Blanket Sucking

[Adam_Sheltie]

Within the last year my 3 year old sheltie has developed this interesting bedtime routine. The top blanket on our bed is very soft, plush and cozy. He will take the blanket in his mouth and suck on it and bite it very quickly. He looks very relaxed while he does it. He will close his eyes and contract and then relax his paws (like a cat kneading). These sessions typically last 5-10 minutes but he only does this at bedtime. As the behaviour looks cute and isn't destructive I haven't made any effort to correct him. I did read on the internet that this is common in active herding dogs such as shelties as a way of de-stressing and relieving anxiety. He gets plenty of daily exercise and attention from the both of us. Any insight would be appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Caro]

I think it may be a combination of two behaviours. Nesting is where they scratch at an area they are planning on laying on, similar to what you see in cats. Most breeds show this behaviour although not all dogs do it. The sucking/chewing at your bedding may be a calming behaviour. Chewing and licking release endorphins so makes a dog happy and soothed. It can be seen in highly strung dogs (particularly the licking) but all dogs love to chew.

I'd also keep in mind that shelties are really good at picking up cues. If it makes your dog feel good, and then you go 'aw, how cute' (or the body language equivalent) it reinforces the behaviour and the dog is more likely to repeat it.

 

[corbinam]

My dog Bentley does this--but not with blankets. He does it with puffy toys. He hasn't always done it-- probably started when he was around 3 as well. It's the only way he interacts with toys, and he seems so happy doing it!

 

[melbell]

Ruutu has done this with blankets from day 1 of bringing him home at 8 weeks. He doesn't destroy, but he will bite and suck on our blankets. Honestly, we never corrected him because it calms him down. He does it when he comes out of his crate after a period of time or when we go to bed. He also does the nesting routine with the blankets too. We don't yell at him, or tell him he's behaving good, we just ignore it.

 

[Chris]

Layla does this, too -- on the duvet cover or the pillow cases. We call it nibbling -- and you're right. It's not destructive, just a bit of Sheltie relaxation.