Why Does My Dog Think Her Toy Is Her Baby?

Dogs know their toys aren't real.

In fact, your dog is unlikely to think her toys are her babies. When a dog carries around her toys all day, it's likely because she is obsessive or possessive about the toys. She doesn't think the toy is real. She knew it wasn't her puppy, unless it was a rare case of a female dog having a false pregnancy. Most of the time, it's us humans who develop an emotional attachment to stuffed animals. Dogs know better.

My dog is attached to a stuffed animal

Dogs with pent-up energy can easily accept this frustration and become fixated on one or more toys. If a dog doesn't get daily exercise, mental challenges, or rules, her obsession with toys will increase because she has no other outlet for her energy.

We humans think it's cute to see our dogs obsessed with toys, so we even encourage this behavior. We say things over and over again in excited voices, like, "Where's your puppy?" or, "Where's your ball?" and then we overdo it with praise and attention.

I even encourage my own dog to carry a stuffed animal with him because I think it's adorable. But here's the thing. We think it's cute, but it's actually unhealthy for dogs to be obsessed with toys.

Dog's obsession with toys may lead to aggressive behavior

My dog thinks her toys are her babies and it's not cute if your dog growls when you try to take her toys away.

I've seen owners of small breeds like Chihuahuas encourage their dogs to growl because they think it's funny. Encouraging aggressive behavior in dogs is never funny.

A five-pound dog can bite hard, especially a child who faces the dog.

We think it would be cute if a Rottweiler had a stuffed puppy hanging around all day. People love raising small, cute things, so we like our dogs to do the same. We love the idea of our dog having a "baby" of her own.

Many of us carried stuffed animals with us as children, so it warms our hearts when our dogs do the same.

My dog thinks her toys are her babies

Why is my female dog holding a toy and whining like her baby?

There could be a number of reasons why your dog is walking around with a toy and whining. Usually this isn't because the dog thinks her toys are her babies, but because of one of the following reasons:

1.) She's probably just excited and wants you to play with her! She may want you to try to chase her or play a game of "stay away" or tug. This particular toy is probably one of her favorite toys and she's excited to play with it!

2.) Your dog may want you to let her outside so she can bury toys in the yard (just like she might bury bones). The toy may be valuable to your dog and she wants to go out and bury it or hide it so no one else can steal it. She may also pace around the house as if looking for a place to hide from you or your other dogs.