Stuffed toys tend to bring out the joy. It is easy to nibble, lick, and sleep with. It also brings out variations in the personality and the way dogs want to play.
Interestingly, your dog’s behavior with its favorite toy can give a peek into who he or she is. For example, guard dogs usually hold and guard the toy while a pregnant dog shows nurturing actions towards it (like a human mother does to a newborn).
Regardless of the actions your dog displays, it is undeniable that dogs enjoy staring at stuffed toys.
Why Do Dogs Enjoy Stuffed Animals?
Like people, dogs are the non-human version of children, and since dogs are known to do the same stuff as kids, that makes them very special. One of their favorite hobbies is heading to the toy shop.
It may be fun to see a puppy’s personality, but as a dog owner, you are the one who can appreciate such motivations. That is why chewing toys for pets have existed for a long time.
Now, let’s have a peek at the many factors that will help you determine why dogs are addicted to their stuffed toys.
- The Toy Looks Like Puppies
- Predator Instinct
- Teething Purpose
- Replacement of You
- Soothe Their Emotions
The Toy Looks Like Puppies
Some accessories may behave like puppies for female pets. Any female dogs will behave as though they were ready to be real mothers. They often offer the same amount of affection’ to a doll or a plush toy and pretending they are their puppies.
Predator Instinct
Dogs are always bred with the inherent knowledge of a predator. Although it is possible that only dogs of females especially would appear to have this instinct, there have been several examples where even male dogs have this instinct.
Both dogs love to chew on toys that they can sink their teeth through, ripping them to shreds. If you want to save your couch cushions from their imminent, then stuffed toys certainly serve as an option.
Dogs cuddle their toys in similar same way as wolves catch their prey. This explains why dogs like toys that taste like food and toys that they can tear in parts.
This research reveals why dogs ignore some new toys within minutes of interacting with them, while stuffed animals end up becoming their favorites. Their results have been published in the scientific journal Animal Cognition.
Teething Purpose
Toys are an essential aspect of the life of the puppy. If your dog is under the correct age of need for teething, they’re probably using their beloved toy as a means to pry open their chewing muscles.
Babies get teething aids that allow them to bear their discomfort. However, when senior dogs get older, they prefer treats with a lighter feel than a rough chew toy.
Replacement of You
Dogs seem to skip the activities while you are gone. If you are known to play a tug game with them, they may miss their toy and hold a rope toy in their hand as a way to make themselves happy without you.
And if they don’t have something better to do, they will always mess around. When you play with your dogs, it can become evident that the toys have no use.
But when they’re not playing, they spend all of their attention on their favorite toy that makes a sound. The dogs enjoy the attention and just don’t get it from you.
Soothe Their Emotions
Even stuffed toys can aid dogs suffering from behavioral issues and other distress. Since dogs don’t have the power to express their emotions to humans, it comes out in the form of cuddling with an old teddy bear or bringing toy to bed. It can be a fuzzy doll or something that can be torn to bits.
Dog Races Who Love Stuffed Animal Toys the Most
It is fair to assume that nearly all dogs are attached for the stuffed animal item. Some are genetically predisposed to enjoy them better than others.
Labradors and other Retrievers fell under that category since their ancestors were used for hunting and transporting ducks. It may clarify their soft grasps and dedication to still holding a plushie in their mouth.
They generally enjoy bringing around forgotten stuffed toys and don’t want to ruin them. Being said, they produce a build-up of bacteria on these toys so that they need to be cleaned out periodically.
It is better than the toys are washed between periods you see them. The high-energy Terriers and Shepherds are renowned for their love of playing fetch and any activities that include catching objects.
Why Dog Nibble and Lick Stuffed Toys
Every stuffed toy that squeaks will quickly be enticing to small children, including dogs. It is suspected that all dog’s inherent universal attitudes are correlated with the dog’s deep-seated desire to pursue and feed on tiny, squeaking, or quacking creatures – such as rats or ducks.
Since many dogs prefer the play of stuffed animals, it might be impossible for dogs to erase this behavior.
If your dog is obsessively sucking on the toy, that may indicate that he is stressed and he’s suckling on the toy to soothe himself. This is because your pet might get more nervous in conditions where there is a lot of tension.
Other dogs might confront him outside or when noisy noises are happening nearby). Sometimes, it is because the dog feels lonely and there is no human to pet him. This may be an indication that your child is experiencing separation anxiety.
Final Thoughts
So what is a dog’s favorite toy-like? It is a toy that the dog likes will be soft, easy to handle. Preferably, it will make noise during its nibbling. Besides, it will be interesting if it is designed to make them chew or to be eaten.
These characteristics, however, carry some health risks for four-legged friends. And it is that a toy that breaks into pieces can cause the dog to choke, which means that the dog’s play with these objects should always be supervised to avoid unnecessary dangers.
