My (spayed) puppy just turned one and thinks she has a baby

[BWVDenise]

Is this normal for a spayed female? She got a new toy yesterday and this morning it was clear that she thought it was her puppy. She walked around with it in her mouth quite a bit all day, crying. So when she left it for a while, my dh made it disappear. Now she is depressed. I'm not sure what to do. Do we let her carry it around and cry, or do we let it be gone? Is she mourning for it? She has never looked so sad!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

When was she spayed? If it was recently, I might think hormones could still be at play. Or maybe she's just the type of dog who has strong maternal instincts. I've had two spayed females and never had this issue, but I'm sure you'll hear from others here who have. I'd probably ask my vet about it.

What makes a female dog constantly whimper and carry around a stuffed animal with her everywhere?

An intact female dog that is showing symptoms of whining and carrying around toys may be experiencing what is known as "false pregnancy". The underlying hormonal mechanism for this phenomenon is poorly understood. It is usually seen in non-pregnant dogs 2-3 months after their heat cycle. Affected dogs may also have enlarged mammary glands that may produce a discharge. Treatment is usually unnecessary, but a veterinary examination is advised to verify the problem.

http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/false.html

 

[NMAmy]

My dog always has some kind of baby--in fact, we usually call her stuffed animal du jour that. See the picture in my siggie--around Christmas, Santa was her baby. She would carry it everywhere but eventually she gets tired of being a mommy and pulls the stuffing out. She's spayed, as well.

It does seem strange to me that your dog is crying, though. Is it a constant whine or just occasionally? Does she cry when you try to take it from her or as she's carrying it? Maybe some of the dog experts on here can shed some light on it.

 

[BWVDenise]

She was spayed when she was about 5 months old, so it's been a while, and this is the first time she's done this.

 

[BWVDenise]

My dog always has some kind of baby--in fact, we usually call her stuffed animal du jour that. See the picture in my siggie--around Christmas, Santa was her baby. She would carry it everywhere but eventually she gets tired of being a mommy and pulls the stuffing out. She's spayed, as well.

It does seem strange to me that your dog is crying, though. Is it a constant whine or just occasionally? Does she cry when you try to take it from her or as she's carrying it? Maybe some of the dog experts on here can shed some light on it.

She didn't cry the whole time, just every few minutes. And she would let me take it from her, but then she would take it back if I put it down.

 

[Michie]

Has anything changed in your household? That can bring it on. My little dog went through one not too long ago, they gave her hormone shots, and she had been spayed as well.

 

[Jeanny]

my dog has to bring his baby out everytime we go out for a walk. He brings a different one out everytime. He'll walk over and then leave it on the lawn. I usually pick it up before we go back in. If I don't my next door neighbor's dog comes out and "steals" Tucker's baby!!!

We have names for all of his babies too.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Interesting, I learned something. False pregnancy, also called pseudocyesis, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/False_pregnancy can occur in females of many species, including humans as well as dogs. It's not well understood either psychologically or physiologically.

I just did a review of the literature. There isn't a lot of information about pseudocyesis in spayed canines. Most cases are in dogs that aren't spayed, however it seems as if there are many hormones that come into play, not just those that come from the uterus and ovaries. This was the one website I found that mentioned it can occur in spayed females, but unfortunately I couldn't open it.

FALSE PREGNANCY IN DOGS - Chinaroad Lowchens of AustraliaFalse Pregnancy (Pseudopregnancy, Pseudocyesis) Non-pregnant female dogs commonly ... and ovarian abnormalities, but it can also occur in spayed females. ...

From what I can tell, it usually lasts about 3 weeks, and can produce symptoms that would occur with a real pregnancy, like swollen mammary glands, weight gain, licking, etc. Is your dog doing any of these things?

Sometimes they treat with hormones, but it will probably play itself out without those (if that's what it is). Sometimes they give diuretics if the glands are swollen, but that would seem extreme. I'd probably see what the vet had to say and see what happens over the next several days to weeks. The literature says to discourage the behavior, but the mother in my wants to say let her have the toy if she likes it.

: I don't know, go with your gut.

 

[Aimeedyan]

It doesn't sound like anything abnormal to me.

