Your love for your pooch is always seen in your daily care. You try to keep your home and dog as clean as you can. You wash everything that your dog uses in order to keep yourself and your dog away from sickness. Now when you put a freshly washed blanket on his bed and he just drags his blanket out and rearranges it wherever he feels comfortable. It hurts right?
Now you might be thinking that why does my dog drag his blanket around? Do not worry you are not alone, almost every dog owner faces this blanket rearrangement problem in their pet’s life.
There can be many reasons behind it but for that, I will discuss all related questions briefly on this.
Reasons why dogs drag their blanket around
It might look cute when your dog flips or beds their blanket by themself. But there can be many reasons behind it. Most of the reasons are normal but you should know why my dog drags his blanket around as he might be facing something. I have mentioned some possible reasons.
Scavenger Instincts
Recent molecular evidence shows that dogs are descended from the grey wolf, domesticated about 130,000 years ago. Wolf used to eat and bury anything left over so they can eat it for another meal.
Your dog may not have that Scavenger behaviour, but he still has that scavenger Instinct somewhere in his DNA. And because of that, he tries to bury his toys and food wherever he can. Your dog might be using his blanket as a thing to hide or create a place where he can bury his food.
To Claim Territory
Dogs are territorial animals. Not only domestic dogs but also pet dogs try to claim their territory. Especially when another dog is at the home. They do not stop by making their territory, they keep trying to expand it but doing several things.
The only thing they can do to establish their territory is by spreading their scent around. Of course, they spend their half-day sleeping. So their bed and blanket is the only thing which has their scent the most. Now by moving their blanket around they are just spreading their scent and creating their territory.
This behaviour is normal but should not be ignored. You need to contact your vet because your dog might be threatened or in stress because of another animal under the same roof.
Your Dog Is Pregnant And Is Nesting
Is your dog is pregnant? If yes, then it is normal behaviour and you do not want to interrupt it. Dogs give birth in a quiet and comfortable place. So when your dog is about to give birth, she will try to make a comfortable place for her newborns.
“Pregnant mothers may stop eating a few days before whelping and may also start trying to build a ‘nest'” Says Harriet Meyers from in American Kennel Club.
This is called nesting when your dog creates a place to keep their pup safe and secure. You might also notice scratching and circling around their beds.
Maintaining Temperature
Every breed of dog has a different need for a temperature around. And they do not feel comfortable if the temperature is either too high or too low. If they are feeling too cold, they will drag their blanket and bed it in a hot place so they can feel warm.
Sometimes dog not only drags their blanket but also drag other pieces of cloth on their resting place to make it warmer. At the same time, he will remove his blanket and place it in another place if he is feeling hot, in order to make the place cold.
Making A More Comfortable Bed
No matter how costly the bed you bought for your dog is. There are always chances that your dog doesn’t feel comfortable in the bed you gave.
According to PetMd “If your pet looks or acts uncomfortable while using a blanket, either remove the blanket or allow them an escape route.”
In case, if your dog is not feeling comfortable then he will keep trying to rearrange it by moving his blanket until he creates his comfortable nest. If you notice this kind of behaviour then you should help your dog to create a comfortable place to rest.
Your Dog Is Playing
Every dog likes to play but some dogs are so obsessed with their toys. They grab everything in their mouth which cross their way and start playing with it.
Therefore, sometimes dogs see blankets as their toy and start playing with them. If he constantly doing this and taking that blanket all around the home then he is just playing with it. You should teach him by providing other toys to play with.
Attention Seeker
When your dog wants to communicate with you, he will behave like this. Maybe he wants to say that he is hungry and needs food or he might want to play with you or can be any reason.
Sometimes dog owner does not give enough time to their dog, so their dog feels lonely. At that time, dogs can behave like this in order to gain attention from their parents.
Your Dog Is Imitating Another Dog
If you have more than one dog in your home, then there are full chances that both are dragging their blanket around. Dogs love to imitate others. Therefore, if one god is doing something like this then the other one will follow the same.
This behaviour doesn’t mean that something is going wrong, but the only possible reason is, they are playing with each other. Unless it doesn’t bother you, you should let them play and if it does, you can stop them by expressing your negative gestures.
How to Deal with This Behavior
First of all, you should know that this is not harmful behaviour. But if you want to stop him to repeat this behaviour, you need to know the reason behind his behaviour.
If your dog is doing it out of fun, then you can distract him by providing other toys or commanding him not to do that and then give him a treat. This distraction and reward system can help you to get rid of this blanket-dragging behaviour.
If your dog trying to shift his resting area to a warmer or cooler place, then you just move his bed to the place where he is dragging the blanket.
In case your dog is trying to establish his territory, then you need to work a little on him. First, you should train him to stop doing that and also teach him to be less aggressive and more social. you can try Obedience Training also.
You can play games with all of your pets. If they start playing together, they will start living together.
When your dog is using his blanket to bury his toys or food. You can stop him by using No command and also giving a small treat if he obeys your command. Afterwards, whenever your dog tries to drag his blanket, you can just stop him by using your “No command”.
Finally, if your dog is pregnant, then just simply ignore it for a few months and let her do whatever she wants.
FAQs
Do dogs like it when you put a blanket on them?
Dogs are obsessed with their blanket. The blanket is their comfort zone and they feel loved and place to snuggle. So if you put a blanket on them, they would be more than happy. A blanket is the cheapest investment any dog owner must have.
Why does my dog drag his blanket around?
There are a number of reasons why your dog drags his blanket around. It can be instincts to burrow, mark their territory, or simply fun-playing, wanting to gain attention or fear and stress.
How can I discourage my dog from dragging his blanket around if I find it annoying?
I would suggest you simply two ways of discouraging his blanket-dragging behaviour. First on is by distracting him by giving him an alternative toy to play and second, use the “No command” with a treat if he leaves his blanket after that.
Is this behaviour more common in certain breeds or is it something that any dog might do?
Yes, it has been observed that this kind of behaviour is more found in some playful dog breeds. Terriers and Dachshunds are more likely to drag blankets around. Despite that this behaviour is common for all breeds of dogs.
Are there any health concerns I should be aware of if my dog is constantly dragging his blanket around?
Generally, dragging a blanket is a very harmless behaviour in dogs. It might be a sign of fear or stress. But if he is constantly chewing or ingesting it, then there are chances of choking and stomach-related problems.
Summary-why Does My Dog Drag His Blanket Around
Neither you need to worry and nor you need to ask why does my dog drag his blanket around. Since this behaviour is very common and in most cases this behaviour is considered harmless. I have mentioned the most popular reasons behind this behaviour like
- Making a comfier bed
- Being territorial
- Nesting and pregnant
- Creating a tunnel to hunt in
- Playing
- Copying another dog
- Needing something to do
- Moving their bed to a safer location
- Acting on scavenger instincts
But definitely, if you want to stop this behaviour, you can do it by identifying why he is doing it and then solving it.
Reference:
- Colgate. (2022, August 30). Interpreting Common Dog Behaviors & the Meaning Behind His Moods. Hill’s Pet Nutrition. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://www.hillspet.com/dog-care/behavior-appearance/types-of-common-dog-behavior?lightboxfired=true
- Dog Behavior–What is Normal? | VCA Animal Hospital. (n.d.). Vca. Retrieved February 23, 2024, from https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dog-behaviorwhats-normal-and-whats-not
- Dog behaviour. (2023, February 18). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_behavior
