Why do dogs like to carry stuff in their mouth?

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I thought of putting this in Factual Questions, but since dogs can’t actually tell us, I figured I’d throw it open to speculation here. So – just what do dogs get out of going on walks with a favorite stuffed toy in their mouth?

I can see it in retreiver-type canines; they’ve been bred to tote stuff back to their humans, after all. Is it as common in other kinds of dogs? Herders? Lapdogs? Guardians? Mutts? Is it a security blanket?

Dopers, your responses? And anyone who cares to share a pic of their doggos in the act, welcome!

2

How else would they carry things?

3

Well, if someone would give them a purse…

4

Dogs with pockets are exceedingly rare.

5

I dunno; some bloodhounds and mastiffs could probably fit a satchel into their skin folds.

6

The thylacine was kind of a dog with a pocket.

7

It’s their way of maintaining possession of a prized object is my guess. That’s certainly the attitude they seem to have while proudly walking about.

8

“Dogpockets” is a Kickstarter project waiting to happen.

“Put your dog to work carrying your items around the house!”

Though “Dogpockets” also sounds like Hot Pockets trying to break out into the hot dog market.

9

Already on the market.

10

My cats often drop their favorite toys into their water bowl. I’ve read it’s to keep it safe (water masks the scent, and they’ll know where it is).

11

A friend has pannier bags for his big Briard. His dog works for his supper.

ETA: Ninja’d!

12

Of course it is LOL.

:laughing:

13

It’s not just favorite toys.
My gf & i used to borrow a neighbor’s German shepherd when we went for long walks,
and he would always find the biggest stick / branch it could find along the way. (and then
wonder why he couldn’t get through gates.)

14

But from a different angle, and I like the image!

15


Simi carries this fish around the house every day. Initially it made my gf cry, because the stuffed fish was Kali’s favorite toy, and Kali died a year before we brought Simi home. It is still eerie.

16

Oh, jeez, dogs and sticks! Dogs and sticks! What is it about STICKS that they love so much?

ETA: kayaker, what a sweet dog! And I’ve noticed size doesn’t matter when it comes to the chosen toy.

ETA 2: People have set up stick libraries in public places for dogs to borrow from! Take a stick, leave a stick.

17

Maybe it’s just a really cool toy?

18

Well, I thought it was genius to try and teach Bayliss’ to get my newspaper for me.
Nope.
Drool-y newspaper is bad newspaper.

He’s not very mouthy about toys and such. He’s a bone chewer. But he doesn’t carry them except to his chewing spot. (His closet bedroom)

The easy answer to the OPs question Because they have no hands

19

My purebred golden retriever was wont to carry things. Her favorite was a stuffed soccer ball. In fact, I bought about a dozen of them during her life as replacements for when they got too ratty. She was an excellent retriever, and was good at doing stuff like carrying the paper and giving the TV remote to people.

My two mutts (AmStaff/lab and mutt-mutt) really seem to have no use for toys, will definitely not carry anything in their mouths and will not retrieve anything for anyone. The mutt-mutt will chase almost anything but that’s about it. He has a high prey drive and kills lots of critters but he kills them and walks away when they stop moving. He’s the same with toys. He’ll run after a toy, maybe give it a poke, then come back and bark at me.

After living with a golden for so long these dogs confound my whole notion of how dogs are supposed to dog (they also are afraid of water while the golden would take every opportunity to be in water).

20

Our chocolate Lab, Bessie, used to carry her favorite toy, a stuffed hedgehog, around with her everywhere. Occasionally she’d drop it in the yard and forget to bring it back in. It was her totem and possibly satisfied her maternal instinct, although sometimes she’d shake it vigorously to teach it a lesson.

Pluto the field spaniel, our current dog, is on the other hand interested in such toys only to see how fast he can rip the stuffing out of them.