not sure how the spray works, but the cream, gets stuck to them, and almost makes there mouth foam, all i know is the dog hated it, and in no time stoped chewing on the table legs. teh cream is like a gel, but thats pretty funny that your dog was licking it. every dog is different, so my experience differs from yours. i would also suggest to kennel or crate the dog when you are not around. good luck