# Human Wrist Licking



## pburchins (Mar 11, 2009)

My 14 month Golden, Riley, for some reason likes to lick my wrists. He will lick and start to make a weird clicking noise and he moves the back of skull upwards. It is very strange. I am the only he tries to do this with.

I use opioid's because I have chronic pain from 4 back surgeries that did not stop the pain. In fact, I have a Intrathecal Pain Pump implanted in me that delivers dilaudid to my spinal canal every hour.

I wonder if I am excreting the opiioids in my wrists or sweat on my wrists. It is just very strange. Some have suggested a dominance or pack thing. Our vet says sometimes dogs do just weird things. 

Any thoughts ??


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## Tristan (Dec 24, 2009)

I have an almost 2 year old Golden, Trinian, who will lick my Tristan's dog tags when he spots them around my neck.
He also licks his "Brothers" ( Sunny a yellow lab) dog tags to distraction if we let him.
Wierd, just wierd.
Sorry about the back pain... I too have had several back surgeries and take dilaudid orally but it doesn't cut the really bad pain.
I had an experice with Trinian this morning running into the swamp after geese.
He got an unscheduled bath and I am soggy from doing it !
Good luck on the lickings !!


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## Nicole74 (May 30, 2009)

I think your dog is showing his love to you. They lick to show affection. I doubt it's because of your medicine. I take medicine too and Bailey does not lick me constantly like my Annie. However, Annie will come up to me and lick me all day long. She is such a sweet girl. Annie likes to lick my feet, hands and face.

I live in severe chronic pain too, but in my neck. I had surgery and it did not help as well, I'm looking to have another fusion and I'm not looking foward to it. Maybe someday they will implant the pump. I've exhausted almost all of the medication options.


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## GoldenJoyx'stwo (Feb 25, 2007)

Does he sound like a woodpecker when the clicking noise is made? Shadow doesn't make this sound, but Tucker does when he is VERY excited over something. In Tucker's case it's the anticipation of great food.


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## RedDogs (Jan 30, 2010)

Read the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior's position statement on dominance... and then you'll be prepared to argue when anyone lists that as the reasoning!

http://www.avsabonline.org/avsabonline/images/stories/Position_Statements/dominance statement.pdf

There are many dogs who do this. Most of the time it appears to be an appeasement behavior and it does seem to be more likely to happen in dogs who have some level of anxiety. It can also be more common when people use lotion and your medication may also be changing your 'flavor' (for lack of abetter word!). Sometimes people just taste better! Dogs think it's great we slather ourselves in something that's almost as tasty as peanut butter.

Teeth chattering can be a sign of arousal, but is also related to scenting. Somehow or another it helps the scent/pheromones be moved/processed through the 'Jacobsons Organ'.

If you do not like it, the best option would be to get up and leave the room for 15 seconds every single time it starts, combined with teaching your dog to go to a mat/bed and stay there. If your pain does not allow option #1, go with just the mat training. The licking is likely reinforcing whether it's from taste or anxiety, and any time it happens, the behavior is being reinforced. We don't want to be actively punishing the behavior as that may increase anxiety (and frequency!).


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## Debles (Sep 6, 2007)

My Selka is a licker and I think it is both affection and he likes the way I taste! Gunner doesn't lick at all.

My daughter's golden always tries to lick my neck (perfume) when I am sitting petting him! THAT I don't care for! LOL!


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## Nicole74 (May 30, 2009)

Annie and Bailey lick each other too! I see them do this several times a day.


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## Jax's Mom (Oct 16, 2009)

My Lucy is a licker...anywhere...and everything. I try to re-direct her when I see her going at it too long. I do think it is an anxiety issue for her as I think she is an anxious dog. If your dog doesnt do it compulsively, then I wouldnt worry about it.


