Charley sleeps at the bottom of my bed at night. She tries to creep up until she has taken up half of the bed. Especially if I get up in the middle of night to go to the bathroom and come back and she has literally commandeered the whole bed.

When I sleep I can not have my feet underneath the covers. I just can’t. I feel a bit too claustrophobic or maybe just get too warm. I’m not sure, but I just know I can only sleep with my feet sticking out.

However I have been noticing Charley has taken a liking to licking my feet. I will wake up to her going to town on my toes. She will be licking each toe, and in between. At first I thought it was funny. I am quite ticklish and so it makes me giggle. 

But she keeps on it diligently to the point when I have to stick my feet under the covers to get away from her little lapping session.

I ended up Googling “why does my dog lick my feet?” and came back with more than one answer. 

From the “American Kennel Club” came the answer that, “Sweaty, stinky feet are full of biological information, such as pheromones. Sweat also contains salt, which many dogs find appealing.”

Another reason is due to some behavioral issues.

I’d like to think I don’t have sweaty, salty, stinky feet, or that Charley has some behavioral tick that I need to address.

But I even noticed when I ended up wearing socks to bed because of this new weird behavior, she would still lick my feet, socks and all. Gross.

I found out that licking is perfectly normal behavior for dogs. They lick to communicate and to also take in their surroundings. 

I suppose my feet have been many places that my dog wants to experience. Makes sense.

The article went on saying that dogs have an additional sensory organ, which is called the JACOBSON’S ORGAN that connects the roof of the mouth to nasal cavity, which allows them to smell and taste at the same time, giving double olfactory pleasure.

I also read on wildearth.com that licking is an “appeasement gesture.” If that is the case then she has been showing me that she is exceptionally pleased. 

That’s the answer that I am going to go with. 

Lastly I read that if I want to curtail this behavior is just not to acknowledge it. I admit I laugh when she’s licking my feet, and even react when she’s licking my feet with socks on. I give her attention. And everybody loves attention. 

In the meantime I will acquiesce a few moments of foot licking, but after that I do need to tuck my toes underneath my blankets as to not encourage her any further. I do not want to scold her for her foot licking, yet it does become annoying. 

If it becomes increasingly worse than I am to seek some behavioral treatment, which I don’t think I will need to do. I am pretty sure she is just being a normal Charley Waffle. She just wants to find out where I’ve been and tell me how much she loves me.