My dog is licking the damp dirt??

He will scratch down an inch or so and then lick the dirt 2-4 times. Is he looking for a mineral his body needs? Is he just strange?

Likes damp black dirt.

I feed him well so what could be missing in his food?

Ideas?

Facts?

Help…

My dog loves to lick sand! Not sand while we’re on the beach, but sand in the car (after the beach) and sand on the patio from the kids’ sand table.

I vote for “just strange.”

My Yorkie (dog#1) licks blankets, fuzzy ones. She’s quite neurotic about it. I believe she’s crazy.

He likes the taste?

Hummmm
More opinion than facts. Could a Mod please move to IMHO?

Is KG still internet deprived in PR? She might know???

Moved to IMHO.

Is it Gus or Spot that’s doing all this licking?

I’m Gus
Spot is my motorcycle (chopper that always leaves a spot.)
Zeus is my dog who licks dirt.

Bawahahahahaha

I had a dog that liked to pick up little pebbles and chew on them. To quote Foghorn Leghorn: “Mutts, Ah say, mutts is nuts.”

Now that was funny!

Dirt w/ minerals will taste salty. Some dogs like the taste of salt.

Similarly, my dogs lick my arms and legs, feasting on my dried perspiration and the salt left behind.

…we have “special” areas where our dogs like to lick, certain collection points for water, whizz, whatever:p Multiple dogs, over many years, same places.
I have heard/read (discussed with vet but anecdotal) that dogs do this to pickup certain bacteria to balance their guts.
Dogs also seem to sample most anything sometimes, including the favorite…“kitty mints” as I call them …sheesh…

To that end some of the probiotics sold for dogs claim to have 7 types of soil biotics. We had some serious issues with our “batch” of shnauzers, internal hemmoragging in the gut lining, and I was trying all sort of things to help. Weird genetic issue, and they were fine. Pretty horrific mess though, for awhile.:eek: