How to Get Puppies to Stop Licking
- 1). Pull away when your puppy licks you. Jerk your hand away, turn your head and ignore the puppy. Continue to do this as long as your puppy continues to try and lick you. You might have to step away from your puppy several times before it gets discouraged and stops trying.
- 2). Give your puppy attention as soon as the licking stops. Attention is what it wanted in the first place. Praise it and pet it when it is not licking. This will send a message to your puppy that licking doesn't get it attention, but waiting patiently does.
- 3). Repeat this behavior as often as needed until your puppy learns not to lick you. Be consisted and ignore your puppy every time it licks, or it won't learn that licking doesn't earn attention. Inform any friends and family that visit about the training, and ask them to do the same, so that your puppy realizes that licking won't get it attention from humans at all.
- 4). Avoid scolding your puppy or pushing it away when it licks you. Punishment can confuse your puppy and cause fear. After all, it is only trying to show affection. Don't put your hands on your puppy at all. In a puppy's mind, any attention is better than no attention, and even by pushing your puppy away you can accidentally reinforce the behavior. Ignore your puppy completely while it is trying to lick you.
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