Dog Eating Clothes

[fidleyspromise]

I'm hoping someone can shed some light on this as it isn't something I've come across before.

That's a year I've had my dog now and he has never eaten anything he shouldn't ie. shoes, slippers, raid bin etc.

A couple of months in, I had a top with lots of sparkly bits around the neck, and I came home to find dog pinging all the shiny bits off of it.

A month ago, he spent the night and took the zipper off a pair of my jeans.
Today I've come home to find him looking really sheepish and he ran into the living room and rolled onto his back as opposed to running up to me and following me around the house. I knew he'd done something but it was finding what he'd done. A pair of denim shorts now is minus the zipper.

He's alone for a maximum of 4 hours any day (today was less than 3 hours), is 5 years old, its only my clothes he's "eaten". None of my OHs.

I try to keep clothes off the floor - and from now its an absolute must as I don't want an ill puppy! He does appear to have eaten it.

Does anyone know WHY he might be doing this? It goes without saying I'll also be keeping a very close eye on him over the next couple of days.

He knows its wrong and I don't have the heart to give him a row.

 

[joeanne]

Can't tell you why, but I can tell you unless you manage to stop him, or make sure there is absolutely NOTHING in his reach, you will end up like we did with a HUGE vets bill when it gets stuck and wont pass through.
Now its habit, we make sure the stairgate is shut, and she has no access to the laundry bin or upstairs where the towels/clothes are!

 

[Dobiegirl]

Twice now my friends Springer has eaten towels etc and had to have ops, the last one the towel was wrapped around his bowel and it was touch and go whether he lived or died.

You have been lucky so far and everything literally everything has to be out of his reach, give him a juicy bone or a frozen kong filled with peanut butter to keep him occupied while you are out.

 

[fidleyspromise]

He won't touch a kong filled with anything until I get back He will eat it if I'm in the house but until then, forget it. Same with other tasty treats. If he can't gulp it before I leave, he doesn't want to know. He is settled when we leave. - He lies down and watches people/traffic going past. He doesn't get upset etc when you leave. By the same token, he isn't a greedy dog.

I agree with you both and everything is now going to be well out of reach. Vets bills are bad enough, but don't want anything happening to my boy.

A pic of him when I got home today: The tail going slowly as he's waiting to see if he's been forgiven.

 

[Dobiegirl]

Do you think by any chance he is suffering from Separation Anxiety? if you do think that then a different strategy is needed . Cayla on here knows everything about it and how to deal with it, might be worth you sending her a pm.

Your dog is lovely and looks like butter wouldnt melt

 

[fidleyspromise]

Lol thanks, he is a little darling.

I don't think so. He's most peculiar. The jeans he ate was actually while we in bed half-way through the night.

I come home - whether I'm out to the car or away overnight - and I get a greeting as though he hasn't seen me in weeks.
OH comes home from a weekend away and he is greeted with a oh hey, your home, back to mum, kind of thing. I spent most time training him, at home with him when he first came home, so he's more "my" dog. He's happy to be left by himself so I don't think its Separation Anxiety.

3 items in 12 months (which is bad enough and now stopping!) but isn't as bad as it could be. - As Joeanne says, its a case of stop it now before it becomes habit.