licking and panting at bedtime?

Question

I have a 1 year old Cairn terrier. At night, everynight, when its time to go to bed his breathing gets weird. He pants, and breathes very quickly. I've started keeping a water dish in the bedroom, but he rarely ever drinks from it, so it isnt because of thirst. He also licks. and licks and licks and licks. He'll lick me, the blankets, my pillow, whatever his little tongue can reach from where he's laying. I have even had to get up in the middle of the night to change my pillowcases because he has soaked it. Are these things normal? The breathing I know there isnt anything that I can do about it, its just a little weird. The licking i'd like to stop, but i dont know how (i dont want to use 'Bitter Apple' or anything like that on my bed)
Any suggestions would be helpful (and by suggestions, i mean something that has more to it than "if you dont like it then dont let him sleep in the bed" because that is not helpful in the least)

Answer 1

I know how to fix your dogs problem... The solution can ONLY be one of two things. First the easy fix.....Try to take your dog to the bathroom when he first starts to breathe quickly. I assume you mean that your dog starts to pant. 9 time out of 10 This will solve this problem when dealing with puppies…Dogs are considered pups all the way up to three years old.

The second solution is when dogs are bored they tend to try to entertain themselves in very strange ways...At least to us humans we think their behavior is strange. (Licking everything out of board-um and lack of exercise) dogs need a lot of physical and mental exercise, and it’s our job as responsible dog owners to release all there built up energy. Their energy is going to be release in a positive or negative way depending on how much the average dog owner understands his/her pet and how much the owner challenges his/her dog/s. Your dogs built up energy needs to be release on a daily basis. I strongly suggest you research dog psychology and learn what makes a dog a dog and learn as many answers to all the “why's” and all the “how's” that every dog owner should understand. Try to excerise your dog and show him the world. Take him for a walk once or twice a day…If your not up for walks then many you should consider getting a second dog to entertain your current dog. I'm confident that what I’ve said will correct your dogs unwanted behavior.

P.S.......... To most of the people posting on this question, this is not show and tell people! The person who posted this question is NOT looking for all your cute stories about YOUR dog. These web site is for answers that pertain to the questions at hand!

Answer 2

I know that some dogs lick more then others. My little Schnauzer would lick my face up until he was about 2 but now he's 10 yrs. old.& rarely licks at all. The panting might begin at bedtime because the room is not cool enough.
The answer above mine which says her dog had a sore in his mouth might be worth checking in to. If you find that he is healthy but just likes to lick I think you'll have to start training him not to do that when he's in bed with you. Those Carin Terriers are pretty darn smart. You could probably get him to stop that habit very soon if you are consistant about the training. I'm wondering if your dog, being so young, might be thinking that this is how he will mark his territory...licking your bed. Or he's bored. Does he sleep a lot during the day? This is a mystery. I hope he is okay health wise. Good luck, have fun.

Answer 3

Dog Panting And Licking

Answer 4

Constant licking can be a sign of liver shunt. Some of the small breeds are genectically predisposed to the defect. Some dogs can become obsessive on certain behaviors (licking, chasing balls, reflections etc.).
Does he like chewing on pig ears or have a favorite toy? You might want to offer whatever the favorite item is whenever he starts in with the licking. If that does not work try a walk, or a game. You want to take his mind away from the thing he is licking. I know its hard to deal with these issues and especially when you are ready to go to sleep... so best of luck to you.

Answer 5

I would say get him a toy to bring with him into the bedroom. Don't get a squeaky toy if you are trying to sleep though! I had a puppy once...a BIG puppy and all he wanted to do was lick, lick, lick all the time. Dogs tend to lick everything, especially young dogs. It is completely normal for a dog to lick, but maybe he has a sore in his mouth. That is what was wrong with my dog. We took him to the vet for a check up, and it turned out that he had been licking a lot because he had a sore in his mouth which was causing him to salivate a lot more than usual...which caused him to lick. If that isn't the problem, I would still suggest the dog toy. Get a stuffed animal, a rawhide bone, anything.

Answer 6

Maybe your dog is not comfortable in your room at night that is why he is panting. He keeps on licking because he has difficulty in breathing. Maybe he has colds and this is the reason why he keeps on opening his mouth which you misinterpreted as licking. Try discussing it with the vet or let him sleep in the living room. If he cant's sleep without you on his side sleep there also and try to observe if his condition improves.

Answer 7

my dog does that attimes, but not every day. but when he does hes just dreaming because he tends to cry, and mooan and snoore lol.

maybe hes hott, that would explain thepanting and some of the licking. Turn on a fan if thats the case.

good luck

Answer 8

some dogs are hot blooded and need extra coolness but also a vet check in case the dog got a hold of bad dog food.

Answer 9

This doesn't sound normal at all to me. Perhaps some sort of allergy? I really don't know. If he were my dog I'd bring him to a vet.

Good luck.

Answer 10

oh this is a dog questuion, lol.