Your dog: Hey look, here is my toy!
You: That’s cute. But why do you bring it all the time?
Your dog: You’ll find out the answer in this article. Read on to learn:
- If your dog wants to play with you.
- If your dog is giving you their toy as a gift.
- 5 interesting dog parents’ stories that will entertain and surprise you.
- And way more…
Table of contents
Why does my dog bring me toys (when I come home)?
Your dog brings you toys when you come home to show excitement and endearment. Bringing toys is their way of showing their positive emotion upon seeing you home. They are happy to see you but they also want to control their excitement. This is why they bring their toys to calm themselves down.
Why does my dog bring me all his/her toys?
Your dog brings you all his/her toys because of their trust and playful nature. Dogs can be emotionally-attached to their toys. Showing them to you means they trust you enough to share the same sentiment. Additionally, it could also mean urging you to play with them.
7 amazing reasons why your dog brings you their toys
#1: The itty bitty doggy’s welcoming committee
Don’t you just love it when you come home from an eventful day? Then your dog shows up, and your tiredness seems to disappear
Your dog’s presence works like magic.
And your dog isn’t able to contain their excitement when they hear the faint sound of jingling keys. Even from afar, they can smell your familiar scent.
But you also have an additional welcoming committee…
Your dog’s favorite stuffed toy!
Now, don’t get me wrong.
Your dog is also thrilled to see you. But they just prefer to calm themselves down before you even step a foot in the house.
And bringing their favorite toy is their way to get a hold of themselves.
#2: “This is my toy, I woof you”
Dogs love their toys. But not more than they love you.
Bringing you their toys means they wish to share their valuable toy with you.
Of course, dogs cannot communicate and tell you they love you.
But this behavior represents actions speak louder than words.
Fun fact: Studies show that dog trainers use toys to avert dogs’ attention from distractions.
For example, a squirrel passes by. To proceed with the training, dog trainers will use toys to keep them from getting too occupied.
But dog trainers got more than what they asked for.
In the same study, the aversion technique indeed works. It was also proven that dogs developed a solid bond with their dog trainers or owners.
#3: They can count on you
Being a dog’s companion means gaining their trust. Sometimes, dog owners use toys to win their furry friend over.
But it doesn’t mean you have to be their guardian or owner in the first place.
Research shows that dogs can also choose who they can trust.
In the setup, strangers accompany dogs in an unfamiliar place. Inside the room are all sorts of toys: squeaky ones, ropes, balls, etc.
The initial tests showed that sheltered dogs were a bit wary. Slowly, the dogs began to give toys to strangers.
Soon, they started warming up to them.
In the end, the participants freely pet the dogs and play with them.
Now, what does this say?
The situation above displayed the dog’s hesitance to play with strangers. But the toys acted as their developing connection.
In your case, your dog shows no hesitance to bring you their toys.
The moment you walk into the house, they already have their toys in their mouth.
This points to their trust in you. In other words, you’re their ride or die.
#4: “Play with me, hooman”
This gesture is most-likely an offer to play with them.
If you’ll think about it, it does make sense. Toys aren’t called ”toys” for no reason.
Besides, you would instantly see their excitement to play. They will wag their tail, bark at you and even jump on you.
Now before you ask, ” But what if my dogs didn’t bring a toy?”.
You should know that dogs can also bring you a strange object. Yet, they’ll still want you to play with them and that thing.
For example, your dog found a rope outside the house. It could mean they wish to play tug of war.
#5: ”I’m bringing my toy, are you happy now?”
Can we all agree that dogs are crowd-pleasers?
Your dog might be bringing you toys to catch your attention.
And believe it or not, you are actually encouraging this behavior. But it’s not a bad thing to do!
I mean, think about it…
When your furry friend gives you toys, you show appreciation and enthusiasm. One minute you’re talking in a high-pitched tone. Then, suddenly, you’re giving them ear scratches.
Your gleeful response motivates them.
After all, they’ll have something in return. Ear scratch, petting, or mind-blowing belly rubs.
#6: An early Christmas present
I hate to break it to you. But you aren’t the only one who can give gifts to your dogs.
It works vice-versa too!
Except, you already know their present. It could be Mr. Snuggle right there. Or the squeaky ball you use to play in the park with.
Dogs can sense emotions, mostly by mere sight and hearing senses.
This means they probably saw someone giving you gifts. Then you jumped in joy as a response.
This made them know you’re happy. Why not do the same, right?
So they bring their toys to you as gifts.
#7: This toy belongs to me
Earlier, you found out that your dog must be sharing their toys with you.
This time, it’s the opposite.
Dogs may clutch their toys in their mouth. They take it everywhere they go. Even when welcoming your arrival.
You must have thought it’s their way of greeting you. But you thought wrong.
Some dogs tend to be overly-possessive of a valuable item. It may get to the point that they’ll act aggressively when you take their toys away.
The same research highlighted some signs of object possessiveness:
- Guarding the toy.
- Avoiding their owners.
- Holding the toy in their mouth.
- Tensing up when someone touches their toy.
Now, this is something you should worry about.
This behavior can be harmful to children. Mainly, if the child wants to take your dog’s favorite toy.
5 useful tips on what to do when your dog brings you their toys
#1: Give them some attention
You’ve been in the house all day and they keep bringing their toys to you.
Maybe, it’s just them asking for little pettings and cuddles.
If you can give them a bit of your time, try to make them feel seen.
But it’s not going to be the same case for the following days. Your schedule might get hectic, and that’s beyond understandable.
But make sure to spend some time with them when you have the opportunity.
#2: Let them bring their toys to you
If your dog isn’t acting weird and unusual, there’s nothing to worry about.
Let them bring their toys wherever they go.
Besides, the last thing you would like to do is to upset your dog. Also if it’s not a bother to you, let them bring toys to you.
Note: Your dog might bring their toys to you while your friends are over. And your friends may playfully snatch the toy away. Although this act might seem innocent at first glance, watch out for possible signs of aggressiveness.
It would also be best to separate your dog from your friends. Especially if they aren’t well-acquainted yet. You may use dog gates for that.
#3: Don’t go crazy with rewards
As mentioned, you unknowingly encourage your dog’s behavior by responding. But if it doesn’t irk you, you won’t have to change the way you respond to them.
However, make sure you aren’t being too extra with rewards. When I say rewards, I mean not only treats but also cuddles and petting.
These gestures you give may lead to the development of separation anxiety.
#4: Pay attention to the objects they bring to you
If you remember, I mentioned that dogs may bring objects other than their toys. Yet, they’ll still urge you to play. Like bringing over some ropes for a game of tug of war.
But let’s be clear. It doesn’t mean it applies to all objects.
This is a concern, especially if the object shouldn’t be in their mouth in the first place.
So make sure they know the principle of ”drop.”
Better yet, take note of some techniques that you can do for your dogs. Like performing Heimlich’s maneuver on your dog if they ever choke on an object.
Heimlich maneuver is a first-aid strategy. It involves putting pressure on your dog’s abdomen to remove airway obstruction.
#5: Consult a professional
Now, before you think your dog’s possessiveness is not harmful, think about children who’ll try and steal your dog’s toys.
This possessiveness may escalate to aggression. In this case, call your vet and inform them about your dog’s alarming behavior.
It’s also a good idea to contact a certified dog behaviorist.
Once you turn for help to a professional, things are bound to get better. But don’t just assume you won’t have to do some work yourself.
You must train them not to get used to bringing toys with them all the time. Since it could be the reason why they got possessive in the first place.
You can play fetch instead. And you can also train them on how to drop objects. Or give them toys that children won’t play with.
For example, a dog bowl with a maze. For the record, it’s considered a toy because it entertains them.
5 interesting dog parents’ stories
#1: No, I don’t want to play fetch
A puzzled dog owner shared an experience about their dog’s habit in a dog forum.
Allegedly, the dog will bring the toy to them. But they won’t let them take the toy.
An animal attendant added that their dog might not be in the mood for other games. Except, tug of war.
They also recommended the dog owner teach their dogs to drop objects.
#2: Catch me first, human
In another dog forum, another pet parent shared the same experience. Their dog’s tight grip on their toy is always there. Yet, the dog always comes to them to play.
Another dog owner recommended that the dog probably wants their owner to catch them.
A few days later, the same dog owner shared that it was indeed the case. Their dog just wanted them to play catch and run.
#3: Uses toy to get attention and cuddle
In an interesting turn of events, a pet parent posted about her dog’s affectionate behavior.
She mentioned that her dog is a huge cuddler. So the family members were really scratching their heads when they noticed their dog’s behavior.
She used to greet everyone with kisses and barks. But a few months passed and something changed.
Whenever someone walked into the house, the dog would get one of her toys. She would stop at nothing to bring them her toys.
At first, the dog would bring an empty box or socks. Then it escalated to not letting her owner get the stuff she brought.
The dog didn’t want to play or to go outside to do her business.
Until the owner found out that everything was her dog’s way of showing off. That when you’d pay attention, she’ll give you cuddles afterward.
I’d say it’s a sigh of relief for finding out that she’s still as affectionate as before.
#4: The alarming false alarm
A concerning post by a dog owner earned attention on a dog forum.
Their dog can’t seem to let go of the toy. She even kept whining. This made the owner suspect that the dog is pregnant.
Another dog owner then tuned in and said that this behavior is normal to spayed female dogs. It’s a sign of displaying false pregnancy.
Identifying if it’s indeed false or not can be difficult. So seek a vet immediately especially if your female dog isn’t spayed.
#5: He protects
In an interesting sharing experience, a dog always brings toys to his mother.
The thing is…even when his mother’s in the shower.
Some dog owners thought the dog just wants to play fetch. But the dog parent found that he was actually concerned for her!
The dog parent then revealed that her dog hates bath time. So, the dog assumed that she’s upset when she’s in the shower.
It led her dog to think that bringing his favorite toy to her will make her feel better.