16 replies to this topic

[Stef]

Hi all!!

Tux seems to suck ( or chew - but there's no broken hairs or any hair missing ) on his coat - between his rib cage and his hip bone. When he comes out of his crate it's wet. (It's been 4-5 times that I've noticed it over the past two weeks...) It doesn't seem to matter if it's at night or during the day. Same spot on both sides.

He doesn't have a rash. He has had his "Vermin-Pill" this month and I haven't seen any fleas.

Could this be a compulsive behaviour?

Thanks so much for any advice you can offer.

Stef

[dobeluvr]

Dobes are prone to "flank licking." Tiki does it too, only not nearly as much as she used to. I consider it just one more of her little obsessive/compulsive behaviors. One more thing I'm hoping the Rescue Remedy will help.

Jane

[CAB]

Stef,

My beloved Niko use to do the same thing and she always had a big, sopping wet spot on her. I always just thought that perhaps this was something she developed during her early "not so good" years due to boredom, frustration, nervousness, etc. I never heard of the "flank licking/sucking" before.

I haven't noticed Cocoa doing this all at.

Cheryl

[oreo5129]

Dobes are prone to "flank licking."  Tiki does it too, only not nearly as much as she used to.  I consider it just one more of her little obsessive/compulsive behaviors.  One more thing I'm hoping the Rescue Remedy will help. 

Jane

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What is this "Rescue Remedy"?

[Daisy]

Stef,
Yea, Dobes are flank suckers, try some Bitter apple spray on his flanks
& giving him a toy that ok to have in his crate w/ him. Ive had acouple
that did it & just today, one of my girls has a spot of hair off on her flank
that looks like shes been sucking on it

[Stef]

Thank you all so much!! I was a little worried.

I don't have stuffed toys around - because my lab finds it ammusing to find a seam, rip it open, pull the stuffing out then pull the toy inside out. This is all in about 30 minutes.

Tux actually started doing it tonight while I was sitting with him (thinking about this thread) - so I gave him a stuffed bear and made sure Wes left him alone.

I'll get a couple more toys to put in his crate and I'll spray those spots with some no-bite stuff. (My lab liked the Bitter Apple - so we bought another brand....)

Thanks again so much for all your help!! This board has been so wonderful!!! People who know the breed and can give all sorts of advice and support. Thank you!

[dobeluvr]

What is this "Rescue Remedy"?

It's an herbal mixture of 5 flowers that I got at GNC. Mandy (Javaluva) told me about it. You can read about it in her posts on kbaf referring to Belle going to school. It's supposed to take the edge off of anxiety for both people and animals. So I'm trying it out on Tiki because she has quite a few stress reactions to certain stimuli.

Jane

[oreo5129]

Is it helping Tiki? I cannot cut Brady's toenails. I've tried every technique I can think of. He literally goes nuts. I never had a problem cutting Adonis' nails, and he didn't like it either. Brady is terrified. He fights so much that I'm afraid either he or my son or I will be injured. We've tried Benadryl with absolutely no effect. Do you think this stuff would help? Or do you or anybody else have any other suggestions? Trust me this goes way beyond just not liking his nails cut. Mary

[oreo5129]

Thank you all so much!!  I was a little worried. 

I don't have stuffed toys around - because my lab finds it ammusing to find a seam, rip it open, pull the stuffing out then pull the toy inside out.  This is all in about 30 minutes. 

Tux actually started doing it tonight while I was sitting with him (thinking about this thread) - so I gave him a stuffed bear and made sure Wes left him alone.

I'll get a couple more toys to put in his crate and I'll spray those spots with some no-bite stuff.  (My lab liked the Bitter Apple    - so we bought another brand....)

Thanks again so much for all your help!!  This board has been so wonderful!!!  People who know the breed and can give all sorts of advice and support.  Thank you! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My Cocoa doesn't mind that Bitter Apple stuff either, she just keeps on licking.

[KellyB]

oreo5129

Hi, Dakota doesn't like her nails done either. In CGC class they told us to rub, play, message their toes. get them used to having their feet touched. Also while doing this talk to your dog letting them know they are OK. I used to have to have my husband hold her and distract her. He was gone for six weeks and I was able to get her front feet done but her back feet were more difficult. I'm working on it with Dakota she does seem to look at me after a while as if "mom enough already"

[dobeluvr]

Is it helping Tiki?  I cannot cut Brady's toenails.  I've tried every technique I can think of.  He literally goes nuts.  I never had a problem cutting Adonis' nails, and he didn't like it either.  Brady is terrified.  He fights so much that I'm afraid either he or my son or I will be injured.  We've tried Benadryl with absolutely no effect.  Do you think this stuff would help?  Or do you or anybody else have any other suggestions?  Trust me this goes way beyond just not liking his nails cut.    Mary

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

From the results that I've seen using Rescue Remedy with Tiki, I doubt that it will help Brady in this situation. What you are describing here is what Tango goes through with her nails too. So we bring her to the vet once a month and have her nails done. She is a lot better with them than she is with us. Plus they have that powder that stops bleeding in case they cut too much from her squirming.

