My puppy has zero interest in licking! Is this a problem?

Enrichment

My puppy (7mo, male, 16lbs) doesn’t care to lick! I feel like I’ve tried everything, frozen kongs with varied ingredients, stuffed kongs with varied ingredients, lick mats, Woof Pupsicle, etc. If I give him something to lick to entertain himself, he just isn’t interested and leaves it completely be. I use all the same treats he loves during training, but he ignores them if they are offered as a quiet licking activity or in his crate, etc.

He does like chewing — collagen sticks particularly. He will chew one while sitting at my feet, etc. But if I give him one (in a safety device so he can’t choke) in his crate or pen he completely ignores those too.

Now, to be clear, he is actually very well behaved and does well in his crate/pen when he does need to be in there, but I feel bad that I haven’t been able to give him enrichment during those times.

Has anyone else experienced this? Should I keep trying new things or just be grateful that he is okay being bored? Haha

Posted Mar 5, 2026, 4:43 PM UTC

24
Loading comments…