Strange Dog Hobbies: Why Is Fred Always Licking the Bed?

Hi, I’m Dr. Karyn! Read my introduction to learn more about me and my five funny dogs, Poppy, Bailey, Kodah, Ned, and Fred.

All dogs are weird, right? I’m sure it’s not just mine. But I am sure that Fred is on the upper end of the weirdness spectrum, which just makes him all the more lovable. From his inexplicable social anxiety to his adorable security donuts, it seems that there’s always something just a little bit off-kilter when it comes to this little guy. And while Kodah and Ned may have something of a penchant for licking feet, Fred has an addiction of his own: he loves licking his bed.

When he first started doing it, we assumed that there’d been some food or drink spilled, and he was dedicated to cleaning it off (always helpful!). But as time went on, I realized that surely, by now, he had removed all traces of anything tasty, and there was very little chance that there had been a spill over the entire bed. And yet, almost every day, Fred can be seen licking this side or that, the front or the back, and when he gets bored with the bed, he’ll often move on to the sofa instead.

There are lots of different reasons why dogs will lick things, whether it be themselves, you, or things in their environment, but none of the usual suspects seemed to apply to Fred.

• Is he hungry? Well, that one’s a bit tricky to rule out, because although I don’t think he’s necessarily always hungry, he’s always keen to eat!
• Is he exploring his environment? Well, these items have been a pretty constant presence in his world, so I can’t imagine that he feels the need to familiarize himself with the flavor of the furniture on a daily basis.
• Is he doing it for attention? Apart from the occasional eye roll or bemused head shake, we actually don’t react to his licking, so I can’t see him getting any sort of positive reinforcement from us.
• Could it be an anxiety-related behavior or even a form of OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)? This, I believe, could be our most likely candidate.

Fred’s Social Anxiety

For as long as we’ve known him, Fred has had an odd reaction to being the center of attention. On one hand, he loves playing and cuddles and affection, but he seems very uncomfortable being the focus of scrutiny. If you spend more than a few moments looking directly at him, out comes the squeaking, the cowering, the smiling and grimacing, curling himself into an awkward ball or seeking out the comfort of a donut…or four.

Fred is something of a walking contradiction. One moment, he seems to be practically turning himself inside out with the unbearable pressure of being looked at, the next he is bouncing around, yipping and trying to get our attention. I can’t help but wonder if he is living in a constant state of conflict; Give me attention! But don’t look at me!

One thing is for sure, and it’s that I, like all pet parents, am destined to watch and wonder what is going on in that little brain of his. I just hope it doesn’t start to stress me out so much that I resort to licking the furniture.

If you have any theories about Fred’s weirdness, or you’d like to share some weirdness of your own, feel free to get in touch in the comments section below.

Until next time,