Dog licking paws

I'm also in the environmental allergies camp. Both of my full-size Aussies did that - Nick, to such a degree that the bottoms of his feet looked like they were bleeding due to a reddish bacteria that grew in the damp environment; and to a lesser extent, Ike (his was usually in the fall, so I figure it was a pollen allergy).

I feel bad about Nick's licking - when he was alive, there was no internet sources of info; and my then-Vet wrote it off to "Aussie neurotic-ness". The poor guy probably had a food allergy....