Why A Dog Laps Its Own Urine

Dogs constantly amaze their owners with some of the not-so-appetizing things that they decide are tasty to eat, drink, or roll around in. It might not even be out of the norm for your pup to gross you out or exhibit some pretty weird behavior on a regular basis. Although a dog or puppy licking its own wee isn't likely to cause any harm, it's a good idea to check in with your vet if it becomes a regular habit.

Zontica/iStock/GettyImages

If your dog is confined in a small space, such as a crate, and has to urinate before you take her out, she might be cleaning her environment. Mother dogs often do this for their puppies to keep the nesting environment clean, so cleaning up urine with her tongue is just a normal part of doggy behavior from her perspective.

Medical issues, such as urinary tract infections, can cause your dog to dribble urine. Dogs don't care to walk around reeking of their pee in most instances, so it's not unusual to see a dog with urine problems lick at her urinary area and even directly drink her own pee before it hits the floor. Neatness counts in the dog world, at least when it comes to urinary cleanliness.

He knows he's been a bad dog, and you'll give him that look that shows you're disappointed. Quick! He had better hide the evidence. If peeing in the house is a new thing for your dog, consider any mental stressors or physical ailments that might cause him to relieve himself and then drink up.

Did you recently move? Aside from the stress of being in a new location, it's possible that a dog before him went wee in the same spot. It's most likely that he'd lap the urine if a female dog in heat made the piddle puddle. The liquid from his own urine would reconstitute odors in the dried urine, and he may like to lap up those come-hither hormones.

Does he seem to gravitate to one room or spot? Lift up the carpet or other flooring to see if there are any pee stains on the backing or padding underneath. Sometimes, it's necessary to replace the flooring and padding and even treat the subfloor to get rid of the old urine smells that encourage him to pee in the house.

Dogs raised in a puppy mill where they experienced crowded conditions can get used to the taste of pee and poop mixed in their food and water. If not specifically trained to "leave it," they can continue this behavior into adulthood.

Vesnaandjic/iStock/GettyImages

Dogs will usually dip their tongue in another dog's urine or lap at it to get more information. If you've ever noticed your dog investigating the urine of a dog in heat or any other unfamiliar dog, there's some information there that your dog is trying to ferret out. Dogs will often lick urine and then raise their nose to press the tongue against their soft palate and get the pheromone or other interesting smell to a unique scent organ known as the vomeronasal organ.

A dog's own pee might intrigue her enough to lick it if she's in heat or has other unfamiliar changes to the scent of her urine. Such changes could include pregnancy, something she ate or drank, a medical condition, or medication.