I really don't understand my dog sometimes.

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My dog is 9, going on 10, and recently he's developed some rather annoying habits, especially after we moved. I notice often that he will lick things, things you wouldn't think a dog would lick. The door, the carpet, the tiled floor, sometimes even the walls. I really don't understand why he would do that. Then, when he goes outside, he eats the dirt, drinks any water he can find, and eats the grass. When he eats the grass he develops terrible gas, but I can't always stop him, nor can I get him to stop eating the dirt or drinking dirty water. I can't be outside with him all the time. He has a psychological issue with water, he always drinks it even if he doesn't need it, and the more he drinks, the more he pees. This is a problem he's always had, his previous owner had him tested as she worked in a vet clinic. He sits behind the front door, blocking it, so that any time anyone comes home, they have to open the door slowly otherwise they'll smack him with the door. He insists on lying or sitting there, despite having several places that he can go. He was doing that at our old place, I thought it was a protective measure given that we lived in an unsafe neighborhood, but it has continued here. This is a safe area, we've found this out by accidentally leaving the front door unlocked one night when we first moved here. He will sit and silently beg for our food, even though he knows that he wont get any of it unless something drops on the floor, which seldom happens. I guess I'm still trying to get used to having a dog, although we've had him for a year next month. He's a part of our lives, but still annoying sometimes.