We actually had her nails laser cut because they are HUGE and tube-shaped. They do not taper at the ends so you can't see where the quick is. The laser cutting was supposed to make them grow in smaller, but they grew out like big fat TUBES again. That was a waste of stress, time and money.

So I leave it to the expert cutters now because I go through as much stress as Tango and it's not worth it to me. She's really good now with most of the vet techs about 8 out of ten times. A big improvement. There are a couple of techs who Larry requests cut the nails because they get the least reaction from Tango.

Sorry I couldn't help you. I really sympathize because it can be a real stressful situation.

Jane

[Javaluva]

Man, Belle does the same thing with biting her side right between her hip and rib cage, but I don't think she's sucking her flank when she does it. She'll be standing there and it'll be like she gets an itch (she reacts as if it is) and she'll whip around really fast and take as much of her flank into her mouth as she can and starts biting. She reacts as if she has an itch in that area but can't seem to find it. Sometimes she just stands there holding her flank, and it's always on the same side. She doesn't do it on the other side, at least not that I've ever seen. Sometimes her flank will even swell a bit from her chewing on it. Whenever I see her doing this, I go over and give her a good massage over the spot and it seems to help her out and make the itch go away.

If anyone has a dog that does this and knows why, please let me know because I haven't a clue!

[brownsmom]

Stef,

My Brownie likes to suck on his blanket. It is a pitiful sight to see my big Dobe with his blankie, but when he doesn't have it he will use the corner of the couch, a pillow or his side. ????

[jmnodwell]

I cannot cut Brady's toenails.  I've tried every technique I can think of.  He literally goes nuts.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As was suggested, start out touching his feet, if he has a problem, then his ankles or wherever on his legs/shoulders he is comfortable. Clicker training is great for this because you touch him, click, and treat. Work your way down the leg until you are touching, the holding the feet. When he is comfortable with that, then start touching not holding the individual toes. After that the pads. Then start holding the individual toes for short, then longer periods of time... This can takes hours or weeks or months...

After you can hold his toes for a period of time then start working down his legs again while holding the nail clipper. You aren't doing any clipping yet!!! Once you can hold his foot and touch his toes with the clipper then make the motion with the clipper but still don't cut (unless you think he is ready). Start out with one nail a day (no one EVER said that all nails have to be cut on the same day, right?). When that is no problem, then two nails, etc, etc until you can do one whole paw.

The key here is also treating each time he lets you touch or hold a part of that anatomy. That way he will associate getting touched/nails trimmed with great, wonderful treats and happy praise from mommy/daddy. I usually do this while we are sitting watching TV and they aren't paying much attention. When they let me hold their paws, I'll pop out a treat for them... They aren't watching TV anymore but they are still quiet on the floor or couch.

I want to be able to dremel my dog's nails so we are going through this but with a people nail file right now... I work a couple of minutes each night. They don't look at it as a bad thing but jump right up on the couch to have "Mommie, hold my hand"...

[Stef]

Stef,

My Brownie likes to suck on his blanket.  It is a pitiful sight to see my big Dobe with his blankie, but when he doesn't have it he will use the corner of the couch, a pillow or his side.  ????

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My husband's dobe did that - he was telling me about it. He would only suck on his blanket - nothing else - but he HAD to have it wherever he was laying down.

*giggling* I think it's kinda funny ...

[ChristineNHarley]

I have a that sucks only on one blanket - a plush one, so it must feel like fur to him. But I was told that he sucks on it because it's a sign that he was taken away from his mother too soon. (If that helps)

[LStevens]

My male Dobes have all had this behavior. I have not experienced it with any of my females. Grindle, whom I adopted in November, flank-sucks and licks. Not too obsessively, though; just for a short amount of time and not daily.

I had a female that did what Jane was describing - just grabbing her flank out of the blue, and holding on like she had a bite of some sort.

I never really paid attention to what time of year they seem to do this. Stallions are noted for "nipping" their sides - usually in the spring. Basically, they're a little frustrated.

I've noticed Grindle doing this mostly at night. I have no clue what prompts them to do this, other than maybe they are a little bored.

Linda