doing this for a few months now, sometimes chewing at the trees, too. We try to get her to stop, but it is like she is in a trance or a stupor. My trees are becoming quite discolored and the bark is wearing away. We are constantly chasing the dog away, but she always returns.

She has a very good diet, gets a walk every day (except when it rains). She is a beagle, so she also gets loose sometimes... is this behavior expected? Is bark-licking bad for her? We know it is bad for the trees. I will probably have to chop down several of the trees she has damaged. Overall, she is a pretty destructive dog (we got her "used" from the pound). She tears everything up- and I mean everything. We cannot figure out why she does this. Any advice is helpful. Thanks!  

Answer
Not knowng the dog myself it's hard to tell if this is an obsessive behavior.  What do you think ?  Beagles can get pretty goofy and barky if not provided the high amount of work they were bred for.

I would recommend asking a vet to check for any possible nutrient deficiencies or imbalances.  A good diet does not necessarily mean she is metabolizing her nutrients.  

I think there is a good chance she is being obsessive or there is something in the tree she thinks she needs.

From this 'great distance' I would guess the former for no other reason than her breed.  Try walking her intensively for a few days and see if the behavior lessens.  I mean really walk her, perhaps 45 minutes morning and evening.  If it works, contact me again and I'll give you training tips / activities that don't take you so long to perform and that can be worked more easily into your routine.

Good luck, and please honor my contribution with feedback.

Canine Behavior

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Northerly

Expertise

Alaskan Dog Mushers depend on Pack Mentality Training. We are enthusiastic adherents to this method and possibly the most experienced in applying it.

Sled Dogs perform feats of mental and social acuity that amaze even an experienced observer. My techniques were developed by training large groups of dogs to perform complex tasks while peacefully co-existing as a Team. I taught novices how to handle teams of up to sixteen animals by themselves. My various Race Official placements required I judge other dog professionals on the application of training methods.

How does this relate to you and your dog ?

I can help you speak to your dogs inner wolf and offer methods that support well-balanced lives in the human world. On certain levels all dogs think alike; my background with those close to their wild cousins provides many insights not available elsewhere.

I can help with daily routines to meet a dogs pack psychology requirements, and suggest unusual play methods to satisfy their canine cravings. I can help and advise proper ways to share kitchen foods. I can counsel regarding common stresses such as new additions, new experiences, and multiple dog households.

My advice is unusual and at times controversial. This is not a result of personal bias, but more likely due to under-reporting of our methods among the field of Dog Behaviorism. I am willing to present very advanced techniques, it is entirely up to you to decide if you are confident in using them.

While I enthusiastically believe many of you can make great strides in a forum such as this, some dogs or owners require hands-on evaluation of their situation. I advise you to seek professional and/or veterinary help if your conscience is not perfectly clear on the best way to proceed.

Experience

Experience
Iditarod Dogsled Race Judge 1992. Founder of Copper Basin 300 Dogsled Race serving as Race Marshall 90,91,92. Owner Wrangell Dogsled Tours 1983-1993. Current business: "Learn Dog Whispering" (learndogwhispering.com)

Publications
Discovery Channel segment promoting Alaska Winter Tourism, current business: LearnDogWhispering.com

Education/Credentials
Oregon State University, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Anchorage

Awards and Honors
Honored as Race Judge on Iditarod, chosen from a world pool of applicants. Offered and regretfully declined a position as Judge for the Hope Race across the Bering Strait through Siberia. Early pioneer in the Alaska Winter Tourism Industry, founded one of the world's first Adventure Dogsled Operations.

Past/Present Clients
Good friend of the late Joe Redington Sr., Father of the Iditarod. Past Professional relationships with the worlds’ greatest dog racers. Hosted comedian/pianist Victor Borge on a dogsled tour at age 83 amidst great concern for his safety !
Other international clients, many of whom barely spoke English, often complimented me as being the ‘best translator who didn’t even know the language’, a trait I attributed to my dog behavior skills.

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