Why does dog lick paws?

Dogs lick paws for different reasons. The most common reason is cleaning. Dogs are not as clean as cats, and they are less concerned about that, but they do want to stay clean. This is why they lick their paws after running, or after walking into mud.

Another reason for that are wounds. Dogs are wounded often, because they step into spikes, roots and all kinds of harmful things. By liking paws, they try to ease the pain, although it is not the best idea. If you see your dog liking paws, you might want to check if there are some wounds there. If not, just leave the dog alone. It means that he is only cleaning, or he is just bored.

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