Expert: Madeline Friedman - 8/15/2009

Question
My dog jake is a 5 year old Yellow lab.  He has always enjoyed licking (only me really).  He will lick the spots that I had just got done sitting in,exspecially the arm rests on the chair.  And even where I was sleeping.
 So my problem is that he has been licking very aggressivly.  Mt head ( shaved head), arms, neck, and face.  He starts pawing at me too.  This is out of the ordinary.  It is almost like he is getting turned on.

Answer
Hi Ryan,

Thanks for sending me your question here at AllExperts.  I do think you've asked your question seriously, as I've seen what you're describing before and it's not uncommon.  

First, I'm wondering if your dog Jake is neutered?  If this behavior that you're describing has started suddenly, and Jake is not neutered, he may be responding to something in the area that's arousing him, such as a bitch (female) in heat.  Yes, in the dog world, females are commonly referred to as bitches.  I'm not cursing here, nor am I using the term unprofessionally.

Second, if Jake is neutered, this type of behavior can occur even so.

What happens is that many dogs can become aroused, for whatever reason, by smells associated with their owners.  Dogs may also become overly aroused simply by the excitement of seeing or playing with their owners.  With dogs, arousal doesn't necessarily signify sexual arousal - it may simply mean a highly alert or highly stimulating state.  But, this state, if allowed to go unchecked, may tip a dog into loss of self control and at those times the behavior can tip over into what very much looks like sexual arousal.

This should not be allowed. If it's allowed to continue, your dog may become so highly aroused that he could inadvertently hurt someone, by cleaving on to them or scratching them.  I have seen instances too where if this behavior is allowed to continue and such arousal and impulsivity goes unchecked, the dog may actually become aggressive about getting his way.

What you need to do is try to anticipate when this behavior occurs.  Does it occur when you come home after being away, and your dog becomes very excited to see you?  This is often when this type of behavior occurs with owners and dogs that exhibit the behavior you're describing.  It may also occur after you wrestle with your dog or play a high energy game with your dog.  What you need to teach Jake is to calm down and start to learn to control his own over stimulation and impulsivity.

One way that I would suggest doing this is by playing games in a start and stop manner, as follows.  Play a game that you have determined may be not very highly stimulating to Jake, but that may be only slightly stimulating and which may be a mild precursor to the behavior you've desribed to me, but don't let him become too highly stimulated at any point by the game at first.  Have Jake on leash.  Start the game, and stop before Jake becomes over-stimulated.  Ask him to lie down, and if need be, use the leash to gently guide him in to a 'down.'  Have him wait in the down position for about three minutes.  Release him from the down and start the game again.  Repeat about 10 times, about two to three times a day.  If at any point you see that the game is becoming too over-stimulating for Jake, shorten the game.  In this manner using this exercise, what you'll be doing is installing an on-off switch for your dog.  Playing the game is the 'on' switch.  Stopping the game and having Jake do a down/wait is your 'off' switch.  All dogs need this type of thermostat installed through training so that they can learn to control their own impulsivity.  As Jake becomes successful, very gradually increase the amount of time you play the game in order to challenge Jake a bit more.

Second is to keep the interactions that you feel may be tipping Jake in to this over-stimulated state very low-key.  If your greeting and interactions with him involve a lot of physical wrestling and such, temper them down for now.

Any time Jake exhibits this behavior, stop him gently, but firmly, as quickly as possible.  Often behavior such as this can become a habit quickly with many dogs, and can escalate into worse, more persistent behavior.

Also, consider giving Jake a little bit more mental stimulation in the form of training and physical exercise on leash outside, both.  Often dogs that are bored may exhibit the type of behavior you've described.

When Jake is around you, or around anyone whom you feel might become a target for his over-stimulated state, make sure he's on a leash so that you can control him, and make sure you don't leave him unsupervised with children, people, or even other animals that he may overpower.  Of course, remove the leash when he can't be under your or someone competent's supervision as leashes can get caught on furniture or other items and can trap or even strangle a dog.

A good book to read about teaching a dog impulse control is "Control Unleashed" by Leslie McDevitt.  There are many thoughtful exercises in that book that may apply to Jake and that may help you control his behavior.

Please remember to read and then rate my answer, which will be most appreciated.  If you can update me in a couple of weeks as well and let me know how things are going. I'd like to hear.

Best of luck,
Madeline Friedman, M.A.
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