Dog nervous habit?

[Duckchick2011]

My oldest lab has always been a little on the nervous side, not shy, she loves people and other animals but she can be a little neurotic sometimes. She has a habit of sucking on blankets, pillows, anything cloth, like a baby would suck on a pacifier. It really is kinda gross and is the reason she has been an outside dog for most of her life, even though she is very well house trained...

I have never given it too much thought but now that she is getting older and slowing down I want to be able to keep her in the house again.

Does anyone out there have any ideas on how to curb this habit...or any advice at all, like why she does this in the first place. She has done this her whole life and is pushing eight years this year...I want to have her in the house again but I don't want to have to deal with dog slobber blankets

Thanks in advance, Duckchick2011

 

[dutchhollow]

Lots of times it was a dog that was orphaned or bottle raised for some other reason, or weaned to young. And, sometimes it is just mental instability. Does she prefer one type of fabric, some only will do it to wool, or cotton? If you give her a good chew toy when she is doing it, will she stop and take the toy? Does she only do it when stressed, or when going to sleep, or is she liable to do it at any given time?

 

[Duckchick2011]

She prefers anything that is cushy, like blankets and pillows and sweat shirts and sweaters, basically anything cloth that you don't want slimy and wet

She does it anytime you are relaxing and not playing with her or feeding her, like right now, she is laying at my feet happily nursing on a pink sweater she found in the closet

Lady was about 7 weeks when we got her, fully weaned and running around, she came from a huge litter of brothers and sisters and out of all of them she was the biggest, fattest, and laziest

It would be fine if she would limit this behavior to just one object, but she sees anything as fair game, whether it is your brand new blanket or you favorite pillow she will suck on it till she either falls asleep or you take it from her....

 

[aubreynoramarie]

I have a friend who's pit bill does this. She also seems to only do it when she's in a happy or relaxed state. They gave her her own special pillow to suckle. Maybe you can have one blanket or pillow for er and when you see her doing it to anything else you can switch it out for her special pillow? My friends dog certainly learned that her pillow was for er to suckle and everything else was off limits.

Even though it's a strange habit I think it's kind of cute ...

 

[Duckchick2011]

Thanks, I am thinking she can have the sweater she found in the closet as her own...it was a pink one any way

Now if I could just get her to focus on that pink sweater and leave my blankets alone

 

[dutchhollow]

When it is relaxing time, have it handy and give it to her before you sit down. Then just like teaching pup not to chew, take the incorrect item from her and give her the chosen item, praise.