Jack has been growing in a nice shiny coat, but he has a problematic new behaviour-- if he gets an itch, he'll nibble the spot and usually 'snip off' the hair and sometimes irritate the skin (if I intercept him and scratch the itch it doesn't appear there's an underlying issue.
All my previous dogs have 'self-groomed' (some quite a lot), but I'm a bit concerned about the wee bare patches he's made. Any tips on redirecting the behaviour or cutting down on the itch?
He gets plenty of stuff like fish oil, and enjoys being brushed. Attempts to distract him with a toy are usually a temporary fix.

I was hoping someone might reply to this thread because our two dogs, Katie and Ebony are similar to Jack in this. We don't understand what they are nibbling at. There don't seem to be traces of fleas or other parasites but their coats look a right mess with all the itching and nibbling. If anyone has any ideas please let us know.

This might not help, but my last greyhound was a bit on the itchy side, and I used a tea tree mist which I just got from the pet shop, dont know if it was the regular grooming or the stuff itself but it seemed to help. (Plus it was a nice clean smell and disguised some of the usual dog 'scents'!) Also, just a thought, but have you washed their dog beds or anything - could they be allergic to the washing pwder?

"If your dog is constantly licking, biting and chewing herself or pulling her fur out, the first thing to do is visit your veterinarian. These are often signs of health conditions that need medical attention. Pain and discomfort from more serious problems, as well as from minor skin conditions, can cause a dog to chew herself, so please, do not try to diagnose the problem yourself. See your veterinarian.

Usually when the ailment troubling your dog goes away, so does the self mutilating behavior. Sometimes the behavior continues as a habit even though the health problem is long gone. One trick is to give your dog something especially yummy to chew on beside herself - but not as a reward for chewing on herself. Give her the chewy before she starts chewing on herself. Personally, I smear a little peanut butter inside a Kong toy, just out of reach inside the kong. My dogs will spend hours trying to lick it out. If the dog is trying to get peanut butter out of a kong toy, she cannot at the same time be chewing herself.

Many dogs have excess nervous energy and no where to vent the stress, so they develop a habit or pastime of licking themselves raw. Other dogs actually learn this behavior because their owners make such a fuss over them whenever they indulge in such activities. It doesn't take long for Rover to realize this is quick and easy way to gain instant attention and affection. For example: "Oh Rover, you poor, poor thing, what's wrong with your little paws? Are they itchy or sore? Oh you poor baby." Pat, pat, stroke, stroke, etc. It doesn't take long for Rover to realize this is a quick and easy way to gain instant attention and affection."

"Unlike cats, dogs seldom lick themselves to clean their fur. If your dog's licking is caused by health problems or if it is causing health problems, then the first thing to do is to see your veterinarian. There are medications which are helpful in reducing the need to chew or lick.

Excessive licking or chewing that results in hair loss, sores, or redness, usually occurs because of parasitic infection. Check for fleas or ticks. Get rid of these parasites. Then, bathe your dog with a medicated shampoo and give him some medication for the itching.

A dog will chew at a burr, a thorny stick that is caught in his fur, or a thorn in his paw. He will try to untangle matted fur by chewing on the fur mat. For long-haired dogs, regular grooming is necessary.

Some dogs suffer from food allergies which can result in excessive licking. If you suspect diet, ask your veterinarian to recommend a non-allergic dog food. If the licking stops, slowly introduce one food at a time, carefully checking the ingredients. Try to determine which ingredient is the culprit.

If excessive chewing and licking are not due to health problems, then take a close look at your relationship with your dog. If your dog is shy, introverted, or is quick to go into submission, and there is stress because of his relationship with you, he will likely direct his attention inwardly. Mouthing, chewing, or licking are methods he uses to relieve tension. This situation can be created by an over-attentive, neglectful, or abusive human.

If you are overattentive, try withholding your petting and praise for those times when your dog responds to some direction by you. Tell him to sit, then praise and pet him. Give him attention only when you are acting as his leader and after he follows your lead. This will build his security and improve your relationship.

If you are neglectful and do not spend enough time with your dog, give him more playtime. Take him for walks. Exercise works miracles on dogs that have turned in upon themselves by chewing or licking.

If you are abusive, discontinue any form of physical punishment to correct behavior problems. Hitting, screaming, or chasing your dog will create enough stress for this behavior to continue."

I'll try the tea tree oil.
The nibbling/itching behaviour seems to come and go-- he'll go for a long time without doing it, and then start up again.
Usually I'll just say 'don't chew' and go back to what I'm doing.

I think we may relate this issue to human behavioural issues as well. Some people bite their nails...The question is why they do it? They do it to relieve some tension and anxiety. Can they stop it anytime (straightaway)? In most cases they can not because they do it somehow subconsciously and do not control it. The thing is (even in humans) the more you scratch some spots the more they get itchy. Why is that? First, you cause some irritation to the skin, second, you focus on the itching and you keep thinking about it. When dogs get bored they just have nothing more to focus on but upholding the bad habits. Do they nibble themselves when being walked and many interesting things are going on around? In some cases a good solution is to put a special collar and even a muzzle on them when they remain indoors to just make the nibbling impossible for them and to give them a toy (i.e. Kongo) to keep them occupied and distracted from the bad habit. After some time they should forget about it unless there is some medical problem behind it. Then you should go to the vet to get advice.
I do not know if the written above makes any sense, the more that it is done randomly and chaotically(I just had 5 minutes to type this post).

I'm having a similar problem with wisp...

She licks herself (and then me!) until she's actually out of breath!

I really don't need that much licking and she's a very clean dog anyway so doubt she does. Let me know how u get on with the tea tree oil.

Jen