Why does my dog nibble the bed?

If your dog has been nibbling the bed a lot, this post will show you why and what you can do about it.

So, why does my dog nibble the bed? Likely reasons why your dog nibbles the bed are that it likes the taste, boredom, it has learned that the behavior is rewarded, or teething.

There are actually a number of possible reasons why your dog nibbles the bed and it could be due to a combination of them. However, there are some things you can do about it and there are some things you can consider to help figure out the main cause.

Why does my dog nibble the bed?

Below are likely causes and what would make them more likely.

It likes the taste

It is likely that your bed will have a strange taste to it due to the dead skin cells and sweat that will have built up on it. It could be the case that your dog nibbles the bed because it likes the way it tastes. This would be more likely if it nibbles other things that you use such as your pillow or your bed sheets.

Boredom

A part of the reason might also be that it is bored and looking for a way to stimulate itself. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more when it has not gotten any exercise. It would help to ensure that it is able to get the daily amount of recommended exercise for its age and breed.

Separation anxiety

It is also likely that your bed have a strong scent on it. It might be the case that your dog has been nibbling on the bed because the bed calms it down when you are away. This would be more likely if your dog only seems to be doing it when you are not around and when you are about to leave home. It would also be more likely if it also shows signs of being anxious when you are leaving home by doing things such as pacing or crying.

Encouraging the behavior

Another possible cause is that your dog has learned that it will get rewards if it nibbles your bed. If you tend to give it things such as extra attention, toys or treats, when it nibbles your bed, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards. Instead, it would help to stop it from damaging the bed, ignore it and to give it attention when it calms down.

Teething

The reason why your dog has been doing it might be that it has been teething. This would be more likely if it is a puppy, it has started doing it suddenly and if it has been nibbling on other things a lot as well. In this case, it would help to give it other things to chew instead.

Things to consider

Below are some things to consider to help figure out the main cause.

What else happened when your dog first started nibbling the bed

If your dog did not always nibble your bed, it would help to consider what else occurred when it first started doing it. If it started doing it suddenly, it might be due to things such as learning that the behavior gets rewarded, teething or something causing it to become anxious. 

What else is different when your dog nibbles the bed

If your dog tends to nibble the bed more at a certain time, it would also help to consider what is different in the timing that your dog nibbles your bed.

For example, if it normally nibbles your bed when you leave home, it would be more likely to be due to things such as separation anxiety.

Whereas, if it does it more when you have not been giving it much attention, it might be doing it because it knows it will result in you giving it attention.

What to do about your dog nibbling the bed

Below are some options you have when dealing with the behavior.

Avoid encouraging it

As mentioned above, it might be the case that your dog has learned that the behavior gets rewarded. Instead, it would help to reward it when it behaves the way you want it to and to avoid rewarding it when it does not.

Give it other things to chew on

It would also help to give it things to be distracted with especially if it seems to be teething. Things you could give it would be toys, chews and bones.

Redirect its focus

Another thing you could do is to redirect its focus whenever it seems likely to start nibbling on your bed. Things to redirect its focus towards could include toys, a bone or a task to complete. It would help to try to redirect its focus before it starts doing it otherwise it might learn that the behavior gets rewarded.  

Limit reasons why it might be anxious

It would also help to limit possible reasons why it might be being anxious. Ways to do so would be to ensure that the room it stays in is cool, quiet and that there is a space for it to lay down. It would also help to let it pee, eat and get exercise before leaving it.

Why does my dog nibble blankets?

Your dog might nibble on your blankets for any of the reasons mentioned above. It would help to consider if anything else happened when your dog first started doing it and if there is a certain time that your dog tends to do it.

Why does my dog nibble bedsheets?

Likely reasons why your dog nibbles bedsheets are that your dog likes the feeling, it is teething, it has learned that the behavior is rewarded or that it has some separation anxiety. It would help to consider if there is a certain time your dog nibbles bedsheets, to give your dog distractions and to try to avoid rewarding it when it does it.