Top 12 Reasons Why French Bulldogs Lick & Chew Their Paws

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When your french bulldog licks or chews their paws occasionally it’s similar to you washing your hands or scratching an itch. If it only happens every once and a while, it’s completely fine.

But when they start to do it excessively, it’s usually because they’re going through something physically or mentally.

Why Do French Bulldogs Lick & Chew Their Paws:

The most common and harmless reason for french bulldogs to lick and chew their paws is for self grooming purposes. When their licking or chewing becomes excessive it’s because of allergies, anxiety, their paws are sore, they have a pest infestation, or dry skin.

In this post you’ll discover:

12 real reasons why french bulldogs lick and chew their paws
When a frenchies paw licking becomes something to worry about
4 tips to help french bulldogs reduce, or completely stop, licking and chewing their paws (Tip #1 can help stop the licking entirely!)
And much, much more

Let’s jump right in.

Table of Contents

12 Reasons Why French Bulldogs Lick & Chew Their Paws

1) Self Grooming

The most common and harmless reason for french bulldogs to lick and chew their paws is for self grooming purposes.

So long as they aren’t doing it excessively, and it only happens every now and then, it’s more than likely they’re simply cleaning themselves up.

Just like you wash your hands after they get dirty, your pup will lick their paws for the same reason.

And just like you get the occasional itch on your hand, arm, leg, etc. and scratch it, your pup will nibble on their paw to scratch their itch.

If it’s not happening all the time then your frenchie is just helping keep their paws clean in between baths.

2) Self-Soothing

If your frenchie is feeling anxious or stressed out they may excessively lick or chew their paws as a way to self-soothe.

Licking helps them self-soothe in two ways.

One, it helps them take their mind off of what’s bothering them.

And two, studies have shown that licking releases endorphins in their body which acts as a natural painkiller.

Both of which can turn into compulsive behavior because it makes them feel better.

Which is why you should discourage your frenchie from licking or chewing their paws too much.

If their paw licking has started to become more excessive lately ASPCA says there are a few recent changes that can make your dog feel more anxious than usual.

Such as recently being adopted from a shelter.

Your family has moved to a new home in a new town or city.

If someone they love recently passed away (canine or person).

Or even a change in their daily schedule.

Just like people, frenchies generally don’t like change either and may have difficulty dealing with it.

So if they’ve recently had a rather big life change occur, it could be why they’re licking and chewing their paws.

3) Dry Paws

If you have a dry scalp or dry skin in general, you know how irritating and itchy it can be.

Well if your frenchie has dry paws it can make them super itchy which makes them want to lick or chew them more than they normally would.

If your pup doesn’t have an infection or anything more serious going on and it’s just dry skin, there are dog shampoos that can help moisturize dry skin.

Also, to help prevent their paws and skin in general from getting dry in the future you can give your pup some dog omega 3 fatty acid supplements.

One of the better salmon oils to help dogs supplement omega 3 fatty acids is Zesty Paws Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil.

Pairing these two should help reduce the dryness of your pup’s paws now, and keep them from getting dry again in the future.

4) Food Allergies

Food allergies are quite common in dogs.

A school of veterinary medicine (LSU) found that just over 30% of all dogs they looked at had some form of skin irritation because of food allergy.

And unfortunately, it can take up to 2-3 months for the reaction to present itself.

Making it much more difficult to track down what ingredient is behind the allergy.

Although, more common ingredients that your frenchie could be allergic to are beef, dairy or chicken.

If any of these are in your frenchies daily kibble, it might be worth trying a food without them or a hypoallergenic dog food to stop their licking & chewing.

5) Airborne Allergies

Airborne allergies can also cause your pup to excessively lick or chew their paws.

They might be allergic to pollen, mold spores, dust mites or even chemicals commonly used on peoples lawns.

Which is why tip #1 can be super helpful in relieving your pup from allergens their paws come in contact with.

6) Their Paws Hurt

If your frenchie’s paws are in pain it’s not unusual to see them lick them excessively.

Just like if you didn’t have shoes, your feet would likely get hurt more often than they currently do.

Your frenchie’s paws have no protection from the ground whenever they go for their daily walk or the occasional hike.

Here are some of the more common injuries that could cause your pup to lick or chew their paws:

Salt caught in between their paw pads
Something sharp poked their paw or is caught in their paw
Burnt paw pad from walking on hot asphalt/concrete
Hangnail or a torn nail
A cut on their paw
Their nail(s) were trimmed too short

Take a good look at the paw they’re licking more than usual.

If they have a physical injury you should be able to find it pretty easily.

