Blanket Cat Dog
Blanket Cat Dog
Why does my dog massage his blanket (& stuff his mouth with it)?
This behavior started as a puppy. He'd pull the cushion out of his bed, scrunch it between his arms, stuff his mouth with it, and dig his paws into it. When we bought him a different bed, he did it to one of my pillows. When that got torn up, we bought him his own fleece blanket, which he's been massaging/stuffing his mouth with for 9 years now.
It looks similar to a cat's kneading. Here's the strange thing though: Before he settles down with the blanket, he'll swing it around with his mouth, then aggressively shove it between his legs, forming it into a ball. Then he grabs it with his mouth, lays down and massages it. This'll go on for about 5 minutes, then he simply gets up and goes to his bed to sleep.
I've heard different theories... He's a purebred Beagle - maybe he's imagining he's caught another rabbit? Or is it a security thing? I'm not sure if it's a nesting thing because he always moves away from it when he's done and sleeps elsewhere.
My kitten does this to blankets, shell knead them with her paws and suckle on them until she falls asleep. I found her thrown in a garbage can when she was very tiny, too small to be away from her mother.It seems those who were not weaned properly exhibit this behavior, kneading is an instinct that helps the flow of the mothers milk. Did you get him at a really young age? If not its probably just a comfort thing.
dog takes blanket from cat
Blanket Cat Dog
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Filed under: Cat Accessories