You can see your dog sucking a blanket or something similar. It is not extremely common behavior but not extremely rare either. Terriers, spaniels, and Dobermans are the most common dog breeds in this case scenario. Why does my dog suck on blankets? It starts at an early age and it is possible that your dog kept this as a habit. In reality, there are a few reasons why dogs do this. As you should know by now we will explain all of these.
4 Reasons My Dog Suck On Blankets
1. He Feels Comfortable
This explanation affects puppies and younger dogs. But, it is visible in older dogs (rarely). When a puppy is under stress, he may do this to calm himself. We also know that some puppies will get comfort nursing due to this reason. It means that the mother will nurse him even if she doesn’t have any milk. Why does my dog suck on blankets? He connects this as a method to fight stress. It is an effective one and we can see a lot of dogs using it. An interesting fact is that puppies who got nursing without milk will rarely suck on blankets later in life.
2. Your Dog Still Wants His Mommy
Yes, this is more than just possible and one of the most common explanations. A dog misses his mom and he will suck on a blanket due to nostalgia. This is more common in dogs who were taken from the litter at an early age or dogs who didn’t spend a lot of time with their mother. One way or another, a dog will find comfort in doing this and he will feel secure. Keep in mind that dogs need time with their mothers at an early age. This affects their emotional well-being and it is crucial.
3. Sucking On A Blanket When A Dog Is Tired
This is a similar explanation to the first one here. However, it is not the same. When a dog is tired he will suck on the blanket. He does this to get additional comfort and to relax more so he can rest more. Don’t forget that a dog will suck on anything. It can be a toy or anything soft. He will do this as long as needed. You can remove all the items he can but he will probably find an alternative.
4. Your Dog Is Lonely
Dogs don’t like to be lonely and they will always want to spend a lot of time with you and your friends. When you are not home, he will suck on a blanket or anything similar. These items have a strong scent and your dog can smell it well. It is soothing behavior.
What Should You Do?
Should you make your dog stop sucking his blanket? It is up to you. In general, this behavior is not dangerous and there are no side effects or anything similar. Some dog owners even like to see this. Yes, this is actually natural behavior and as such, it is far from bad. But, some dog owners really hate it and they will do anything they can to make their dogs stop doing this.
If you are one of these owners you can do certain things. The easiest one is to take away the blanket. Some dogs will stop doing this obviously. Others will find a substitute. There are no rules here and we cannot generalize things. If a dog finds a substitute it can be worse than the blanket. It can be your bedding or something similar.
A more effective strategy is to give him a substitute
You can give him a chewing toy for instance. Plastic and rubber toys work well in this case scenario. Many dogs will find the appeal in rubber toys. If you want to use this strategy, make sure you take all other toys so he has just one to suck.
There is one more method. You can use the scent of a bitter apple or something similar (only use aromas that are safe for dogs) and apply it to the blanket. He cannot tolerate the aroma and as such he will stop sucking the blanket. In reality, you can use the same method for many different purposes. The idea is simple. A dog will smell the bitter aroma and he will feel it in the mouth. He doesn’t like it and he won’t want the scent in the mouth again. This method is effective and you can use it for all kinds of purposes.
We do know that dogs who have a lot of physical activity and spend a lot of time outside are less likely to do this.
They can focus their energy on different things and better activities. That’s why it is mandatory to play and spend a lot of time with your dogs. All dogs deserve and need a lot of physical activity per day.
Don’t forget that some dogs will stop doing this eventually. It can be at any stage and it will come without any warnings or anything similar. Your dog will just stop. This does happen but rarely. It is best to wait as long as you can and monitor the behavior. If it doesn’t stop then you can use one of the methods here.
It is important to add that owners should not encourage this behavior. It is not appealing and it can be annoying in some cases. It is actually better to try and stop your dog from doing this than to encourage it.
The Final Word
Why does my dog suck on blankets occasionally? It is normal behavior and the root is in the early stage of life of your dog. There are a few reasons for this and now you know all of them. All we can say is that some dogs will stop doing this at some point. Others will not. You can do a few things and make this behavior a thing of the past or you can enjoy it.