There are many dogs that have a habit lick their own urine or that of others, this being a habit
unsanitary and unpleasant. Although in principle we do not know how to find a why, the truth is that this gesture has a meaning. There are different theories that affirm that this practice is given for several reasons.
The best known is related to pheromone detection, from which dogs obtain valuable information about others. These substances are released, among other ways, through the urine, and captured by dogs through their sense of smell. For this they have to make use of the vomeronasal organ, located between the nose and the mouth, carrying out a procedure that in English receives the name
It consists of pressing the tongue against the palate several times, occasionally pulling out the end of the tongue, as if they were testing
a strange taste. In this way they capture pheromones, getting information about the dog that has urinated. This is a more common behavior among males, especially when they encounter the urine of a female in heat.
Other theories claim that it is due to a
hygiene issue. Sometimes when the puppies are separated
of their parent too soon, they get into the habit of cleaning the area where they are of debris, because their mother no longer can
do it for them. For this reason they develop the mania of licking their own urine and that of others.
In others occasions
they just do it because they like the taste, something that although humans find unpleasant, for
they are completely
natural. On the other hand, in extreme cases in which the dog begins to suffer dehydration and does not have water available, can
It is recommended to delete this habit
, since through the waste of other animals the dog can
get an infection or disease. It will be enough to move him away from the urine by giving a small tug with the belt
, the same tiempo
that we say "No" firmly and guide you in another direction. With patience and perseverance we will achieve it.