Moving shoes

When I go outside to look after the horses or such, I leave my slippers near the kitchen door.
If Nifty is loose in the house, she’ll take my slippers into the lounge, often leaving them on the sofa.
The other “garden shoes” next to them are very rarely touched

She doesn't appear to be chewing them or playing with them.
Any ideas why she is doing this ??

Chaos does this too, my shoes will normally end up on the bed. He only does it when he's on his own, when I take the girls for a walk (they go separately mostly).

I think (my guess) it's a scent thing and that your shoe = you, and having part of you is a reassurance when you're not there. Not accusing you of having smelly feet, but feet do smell more strongly than other parts of us and our shoes will have an intense 'us' about them for dogs.

I've tried a couple of experiments with Chaos, leaving different things for him to take and he'll always take a shoe as first choice, then a slipper, then something else if there is no footwear available. He almost never takes George's things, only when I've been exceptionally tidy (almost unheard of!). Clearly for Nifty it's your slippers that tick the box best.

So I'm an untidy person with smelly feet but Nifty loves me anyway.
How did you know ?

But seriously, I hope it’s not a sign of big stress but just comfort seeking ?
It’s true that she hardly ever takes OH’s shoes which are parked right next to mine. Maybe the preference for me because I’m the one who feeds her.

I've met a few dogs that will take worn socks but never clean ones. My guess it's the same scent thing but why oh why would they want to snuggle up with a used sock

I think if it was big stress you'd know it, so I take it as a comfort thing. Either that or a comment on my failure to put my shoes away!

Ian, are you seriously asking why an creature that finds rolling in fox poo might find comfort in a used sock? Or maybe your socks are worse than I'm imagining...

Nifty can’t get to used socks, It’s not THAT disorderly here

That’s the weird part. She just moves shoes from kitchen to sofa and leaves them there whilst snoozing to chewing a toy. She’s not snuggling up to shoes as such.
The most important is that she’s not eating them.

Yeah hank takes our “house shoes” more so my slippers (which I believe is because I have the smelliest feet ) than my OH sliders ( he won’t wear slippers ) but doesn’t chew them or destroy them at all.. just takes them and sometimes just sits on the sofa or in his bed with them.. I think it’s cute but somewhat annoying when you don’t know and are losing your mind trying to find one of them hahaha

Ah yes, it’s often just one shoe.
I’ve just come in from bringing in the horses for the night.
OH has been in the house all of the time but Nifty has taken one of my “house crocs” into the lounge ...