Why does my dog put my shoes in her bed?

If your dog has been putting your shoes in its bed a lot, you might be wondering why and what you can do about it. This post will show you a number of possible causes and what you can do about them.

So, why does my dog put shoes in its bed? The reason why your dog puts your shoes in its bed could be that it likes the scent, that the scent makes it feel more secure when it is anxious or that your dog has learned that it gets rewards when it does it.

Since there are a number of possible causes, it would help to consider what would make each of them more likely. Once you have a good idea of the cause, it should become a lot easier to get your dog to stop doing it.

Why your dog puts your shoes in her bed

Below are a number of possible reasons why your dog has been doing it and what would make them more likely to be the main reason.

Encouraging the behavior

It might be the case that your dog has learned that it gets rewards when it puts your shoes in its bed. If you tend to give your dog things such as extra attention, treats or toys, when it puts your shoes in its bed, it will likely do it more in order to get more rewards.

Anxiety

The cause could be that it has some anxiety and the scent on your shoes makes it feel safer. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more in situations where it might feel anxious such as when you are not home.

It likes the scent

It is likely that your shoes will have a strong scent on them. It could be the case that your dog has been putting your shoes in its bed because it likes the scent on your shoes. This would be more likely if it does not seem to be doing it due to being anxious, it does it at random times, it also takes other things with a strong scent and it does not seem to be doing it for attention.

It wants attention

The cause could also be that it is trying to get extra attention from you. This would be more likely if it tends to do it more when you have not been giving it much attention and if you tend to give it more attention when it does it.

It would help to give your dog attention throughout the day by training it, exercising it and playing with it. But, it would help to avoid rewarding your dog with extra attention when it hides your shoes. Instead, it would help to wait for it to calm down, to take your shoes back and to reward it, later, when it is being well behaved.

Things to consider

Below are some things you can consider when figuring out the main reason why your dog has been doing it.

What else happened when your dog first started putting shoes under its bed

If your dog did not always put your shoes in its bed, it would help to consider what else happened when it first started doing it. If your dog started doing it suddenly, it might be the case that there was an event that caused it to start being anxious such as you working longer hours or it might have learned that it gets rewards for doing it.

If there is a certain time that it tends to do it

It would also help to consider if there is a certain time that your dog tends to do it more. For example, if it tends to do it when you are not home, it could be the case that it has some separation anxiety.

What to do about your dog putting shoes under its bed

Below are some things you can do in order to get your dog to stop putting your shoes in its bed.

Reduce reasons why it might be anxious

As mentioned above, it could be the case that something has been causing it to be anxious. It would help to take measures to limit reasons why it might be becoming anxious. Some things you could do would include ensuring that it can get exercise, food and a chance to pee before leaving it and to ensure that it is getting the right diet.

Avoid encouraging the behavior

Since it might be the case that it has learned that it gets rewarded for putting your shoes in its bed, it would help to avoid rewarding your dog with attention when it does it. Instead, it would help to reward it when it is being well behaved, to try to redirect its focus when it is about to take your shoes and to avoid getting emotional with it when it takes them.

Keep your shoes where they are harder to reach

Another option would be to put your shoes in a location that your dog cannot get to such as somewhere high-up, a room that it does not have access to or a cupboard.