Dog sucking her bedding

rev229

We rescued an 4yr old collie cross 6 months ago. She is a lovely dog, most of the time however she sucks her bedding. She only does it in the car or while we are at home when we leave her home alone or a night she doesn't do it. She is quite an anxious dog this is her 3rd home. She just gets her bed puts it between her paws and sucks it until she goes to sleep!! She has on a few occassions chewed through the bedding. She also chews her toys but not anything belonging to us, apart from clothes pegs. She does wear a DAP collar. If you go near her while she is sucking she will growl. Should I try to discourage it or let her do it as she obviously gets some comfort from it. She has 2 long walks in the woods each day and a couple of shorter toilet walks. We always walk her for an hour before we leave her home alone. Any advice. Thanks

Milford_Cubicle

I'd let her carry on. Unfortunately rescue dogs can have habits which either can't be broken or which cause more distress trying to break the habit than the actual habit itself!

It's not harming her or anyone else, just keep the pegs out of her way

Mely

My friend has a cat...hes more than 10yrs old now, and she found him on the pavement where someone left him, and he was perhaps 4 weeks old at the time. He still sucks on carrier bags now and the vet said it was because he was away from his mother too young.

chaliepud

Our Cattle Dog did this when he was a puppy, though he used to do it to soft fleecy toys, I can't remember when he stopped, must have been around 8 months old. I wouldn't discourage her from doing it, but would discourage the growling. You could offer her a treat or toy to encourage her to let go, only give her the food, toy, and of course lots of praise when she lets go without growling, walk away if she growls and try again later.

naturally_2

I'd let her get on with it. Its not a destructive habit, and better that than chewing your furniture!

MrsTinks

Mmmmm personally I'd discourage it... mainly because she's growling if you approach her and I won't accept ANY growling at me from my dog or any other dog for that matter... Also I don't think it's healthy for a dog to "suck" things. I'd think you'd be better of getting a trainer in (get a good one...) and asking their advice on how to address her anxiety rather than allow her to carry on and "permit" her high anxiety...

rev229

She does look like she is suckling when she does it, she was originally a puppy stray, but she is now with us in a nice loving home. She does it more when we have been on holiday and it has increased since my husband has been in hospital. Each day when I return from visiting my husband she gives me and the bag of washing a good sniff, she can smell my husband but obviously can't work out where he is. She fell asleep the other day on his bag of dirty washing! What is quite funny is the DH never wanted a dog yet she loves him to bits, he just has to look at her and the tail wags! When he is at home she will ignore everyone else! Of course I think he quite secretly is rather fond of her also.

naturally_2

He he sounds exactly like my dad when I was living at home and Mum and I wanted a dog and he didn't but we eventually (as in after about 16 years)wore him down on the promise that he didn't have to have anything to do with them. Now they have 2 and he dotes on them and they dote on him, mum doesn't get a look in! :rolleyes:

I do think that sucking her bedding occasionally won't do her any harm, but agree with MrsTine in that I think you need to sort out the growling, as that's a posessive thing and if she gets away with that she'll continue to challenge you in other ways. Do you watch Dog Borstal? They show some effective ways of dealing with posessive behaviour. Please don't approach her but back off if she growls - you would be reinforcing the bad behaviour and inadvertedly teaching her that it is ok for her to growl to get you to go away.

The other reason to sort out posessive behaviour is that you may well find that she would be much happier if she knows where her place in the "pack" (family) is.

She sounds like a lovely little poppet and I really hope you she have a long and happy time ahead of you.

pink-lint_2

my alfie sucks his blanket and if he got the chance he would suck my dressing gown aswell.

he is also scared of the sun


pink

TigersEye

My dog Maisie sucks her blanket like this as well. She has done ever since she's been a puppy. She doesn't chew anything else in the house and is mischevious but very well behaved. She's not nervous and never growls at you, in fact she loves it when you play with her and her blanket:beer:

notlongnow_2

Id discourage it oo because of the growling. Can your dog sleep without a blanket? Does it have a cushion bed or squashy dog basket?