My dog has lost the plot... is this in any way normal?

[Dancethereupontheshore]

We have been working from home now since March but downstairs. Dog usually sleeps/potters around / goes into garden for a bit.

We are working from home until Jan now so decided to set up an office upstairs. Well the dog has officially lost the plot. We have 3 bedrooms upstairs - only one slept in. He will come into office whining with a sock. He wants you to bring him into the bedroom and put him on the bed with his sock where he will proceed to ‘bury’ it. Fine. Lift him up as he can’t get up himself. He then comes back later with another sock - bring him to the bed but no that bed won’t do - he wants to put it on a different bed. Whines until you follow him to the different bedroom and lift him up. And then later same again with the third bed!!! It’s hilarious but also worrying...

[LadyFeliciaMontague]

Maybe he’s got used to you being downstairs with him for all this time and now he’s missing you being so close so it’s a way of getting your attention.

YABU not to post a pic of your dog

[Dancethereupontheshore]

@ladyfeliciamontague he has a bed in the office and is with us most of the time he just likes to play in the hall and will go sock hunting in the bedroom!

Apologies - see attached

[Windyatthebeach]

In his eyes wdh is taking up way too much of your time....
Time to admit defeat imo...
At least your household can explain missing socks..

[PollyPolson]

But that is his job - he is working from home doing the important job of sock saving.

[CMOTDibbler]

TBH, I'd be shutting the bedroom doors and making sure people don't leave socks on the floor. Its the sort of habit that starts off rather endearing, but can escalate to really annoying attention seeking behaviour. He can bury his own toys in his basket all he likes, but needs to settle while you are working

[Branleuse]

can he have a basket in the office and you just tell him to settle there?

[vanillandhoney]

Sorry to sound boring, but it's really not something I would encourage. Close off the bedroom doors and don't let him have access to socks/laundry - if he accidentally swallows one it could be fatal.

[PollyPolson]

It quite hard to accidently swallow a sock! He may chew it and eat it but accidently?

[vanillandhoney]

@PollyPolson

It quite hard to accidently swallow a sock! He may chew it and eat it but accidently?

By accidentally, I mean without OP noticing.

Dogs have died from socks causing blockages internally.

[vanillandhoney]

"Unfortunately, due to both their linear nature and their ability to ball up, socks can easily cause gastrointestinal upset, blockages, and even septicemia and death. They can become lodged in any part of your dog's GI system, preventing the otherwise normal passage of other gastric materials. As a results, the surrounding tissues can become inflamed. If the blockage isn't removed, the inflamed tissues can even start to necrose (that is, the cells begin to die), which can lead to life-threatening septicemia."

www.thesprucepets.com/why-does-my-dog-eats-socks-3385603

[nancyjuice7]

Is he getting walked in the morning before you start working?

[MiconiumHappens]

You're not pregnant are you? My dog went bananas in both my pregnancies.

[Dancethereupontheshore]

Argh @vanillandhoney socks now on the banned list thanks’ I guess we will see if he continues it next week and if so go to restrictions with closing doors etc. And no more socks!!! We’ve been letting him have them as didn’t think there was any harm!

@nancyjuice7 we don’t walk him in the morning as he refuses to go 🙈 but we play fetch and tug in the garden and do training before we settle down to work

@MiconiumHappens definitely not pregnant but good to know!

Thanks all for the responses!!

[Bluntness100]

I lost a dog due to him eating two socks, please don’t let him near socks.

[Chaaaaaching]

He is gorgeous OP!! What a lovely face ☺️

[BiteyShark]

Socks are I think one of the worst things for them to have. They smell of us so they are attracted to them but very easy to ingest and cause an obstruction.

Mine ingested a rag (long story) and underwent emergency surgery so have always discouraged sock chewing as a puppy and he now doesn't have any interest in them.

[Dreamersandwishers]

He is totally gorgeous and would be considered normal in this house. DDog1 is adept at stealing my slipper off my foot, waving his ass at me to encourage me to follow, then heading off upstairs to get comfy on the bed.
All times of day or night, just whenever he fancies. Just adore him.

[vanillandhoney]

Ah sorry OP I didn't mean to scare you!

Mine is obsessed with socks (like PP says it's because they smell of us really badly) but they can be so dangerous. All our socks are now kept in drawers way out of his reach (he can open doors).

But yes, please don't let him have fabric stuff like socks. It gets lodged in their stomach and by the time they're showing ill-effects it's too late to get it out via vomiting - they need surgery.

[carly2803]

what breed is he?

so so cute - echo the others about socks though! its cute but deadly!

[carly2803]

what breed is he?

so so cute - echo the others about socks though! its cute but deadly!

[PollyPolson]

There isn't any harm if he isn't eating them! Does he ever go back to look for the sock once he has buried it?

I had a goldie that used to suck on socks and blankets- she carried in her mouth all the time.

I also stuff balls into socks and use as interactive toys with puppies.

Obviously anything ingested can cause a blockage!

[Dollyparton3]

Our fluffball who looks pretty similar loves to do the same thing, now I'm WFH he'll appear at my desk with several toys in his mouth whining to show me then disappear to bury all his toys.

In the early days he chewed a trainer sock and swallowed a tiny chunk of one and was (luckily) a bit poorly for a couple of days and yakked it up on the carpet a couple of days later. Now if he has socks he's very closely observed and we check his "bundle" every few hours to be sure that they haven't been chewed or ingested. He's really good with them now.

In lockdown I've had to get him on a really long (1 hour) walk in the morning just to get him to chill during the day and if I do, he happily loafs around my feet sleeping all day. If I don't I have to work out what mischief he's up to when I'm on work videocalls. Don't panic too much but make sure you keep an eye out for chewing

[dianebrewster]

Agree about the sock danger, lovely cocker from my obedience club died this year after swallowing one

[vanillandhoney]

@PollyPolson

There isn't any harm if he isn't eating them! Does he ever go back to look for the sock once he has buried it?

I had a goldie that used to suck on socks and blankets- she carried in her mouth all the time.

I also stuff balls into socks and use as interactive toys with puppies.

Obviously anything ingested can cause a blockage!

It's not a behaviour to be encouraged, however cute it might be.

It takes seconds for a dog to swallow something, and if OP is busy working she might not even notice it's happened. If she doesn't notice until hours later, it's too late for the dog to be made sick and the next step is surgery.

I really wish people wouldn't come on here and say "oh, it doesn't matter, my old dog did it all the time" because it doesn't make it any less dangerous.