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## Muddypaws (Apr 20, 2009)

RedDogs said:


> There are many dogs who do this. Most of the time it appears to be an appeasement behavior and it does seem to be more likely to happen in dogs who have some level of anxiety. It can also be more common when people use lotion and your medication may also be changing your 'flavor' (for lack of abetter word!). Sometimes people just taste better! Dogs think it's great we slather ourselves in something that's almost as tasty as peanut butter.


Darby licks when he gets anxious or worried, especially when I dremel his nails.

Kirby use to clean my moisturizer off my face int eh mornings. I switch moisturizer and she lost interest. 



RedDogs said:


> chattering can be a sign of arousal, but is also related to scenting. Somehow or another it helps the scent/pheromones be moved/processed through the 'Jacobsons Organ'.


Darby does this but I don't think it is dominance related it seems to happen more around mealtime (before or after) or when he is happy or a little nervous about something. He always looks up at me with a helpless look like "Mommy I think I need a hug, please".

Very interesting I have to pay more attention next time he does it.


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## pburchins (Mar 11, 2009)

Kimm said:


> Does he sound like a woodpecker when the clicking noise is made? Shadow doesn't make this sound, but Tucker does when he is VERY excited over something. In Tucker's case it's the anticipation of great food.


Yes, this is good way to describe it. It is hard to describe how the top of his head moves while he is doing this. There is a lot of drool that occurs as well.

I have seen these shows that talk about the sense of smell a dog has and how it categorizes it. I keep thinking he is putting this taste in a special drawer. LOL Our first golden would drool excessively when my wife would make a Silver Palate Pound (I would drool a little as well  ) I would sit down to have a piece of cake and it was like someone flipped on a drool switch.

I don't believe Riley finds the taste on the rest repulsive or such. However, I guess I keep wondering what makes me different from others in the house and that is why I wondered about the medications.


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## MiriG (Jun 10, 2015)

*Mine does too!*



pburchins said:


> My 14 month Golden, Riley, for some reason likes to lick my wrists.
> 
> I use opioid's because I have chronic pain from 4 back surgeries that did not stop the pain. In fact, I have a Intrathecal Pain Pump implanted in me that delivers dilaudid to my spinal canal every hour.
> 
> I wonder if I am excreting the opiioids in my wrists or sweat on my wrists. It is just very strange.


I know this thread is years old however I just had to join to reply! Maybe the poster will still get notified.

I have a German Shepherd who does the identical thing except for the sound part.
The thing is I too take opioids for similar reasons and I have ALWAYS thought he does this for exactly the same reason.
I have a number of illnesses too and he is certainly aware that there is something " wrong" with me. He doesn't do this everyday, however when he does he starts by sniffing my wrist and then licking as if he can smell something.
My thoughts have always been that my body must release some smell related either to my illness or the meds that only a dog(or "Shiloh"), can smell.
Being as he is a " one person" dog ( he has a quarter Belguim Shepherd ie: Malinios, who are very much a " one person dog"), he is always by my side and sees me as 'his' but never in a dominant way.
I was googling in the hope of finding an answer to this too and was amazed that you also had the meds aspect to it too.
I hope this does get to you somehow as I would love to know if you ever found out anymore info in it :crossfing


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## amandac (May 4, 2015)

Google vomeronasal or Jacobson's organ; you can find videos of dogs using this scenting organ online. Maybe he licks there because your blood is very close to the surface of your skin at the wrist.


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## DDrake (Mar 19, 2018)

Since this is coming up in the search engines when we Google I guess I can add here that both of my big dogs have done this only a few times. I have mitochondrial disease and quit taking all meds years ago as they made me worse. But yesterday I was sitting outside with the dogs when one caught a whiff of my wrist and started smelling it almost with concern. Then she started licking and the other came to check it out and joined in. Then they checked the other wrist. I really feel they can detect something is not right in the blood.


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## cwag (Apr 25, 2017)

That's very possible and really interesting. Sometimes Rukie smells my chest and I think breast cancer?? and then I notice it is crumbs or spills


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