# My dog is licking the damp dirt?? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 23, 2017, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115 "2017-12-23T04:43:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115/1 "2017-12-23T04:43:11Z")
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… ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115/2 "2017-12-23T05:07:09Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115/3 "2017-12-23T05:12:25Z")
My Yorkie (dog#1) licks blankets, fuzzy ones. She’s quite neurotic about it. I believe she’s crazy. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115/4 "2017-12-23T05:14:23Z")
He likes the taste? ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115/5 "2017-12-23T17:10:11Z")
Hummmm More opinion than facts. Could a Mod please move to IMHO? Is KG still internet deprived in PR? She might know??? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115/6 "2017-12-23T17:14:44Z")
Moved to IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2017, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115/7 "2017-12-23T17:36:22Z")
Is it Gus or Spot that’s doing all this licking? ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115/8 "2017-12-24T05:16:35Z")
I’m Gus Spot is my motorcycle (chopper that always leaves a spot.) Zeus is my dog who licks dirt. Bawahahahahaha ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115/9 "2017-12-24T05:41:03Z")
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.” ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115/10 "2017-12-24T06:52:18Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > 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! ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115/11 "2017-12-24T15:43:41Z")
Dirt w/ minerals will taste salty. Some dogs like the taste of salt. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115/12 "2017-12-24T16:28:29Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/section_maker_jupe/32/1424_2.png) [@Section\_Maker\_Jupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Section_Maker_Jupe)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2017, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-dog-is-licking-the-damp-dirt/805115/13 "2017-12-24T16:45:02Z")
…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: