Dogs love to play with toys, but sometimes they can’t resist dropping them off the couch or bed. In this article, we’ll explore the reasons behind this behavior.
Dogs drop their toys for various reasons, including boredom, loneliness, to get attention, behavioral issues, hiding them, not liking the toys, displaying displeasure, or as an invitation to play. To prevent this behavior, you can train your dog to play with the toys without dropping them, provide chew toys, and use positive reinforcement.
Don’t worry if your dog drops their toys frequently. With patience and training, you can help them overcome this habit.
Why does your dog drop its toys off the couch/bed on purpose?
There may be several reasons behind this action.
1. Loneliness/ boredom.
The dogs are very social. They don’t like to be alone. If you let them be alone, they will try to interact with you.
This is a simple trick that they use to build an interaction with you. They simply drop the toys off the couch/bed. Then you will collect it for your dog.
That’s what they expect. So you have to do something to reduce his loneliness, as loneliness can turn into separation anxiety.
2. To get attention.
Dogs are attention seekers. When you engage in your business, you don’t pay much attention to your dog. Then your dog finds it difficult to tolerate.
Once you hear the dropping sound of the toy, you will look at your pet. Pets are wiser than we think. They use these tactics to grab your attention back to them.
3. Usually, dogs do this as a habit.
They have habits that they got from instinct. Some dogs drop toys just because they used to do it. So there’s nothing to worry about.
What’s more important is understanding your dog’s behavior. Maybe you can address such behavior with positive reinforcement techniques.
4. They drop toys to hide them.
Some dogs drop toys off the couches/bed just because they want to hide them. Dogs love to hide things.
They drop toys to hide. According to scientists, dogs are domesticated wolves. From instinct, they hide things to use later.
If they intend to hide it, don’t worry. Most of them do it as a habit. Some dogs chew them. Some are burying them in the yard.
Your dog is putting them under the couch/bed. You are lucky. Still, your yard is clean, and the dog is healthy, as he doesn’t burry or chew toys.
5. Maybe your dog doesn’t like the toys.
If your dog doesn’t like the toy, he will drop toys off the couch/bed. Puppies need rubbery toys as they love to chew them.
If the dog can’t bite the toy, he will lose interest. Some dogs like teddy bears. Playful dogs like to play with balls. Friendly dogs love to play with children.
Their favorite toy differs according to their age and personality. So it would be best if you were careful when selecting toys for your dog.
6. Some dogs do this to show their displeasure.
Dogs can’t speak. So they use different methods to communicate with you. They wagtail to show love. Likewise, they drop toys when they want to reject playing.
Imagine you threw a ball to the dog. If the dog brings the bal; back to you, he wants to play. Sometimes they pick it up, and after that, drop it down.
This is a clear sign of rejection. They do this when they don’t want to play with you. They drop toys under the couch/bed, as you can’t reach them easily.
7. It is an invitation to play.
When the dog wants to play with you, they drop things under the couch/bed and ask you to collect them for him. This is a game for dogs. I know this isn’t very pleasant, but you should tolerate it.
Is it something to worry about if your dog drops its toys on purpose?
No, there’s nothing to worry about. As I had already mentioned, they do this as a habit. Your dog doesn’t bite toys. He doesn’t tear them.
He doesn’t bury them in the backyard. What he does is put them under the couch/bed. So the situation is not bad as you think. Don’t complicate the problem. Take it simple.
How to keep your dog from dropping its toys off the couch/bed?
1. Train him to play.
Provide him with proper training. Then your dog will not do it again. There are dog training centers, and you can get their service.
If not, you can train your dog yourself. How are you going to train your dog? When you notice your dog dropping toys under the couch/bed, don’t collect them for him.
Just ignore it. Your dog will try to get them back. As you are not going to help him, he will not do it again.
2. Use under furniture pet toy blocker.
This is going to save you. If you can’t stop your dog, you can stop dropping toys off the couches/bed. Let’s see how it works.
By using this, you can avoid dropping off toys under the couch. You are keeping this in the gap between the couch and the floor.
Then the toys will not shift under the couch. You can use this on any kind of floor.
3. Use a gap bumper.
This is very similar to under furniture pet toy blocker. This can block the gap between the floor and the couch. People find it difficult to discipline their dogs.
So this is a good alternative for those people. You need to spend a very little amount to buy this. This is effective and affordable.
Try this if it is difficult to stop your little pet.
4. Buy him some teething toys.
If he dislikes normal toys, buy some teething toys for him. Most of the dogs love teething toys. Some dogs find it difficult to hold the toy with their mouth.
For them, this is a good alternative. Teething toys are easy to hold. Try this soon.
Suggested Reading: Can Dobermans chew on bones?
Things to be aware of.
1. Size of the toy matters a lot
When you buy toys for your dog, don’t buy small toys. Dogs handle everything with their mouth. Accidentally dogs swallow toys.
Some dogs purposely swallow. Small children do the same thing. So parents don’t allow them to play with small toys. Dogs die due to swallowing toys.
If not, they may suffer from diseases related to the stomach.
2. Clean the toys.
You have to clean your dog’s toys regularly. As I had already mentioned, they handle toys from the mouth.
So it is crucial to maintain the cleanliness of the toys. Select toys which are easy to clean. Then you can save your time.
Toys made of cloth and padding take a long time to dry. Try to avoid them.
3. Avoid toys with sharp edges.
Toys with sharp edges can hurt your dog’s gum. It can reduce your dog’s appetite as well. So don’t take this simple. Remove all the toys with sharp edges as soon as possible.
I am not exaggerating. The dog will reject food. Let me tell you my personal experience. One of my friend’s dogs used to bite a plastic toy.
Dog’s gum was injured due to the sharp edges of the toy. Suddenly he stopped eating and drinking.
Conclusion.
You are the parent of your dog. So you gotta be very careful about everything, including toys. They all have their reasons. That’s why they drop their toys off the couches/bed purposely. Dogs communicates with humans through their actions. So try to understand what he needs. You are capable of doing that.
