Taking shoes

Carly takes our shoes to her bed whenever she is on her own in the kitchen such as when we go to bed or when the kids are eating their dinner in the living room. I've read somewhere that this behavior is a security thing and she is taking them because they smell of us? She doesn't chew them really (apart from the ends of MY laces). Any ideas?

It could be a security thing. Have you tried putting the shoes where she can't get them. You could also leave an dirty shirt, sock or whatever in her bed so she won't be tempted to take anything else.

Could be, or could just be that she likes shoes! She is a girl, after all!

All my dogs seem to have had a fettish about one thing or another - shoes, socks, ties. Dempsey's favourite, though is bras!

Rocky loves my hubbys socks, dont ask me why He dosn't chew them just takes them away, likes the chase I think.

hahaha nice answers, I think she's a bit demented like most staffies

Could be. Loki did the same thing, he'd take my mum's slippers to his bed and lie on them. Even when he was still really bad with the chewing, he wasn't chewing the slippers, just sleeping on them. I reckon it must be a comfort thing...or maybe they like the smell

Beware! Scrumps loved my shoes soo much she chewed every heal! Not the shoe, just the heal!

my jack does the exact same thing, i also think its a security thing.

Tilly chewed the back of my trainers but this was a sign of love , so every time I spent a night away , when I went to put my trainers on I would always think about her bless her thoughtfullness

This is one of percys fav games, steal my slippers and run as fast as his little legs will take him to his crate and then just lie with it...always gives it back without any fuss. Makes me giggle as he looks so chuffed to have got it into his bed x

Cant get the image of Dempsey running around the house with a bra out of my head

Callie likes bras. And my husband/son's athletic supporters. She either has a weird fetish or I think she likes the chewy elastic parts.

Lily loved Ugg boots when she was a pup, I was always finding one of them in the garden. lola likes a sock she flings them up in the air and catches them, she doesn't chew them. It's funny to watch

My Calli also has a foot fetish. Feet licking, and relocating used socks.
But she also punishes me for leaving her alone, by ripping the insoles from shoes and chewing them.
I have prevented a wholesale decimation of my shoes, by (sensibly) putting my shoes away under the stairs, and then asking my local charity shop for shoes that were too manky for selling and destined for the bin. I then arrange them on my shoe rack, and Calli can now go ahead and have a tantrum and chew up the shoes without costing me anything (other than a wee charity donation!)

Liberty wrote:My Calli also has a foot fetish. Feet licking, and relocating used socks.
But she also punishes me for leaving her alone, by ripping the insoles from shoes and chewing them.
I have prevented a wholesale decimation of my shoes, by (sensibly) putting my shoes away under the stairs, and then asking my local charity shop for shoes that were too manky for selling and destined for the bin. I then arrange them on my shoe rack, and Calli can now go ahead and have a tantrum and chew up the shoes without costing me anything (other than a wee charity donation!)

Your dog sounds bored/teething and needs ample daily exercise and replacement doggy chews/ toys when she is left alone, definitely not a dog punishing you or having tantrums (human emotions).

By Buying her charity shoes you are endorsing the bad behaviour and encouraging her to chew shoes, I assume you take her out for exercise where she see's lots of shoes on peoples feet?

Taz wrote:

Liberty wrote:My Calli also has a foot fetish. Feet licking, and relocating used socks.
But she also punishes me for leaving her alone, by ripping the insoles from shoes and chewing them.
I have prevented a wholesale decimation of my shoes, by (sensibly) putting my shoes away under the stairs, and then asking my local charity shop for shoes that were too manky for selling and destined for the bin. I then arrange them on my shoe rack, and Calli can now go ahead and have a tantrum and chew up the shoes without costing me anything (other than a wee charity donation!)

Your dog sounds bored/teething and needs ample daily exercise and replacement doggy chews/ toys when she is left alone, definitely not a dog punishing you or having tantrums (human emotions).

By Buying her charity shoes you are endorsing the bad behaviour and encouraging her to chew shoes, I assume you take her out for exercise where she see's lots of shoes on peoples feet?

Calli has both ample exercise AND dog chews of all shapes and sizes when left alone. She has her meals in Kongs so she has something to work on, and also treat balls and dog puzzles. She also has access to raw bones, in facr she has so much I think I may be overdoing it!
I believe it is separation anxiety rather then boredom. I also use a DAP infuser. She is 2.5 yrs old so I assume that she is not teething now.
I do take my dogs welfare seriously, but would rather she destroy charity shoes than my own. Maybe I should not give her any access to shoes, Will try that when I next leave her.
I do try to put myself in her 'shoes' and not anthropomorphise her behaviour, but I have not owned a dog before and am only 5 months into this new adventure!
Any tips would be welcomed!

[quote="Liberty"][quote="Taz"]

Liberty wrote:
I do try to put myself in her 'shoes' and not anthropomorphise her behaviour,

WOW, big word there!

kathytake2 wrote:Rocky loves my hubbys socks, dont ask me why He dosn't chew them just takes them away, likes the chase I think.

Bandit used to take my oh's socks. We'd find two or three of them buried in his bed on a regular basis!

*Lynne* wrote:Cant get the image of Dempsey running around the house with a bra out of my head

It isn't a pretty sight! Especially with me running around after him to try & get it back. It's one of the few things he won't drop as soon as I tell him to!

A little amusing (not at the time) story...
When Dempsey was about 5 or 6 months old my boss (parish priest) called round to discuss a couple of work related things. After about 10 minutes of chatting in the living room, Dempsey trotted in with my bra dangling from his jaws! Took several minutes of running around the house after him till he finally ended up back in the living room & dropped the bra in front of my boss as if to invite him to play with it!