Why does my dog keep licking her paws?
Unrelenting paw licking persists even after veterinary visits, leaving owners searching for alternative solutions when standard treatments fail. This repetitive behavior disrupts daily routines and signals an underlying issue that remains unresolved despite professional care.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 32.3× more often in r/dogs than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Using a cone2 people mentionedDid this help you?
- 2Taking the dog to the vetDid this help you?
- 3Keeping the puppy outside of striking distanceDid this help you?
- 4Grabbing the paw gently and holding it without reaction for a few secondsDid this help you?
- 5Ignoring the dog completely and turning away to remove the reward of attentionDid this help you?
- 6Rewarding alternative calm behaviors with praise and treatsDid this help you?
- 7Trying to tire the dog out before a napDid this help you?
- 8Administering trazodoneDid this help you?
- 9Using a variety of treats for distractionDid this help you?
- 10Going to the vet every morning for bandage replacementDid this help you?
- 11Telling the dog "leave it" to interrupt them before or during rollingDid this help you?
- 12Giving the dog a bath after they roll in something rancidDid this help you?
- 13Allowing the dog to roll only on days when a bath is already scheduled and the substance is not too heinousDid this help you?
- 14Considering dog boxers or clothingDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“My dog likes to roll. She wants to do it almost every day, but will stop when I tell her "leave it". Occasionally I won't notice until she's already doing it, and even a second or two in something rancid can leave a strong smell and she will need a bath.”source ↗
“My golden retriever keeps licking his paws. I’ve taken him to the vet but nothing seems to work. Any recs?”source ↗
“My dog has been struggling with scratching for the first time this summer.”source ↗
“I got him a cone but it's been storming non stop where I am and he's terrified of them so I feel like the cone is just making his anxiety so much worse.”source ↗
“Any suggestions on how I can cover the base of his tail or something so he doesn't scratch it?”source ↗
“My dog also likes to roll in things, and I do the same as you. She will leave it most of the time but if it's particularly stinky, she will not stop on her own. She gets a bath weekly, but especially when she rolls in mud before I catch it...”source ↗
“She has a really bad habit of smacking people, whether it be their legs or their arms or whatever is closest. She’ll do this when she wants pet, when she wants you to look at her toy, or really any time that she’s happy.”source ↗
“We have our old folks over and because of their thin skin, she’s drawing blood.”source ↗
“She has broken my mother’s skin a couple times and nailed me in the eye once.”source ↗
“Absolutely losing my mind trying to keep my girl from tearing off her bandage”source ↗
“Even with trazodone, which seems to be making her more agitated than calm.”source ↗
“I'm so exhausted that I honestly wish I was dead, I need help and the vet has no answers.”source ↗