Blanket sucking

[Alison Olsen]

Just wondered if anyone knew why our Bailey likes to suck his blanket? His paws usually knead like a cat's at the same time. It's obviously a comfort habit like suckling his mum but as far as I know he was a normal puppy who left his mum at 8 weeks old. (We got him at 13 months old). Will he grow out of it? Is there any harm in it? We let him do it if he wants unless he starts eating pieces of blanket.

[Melinda Auld]

My setters don't do it, but my old Cocker boy used to do it.  He had a stuffed rabbit toy that he carried around from the day we got him, until the day he passed (it was cremated with him).  He used to snuggle up to it at night, and suck on it and knead it.  Whenever it got washed, he used to sit under it on the clothesline and cry, and when he got it back, he'd take it into the lounge room and hide it under a cushion LOL

My friend has a Weimaraner bitch who likes to suck her blanket.

[Dianne cook]

Thats a lovely story Melinda, how sweet. :))

[Fran Griffin]

Barkley loves to suck a blanket on occasions. He left his dam at 8 weeks, and had his final feed from her just before he left. Optimum time for puppies to leave dam is 6-12 weeks,but there is a problem around the 9 week mark according to some researchers. Any younger than 6 weeks then there could be issues with learning consequences, bite inhibition and that there is an end to things.  But these issues can occur anyway from small litters, singleton pups, or from a dam who just allows the puppies to do whatever. Nothing is clear cut as with most things in life.

[Georgina]

Wise words, at the end of the day each of us are individual, including dogs, and the question of nature or nurture is always fascinating isn't it.

[Torie Lancaster]

The optimum time for me to collect a puppy is 7-8 weeks....I want mine to be practically house trained by 12 weeks.

One of my girls sometimes takes both my furry UGG slippers to bed with her...she's not allowed to keep them though because my tootsies get too cold :)

[Pat]

There is nothing wrong some dogs like this as a way to sooth themselves when they are tired or stress. I have seen it on a couple of occasions with different breeds. It's ok.

[Ellen Matta]

My friend had a  mix, stabyhoun and ???, she got him when he was only 5 or six week old. Rover did it all his life, wherever he went in the house he would take his blanket with him. It's not called a 'security blanket' for nothing... I love the photo's with the setters and their blankets.