Could it be a heat rash? Have you noticed if your dog is worse after being out in the yard, especially if the grass is wet from the dew or rain? Your dog could have an environmental allergy. My westie mix, Maddie's, allergic to grass, which makes her itchy, especially when the grass is wet in the mornings. Giving Maddie a foot soak with a mixture of 1/2 organic apple cider vinegar (ACV) and 1/2 water helps (I keep some of the mixture in a tupperware type container with a lid). You could also use a washcloth to gently apply it to your dog's affected areas if above his feet. ACV has antifungal and antibacterial properties. After you do this, pat, don't rub the excess off. If he licks it, it won't hurt him - ACV is good internally, too.
Another thought: do you notice this problem more right after applying flea medication each month? If so, he could be allergic to the flea treatment.
I bathe Maddie with a shampoo that has tea tree oil in it - soothing for itchy skin. Your vet should also have a medicated shampoo he can prescribe if it's really bad. You'll need to bathe weekly while the allergy's bad; more often if your vet prescribes it. If your dog ends up being allergic to grains, bathing with an oatmeal shampoo can actually aggravate the problem.
If that's not it, have you tried cutting out the cottage cheese to see if that helps? Some dogs are sensitive to dairy.
If neither of those things help, I'd look at the kibble. Some of BB's formulas are labeled like they're grain free, but when you read all of the ingredients, they actually have some grain in them. Check the ingredients out carefully on the one your feeding. I'd try a completely grain free food (grains make Maddie go absolutely bonkers itching and scratching!). She is allergic to all grains and also potato, in addition to chicken, eggs, and alfalfa. Some dogs can't handle dairy, either. BB has caused some problems with a lot of sensitive dogs. You might want to try one of Natural Balance's LID formulas (limited ingredient diet). They have several that are grain free, and one that's also potato free. That way, you can more easily narrow down what's causing the problem. Nature's Instinct also has a couple of LID formulas that are grain and potato free. Earthborn's Meadowfeast is grain and potato free (lamb based).
Make sure you don't change too much at once, or you won't know what works and what doesn't. For example, if you change the food, only go completely grain free at first and not also potato free, to see if that helps. Make one change at a time. It may take awhile to see improvement - sometimes a couple of weeks. If the change makes him worse immediately, then you know it's a problem. Maddie's so sensitive, that I can tell within 30 minutes if a kibble is going to work or not.
Pinpointing allergies is very frustrating, I know. I hope you find out your fur baby's problem soon!
