Why do dogs lick their private areas?

Your dog does not stop licking its parts insistently, and you want to know what is the cause of this behavior and if it is normal or not? We tell you everything you need to know.

Dogs are the number 1 option when it comes to having a pet at home … And these, sometimes, make us go through uncomfortable moments or hobbies that we do not always understand, sometimes they rub themselves with others, choose to scratch themselves insistently, eat stones or, as in this case, insistently lick their parts.

But why do dogs have this mania? Is it normal? Although a dog licks its parts can be seen as an awkward moment or an obscene gesture for some owners, the reality is very different.

In addition to being a natural behavior of these furry, it is also completely normal, as long as it does not become a compulsive behavior.

Even so, there can be several causes that lead our dogs to lick their parts, and these can range from a simple way of grooming and keeping clean to possible diseases if this behavior becomes too frequent and repetitive on our pets.

We will tell you some of the possible causes.

A way to groom and cleanse

It is usually a behavior mainly related to the hygiene of our pet and that not only occurs in the genitals.

This type of cleaning and grooming time of our dog is especially important to maintain proper cleaning of its sensitive parts and therefore essential to prevent future problems or infections.

Even so, in addition to the licking that our dog can make to groom its parts, there are also different products on the market that allow a correct washing of these areas, so they can also be a great help to guarantee the correct hygiene of our dog and avoid the proliferation of bacteria or even fungi in these areas.

Something even more important in the case of bitches, since they have a greater tendency to possible microorganisms in the environment and to have vaginitis since their vulva is exposed at all times.

For all these reasons, if our dog licks his private parts and other parts of his body, it can be normal behavior, but it is advisable to be attentive to the frequency and other signs that could indicate other types of problems.

For stress and anxiety

Suppose that mania becomes a too frequent and compulsive behavior, and we also begin to appreciate hair loss in that area or reddening your skin. In that case, it could be a sign of boredom, stress, or even some other underlying cause that it would be advisable to consult with the vet.

Suppose the licking is compulsive, and it also does it in other parts of your body or even in some corners of the house or the floor. In that case, it can be a symptom of boredom, separation anxiety, or lack of environmental stimuli, in which case you should discuss the problem with a canine specialist.

Presence of infection, allergy, fungus, or fleas

As we have explained before, the frequency of that licking that our dog makes of its parts can be a clear indicator of the cause for which it does it, and if that mania is something too frequent, our dog may suffer from a skin infection, allergy, fungus or even fleas.

In which case, it would be precisely the itching in that area that would lead itself to insistently lick its parts or even cause the appearance of dermatitis or small ulcers on the skin caused by this repetitive behavior.

If we suspect that our dog may have any of these skin problems, we will have to go to the vet to treat and solve the problem.

For pleasure

On the other hand, dogs can also lick their parts as part of sexual behavior and pleasure. A behavior that both male and female dogs (from the first heat) can have is licking their penis or their vulva to masturbate and give themselves pleasure.

Completely normal behavior, and that, therefore, should not worry us unless we notice that this behavior becomes somewhat compulsive or that its parts present abnormalities or are irritated, in which case we will have to go to the vet.