7) Fleas, Ticks Or Mites

Pests and parasites can be a big reason behind why your frenchie is licking and chewing their paws.

These annoying insects can make their skin extremely irritated and itchy.

Which of course makes them lick and chew in order to provide themselves with some relief.

If you do find your pup has unfortunately been infested with ticks, fleas, or mites it’s best to take them to the vet for treatment.

You can also prevent future infestations with special dog collars that protect your dog from these pests.

8) Yeast Infection

A yeast infection usually presents itself after your pup’s skin has been exposed to moisture for long periods of time.

French bulldogs are more prone to yeast infections because of their skin folds.

But, even though their paws don’t have skin folds, they can still get yeast infections if they stay wet for too long.

When yeast grows it gives their paws an overall greasy look and feel to their skin, creates a strange smell, and will cause them to itch.

So if you notice an odor coming from their paws, their skin looks greasy and they’re excessively licking their paws, it could be a yeast infection.

[Nothing brings peace of mind quite like speaking with a vet – click here to chat with a vet online now]

9) Atopic Dermatitis

Atopic dermatitis can be another reason for your frenchie to be excessively licking their paws.

This one is tricky to notice because they won’t have anything noticeably wrong with their paws.

Dermatitis typically presents itself if your pup has a food sensitivity, food allergy or potentially a bacterial issue.

Sometimes a dog’s paws can get this condition from certain allergens in the grass or from chemicals used on one of your neighbors (or your own) lawn.

10) Cysts

Cysts usually show up in between a dog’s toe pads.

If your frenchie is licking at their paws a lot and you notice a swollen growth in between their toes, it could be a cyst.

For the most part, cysts won’t go away on their own which means a vet will need to remove it to stop it from bothering your pup.

The more they’re licking it, the more irritating it is for your pup which gives more reason to have it removed.

11) Blister

Just like how you can develop a blister when wearing your shoes, your frenchie can also get a blister.

Anywhere there’s a little moisture and a lot of friction, a blister can form.

And if you’ve ever had a blister, you know how irritating and even painful they can be.

Which could cause your pup to chew and lick their paw in an attempt to make their blister go away.

If it doesn’t go away in a couple of days it’s best to have a vet take a look at it and make sure it’s nothing more serious than just a blister.

12) Nothing Better To Do

Sometimes your frenchie will do strange things in order to cope with their boredom.

And licking or chewing their paws in one of them.

If they haven’t been getting enough physical or mental stimulation lately they may start licking their paws more often due to boredom.

Sometimes a pup will pick up some destructive behavior if they don’t get enough exercise or attention.

And excessive licking can definitely become a destructive habit as they may not stop licking their paws until they’re raw.

Do your best to prevent this boredom buster behavior and start playing with your pup if you notice them licking simply because they’re bored.

4 Tips To Help Your French Bulldog Stop Licking & Chewing Their Paws

1) Help Maintain Their Paw Health

One of the best things you can do to help ensure your frenchie doesn’t feel the need lick & chew their paws is to give their paws more attention.

This could be by clipping them more often (while making sure not to trim them too short), wiping them down when they come inside or not taking them outside when it’s too hot out.

Not only does this help keep them in tip top shape, it also allows you to more frequently check to make sure there’s nothing new that might be bothering them.

Whether that’s ticks, dry skin, a cut, blisters, pad burns, etc.

If you give their paws more attention and help maintain them you should find your frenchie licking or chewing them much less.

2) Help With Their Stress Or Boredom

Sometimes a french bulldog will lick and chew their paws for emotional reasons as opposed to physical reasons.

Stress, anxiety, boredom, etc. are all reasons for them to lick their paws more than they should.

If your pup doesn’t have extremely high levels of anxiety or separation anxiety, some simple things you can do are:

Get them mind stimulating dog toys
Try to give them a little more attention then you have been recently
Going for more walks or longer walks
Fun activities like adventurous hikes or trips to the dog park

The more physical and mental stimulation you can give your pup the better.

Exercise as well as keeping their mind occupied are great ways to help them overcome their negative emotions.

Which should help them stop licking & chewing their paws as a way of self-soothing and coping.

3) Find Out What’s Bothering Them

This can be in terms of what’s causing them to have stress/anxiety or what allergens are giving them a reaction.

When it comes to allergies, finding the culprit is much easier said than done.

But it’s really the only way to help them stop having a reaction.

As soon as you’re able to identify what ingredient in their food is causing their itchy paws or what airborne allergen, you can remove these things from their life which should stop the behavior.

This will likely take some trial and error as well as some conversations with your vet, but your pup will surely appreciate the effort.