New toy

Question
Hello, Shelley! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

I am writing to inquire as to some disconcerting behavior from our Miniature Dachshund, Mush. She is between 10 and 11 months old and e recently gifted her with a small lion toy for Christmas. Her behavior was odd when we first gave it to her; when we repeatedly squeaked the squeaker inside, she began to whine and tried to get it from us. We gave it to her on Christmas, and since, she has not been without it. She has not been eating well and will only leave my room for a few minutes at a time (to pee outside, generally). She is constantly grooming it and if one of my family tries to take it from her, she will incessantly climb all over the person trying to get it back. I'm writing now because about a half an hour ago, my sister and her friend came into my room to watch a movie, and Mush began barking violently at them. She did not stop until they left the room. At first the behavioral was just mildly annoying, but I fear that it is progressing into something far more alarming. What insight can you give as to the situation, and what advice do you have to remedy it?

Answer
Hi Charles,

Thank you for writing to me about your Dachshund's toy obsessive behavior.  Without knowing at what age your puppy was removed from the litter or how she was nurtured as a young puppy, it's difficult to tell if this behavior has roots that go back that far.  Every  puppy has a chemical produced inside themselves called oxytocin.  This is the "nurturing" hormone.  The toy that your dog is obsessed with and expressing nurturing behavior towards is triggering this hormone which stimulates endorphins in the brain and is creating strong feelngs of attachment.

The first thing I would suggest is a full medical workup.  Have some blood work done, especially for the thyroid.  It is always best to rule out any medical issues when a dog is suddenly showing behavorial changes, especially around the time when she is maturing from a puppy into an adult dog.  I don't know if she is spayed or not.  If not, you might want to consider having this done.  Not only will it prevent certain cancers which increase dramatically with every heat, but it can also help with certain behavorial patterns.

Try encouraging her to play games with you frequently throughout the day so as to use up her mental and physical energy. The time span of each play session need not be more than 3-5 minutes but they should occur as frequently as possible throughout the day.

Play games with her like hiding toys for her to find., Give her toys specifically geared for mental stimulation.  You can find them in the catelogues.  When you cannot play with her, give her a raw marrow bone (never give a dog a cooked bone) to keep her occupied. There are toys that spit out kibble and treats as the dog plays with them.  You can try frozen carrots, peanut butter in a kong, etc.  

Make sure that she gets at least two 30 minute walks a day to tire her out so that any anxiety she is feeling will be released. A good dog is a tired dog!

Teach your dog the two commands of "drop it" and "give."  Do not practice with a high value object. What you want to do is to teach your dog that when she drops a toy or gives you the toy, she gets a more valuable treat in exchange.  After awhile this will become an automatic habit and she will learn that all toys are yours and that she is merely borrowing them from you.

Take away the toy that is causing her obsession for several months. Be sure that you launder it before giving it back to her to remove any memories of previous odors.  Rotate her toys on a daily basis and limit the number of toys that she is allowed to play with every day.  This way you can avoid another obsession.  I would launder ALL the toys in either the washing machine or dish washer, whichever is most appropriate for each toy.  This will make the toys more neutral.

I would like to encourage you to enroll in a puppy class or/and an agility class with your dog.  Not only are they fun, but they are very bonding.

Wishing you a happy new year.

Shelley Davis