My Great Dane sucks on blankets, anybody know why?

Question

I have several Danes that suck on toys or blankets. Anybody have this going on , or know why?

Answer 1

dogs (or for that matter, cats) who engage in this behavior as adolescents or adults have usually been taken too early from their dams;

there's a contact-comfort in suckling, and pups and kittens who are separated from Mom before they are old enuf to give up nursing will continue to practice the behavior.

U don't mention how old the dogs are/were, but the suckling often doesn't start when they first enter Ur home; the pup or kitten may not begin 'nursing' on soft-surfaces till they are 5 to 6 mos or older.

theoretically, the hormone-flush of puberty trips the nursing-behavior in a pup or kitten who is now too old to suckle, but was taken too young from Mommy to have been properly weaned.

my sister's cat was only 6 wks when her breeder sent the kitten home; the breeder LIED about the age and DOB, but the vet immediately spotted the underage dental development.
unfortunately, the breeder refused to take the kitten back for a few more weeks, my sis decided not to pursue it, and animal-welfare law AT THE TIME was too lax to force the breeder to do the right thing.

so we lived with a neurotic Siamese for the next decade-plus... Not her fault! :)

Answer 2

It is just a comfort thing, much as thumbsucking is to children. I have a 5 year old that does this, too..I give her small stuffed toys, after I take off any plastic parts, and she finds great contentment with them..I think is kind of like playing with dolls..

Answer 3

I have a female Doberman Pinscher who is ten years old that has done this for years. She suckles on toss pillows and uses her paws to kneed the pillow. I think this is really cute. I think it is just comforting to her. She was not taken from her mother at too young of a age. I got her fro her mother and breeder at ten weeks of age. I have three other dobies and they don't do this.

Answer 4

I had this problem before, I checked with a vet and he informed me that my dog was weaned too young. If your dog is only doing this when he is relaxed, asleep or content, he may too be doing it because it simulated sucking on a teat for him. It's nothing to worry about.

Answer 5

Satisfying his need to suckle. Perhaps he was taken from his mom too soon..
Tell him no, stop the behavior for that moment, and reassure him with affection: petting, playing, going for a walk.. etc..

Answer 6

My dog does it too. It's probably just because it's soft.