Q: Is there a way to prevent your dog from obsessively licking their paws?
A: Dogs may lick their paws for a variety of reasons, but allergies irritating the feet are the first cause to rule out. These might be environmental allergies such as from grasses, parasites, carpets, pollens or other animal fur, or dietary allergies, with allergies to chicken and grain being known to inflame the feet. Your vet may be able to conduct an allergy test or may suggest using an exclusion diet to find the allergen that way.
The issue, however, can also be entirely behavioural. If he is bored and it has become an obsessive habit, you may need to break the cycle with new distractions such as stuffed Kong toys or other mentally stimulating activities. It can also be that your dog has worked out that they get attention from you when they lick their paws, even if this is ‘negative’ attention, which can also perpetuate the behaviour. Ignoring the behaviour and rewarding other activities is the way to get around this.
Whatever the cause, if your dog’s paws are becoming visibly irritated and sore, a trip to the vet is advised.
