Does my dog think her toy is her baby?
Dogs know their toys are not real.
It’s actually unlikely that your dog thinks her toy is her baby. When a dog carries her toy around all day, it is most likely because she is obsessive or possessive about the toy.
She does not think the toy is real. She knows it’s not her puppy, unless it’s a rare instance where the female dog is having a false pregnancy.
Most of the time, it’s us humans who create emotional attachments to stuffed animals. Dogs know better.
*If you think your female dog is showing signs of a “false pregnancy” or “phantom pregnancy,” scroll to the end of this article or click here.
My dog is attached to a stuffed animal
A dog with pent-up energy easily takes that frustration and fixates on a toy or several toys. If the dog is not given exercise, mental challenges or rules on a daily basis, the obsession on the toy grows because she has no other outlet for her energy.
We humans think it’s cute to see our dogs obsess over a toy so we even encourage the behavior. We say things over and over in an excited voice like, “Where’s your puppy?” Or, “Where’s your ball?” And then we overdo the praise and attention.
“She’s so cute, she carries that toy around like it’s her puppy.”
“I know, she even growls when I try to take it. So cute!”
“Aww … she’s protecting it. If I try to put it away, she sits and cries for her baby. Haha!”
Have you ever caught yourself saying something like this? I made up the above conversation, but I hear similar comments all the time.
I’ve even encouraged my own dog to carry a stuffed toy around because I think it’s cute. But that’s the problem. We think it’s cute when really it’s unhealthy for a dog to obsess over a toy.
We reward the obsessive behavior without even realizing it.
A dog obsessing over a toy can lead to aggression
If your dog growls when you try to take her toy away, it’s not cute.
I see owners of small breeds like Chihuahuas encouraging their dogs to growl because they think it’s funny. Encouraging aggressive behavior in a dog is never funny.
A five-pound dog can bite someone pretty badly, especially a child who has her face up to the dog.
We think it’s cute if a rottweiler carries a stuffed puppy around all day. People like to nurture small, cute things, so we like it when our dogs do the same. We like the idea that our dog has her own “baby.”
Many of us carried around stuffed animals as a kid, so it’s heartwarming to us when our dogs do the same.
Even when a rottweiler growls as someone tries to take her toy, it’s easy to overlook the behavior if the dog is gentle in all other situations.
The only time my old golden retriever growled at me was when I tried to take her rawhide bone away. Since I knew she would never hurt anyone, I didn’t take her growling too seriously.
But even she would snap if I tried to take her bone. This was a behavior I should not have put up with, but I didn’t know better at the time.
TOO excited? or OBSESSED with TOYS? – Dog training by Kikopup
Who doesn’t love to have fun? Dog toys are a great way for dogs to play and exercise. Still, no matter how many toys we give our dogs, they tend to gravitate toward one or two favorite items.
Why do dogs have favorite toys? The reasons can vary, although your furry friend’s choice can help share some insight into her personality and background. Here’s what your dog’s favorite toy can tell you about your canine companion.
If your dog loves playing with squeaky toys, you’ve got a furry little hunter on your hands. The squeak made by these toys is comparable to sounds that potential prey would make if frightened or injured. As such, dogs with high prey drives that have the instinctual urge to hunt may be more attracted to these types of toys.
Another reason why dogs love squeaky toys is because they’re great at providing immediate gratification. If your dog loves hearing compliments or being rewarded for tricks, squeaky toys will give her that immediate reaction every single time she chews on it.