Winston, my neutered male, has particular toys that he cries for if we put them up. It's his way of saying 'give it back! I like that toy!' and nothing abnormal. He carries it around with him and doesn't share it with Harley. It goes in and outside with him, too.

He does this with ALL new toys that he loves. Once the newness wears off, he will move onto another one.

Fairly normal behavior for many dogs - never thought of it being abnormal. If that's all that is happening, I would just assume she liked the toy and was sad that it was taken away from her.

 

[Aimeedyan]

She was crying WHEN she had the toy? I misread; I thought she cried when you took it away. I would leave the toy gone for awhile and see if she does it with any other toy.

 

[daughter_of_amid_chaos]

our female cat Zoe does this with a certain puff ball. She has a different meow for it and she carries it around.
It is just a phase.

 

[BWVDenise]

She was crying WHEN she had the toy? I misread; I thought she cried when you took it away. I would leave the toy gone for awhile and see if she does it with any other toy.

Yes, WHEN she has it in her mouth. She is a shih tzu, and she has never done this before. This new toy is a latex FROG, of all things! She has tons of toys and this is a first for her. We think she was up most of the night last night because it was in the family room and the pups are gated in the kitchen. When my dh came down this morning, she was on the steps that lead to the family room where it was left last night. She has looked very tired all day.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

You have pups in the house? Hmmm

 

[BWVDenise]

You have pups in the house? Hmmm

Oh, just the two of them. She is a year and he is 7 months. No "pups" really, I just have trouble calling them "dogs". Sorry for the confusion!

 

[All American]

Our dog did this sort of thing after she was spayed.

She built a little nest in my mom's room, in a corner, behind my mom's chair (sometimes the dog would go under my bed). Her baby was one of those old crib toys that stretced accross with squeaky toys and clear plastic ball with smaller ones inside so a baby can spin it while laying down. Very cumbersome.

Anyways, she carried it with her EVERYWHERE. Only the people in my family could touch her baby, and if we picked it up, she kept an eye on it. If anyone outside the family got too close to the baby, our dog would become very protective. She did wimper quite a bit during this period, but she did come out of it. The vet said it was a false pregnancy. Just thought I'd share. Your dog will be okay.

 

[BWVDenise]

Morning update! She's back to her normal self this morning, even happier! Thanks everybody!!

 

[kjs1976]

My best friend's female cat did this. Mandy (kitty) grabbed one of Mel's sister's baby-booties from her dolls and it became her baby. She carried the bootie every where. Even through three moves to different house for over 15 years. You didn't mess with Mandy's "baby".

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

Sounds like she was having a "moment".

Chloe always, I mean always, carries her babies around with her.

She only cries - or whimpers - when she carries one in particular, but I just attributed it to its weight. I'm referring to her large Kong.

I wouldn't call Chloe the best of mothers either. If these are simulated babies, then Lord help her if she would have ever had a true litter.

She likes to take their eyes out first and then she pulls the stuffing out of the eye holes.

 

[miste76]

One of my dogs, America, will cry/whine when she carries her toys around. She doesn't do it all the time, but generally she gets excited and brings us her toy while she cries to us and wags her whole body. I always think she looks like she's so proud of herself... she's showing us her trophy!!!
Then she goes and squeaks it a few times and picks it up and shows it to us somemore!!!

 

[luvdzne]

My dog does this all the time. She is almost one and has done it since she was about 6 months. She has several different stuffed animals, some she adopted from dd's collection. She will carry them around the house ever so gently whining her little head off, then she will find a place to "bury" them. She loves to bury them in blankets. It is actually very cute to watch her. DD has learned to close her door when she leaves her room because she will do this will all her stuffed animals. I usually have a huge pile on top of the bookshelf.

She also has a dog, we call it her woobie! She sucks on the head just before going to sleep. It is the oddest thing to watch a dog suck on the head of a stuffed animal.

I don't think there is anything wrong letting you dog carry the toys around. It does get annoying at 6 in the morning when she is whining, but other than that it seems to make her happy. She gets very upset when she can't find her favorite one.

It is funny that she has stuffed animals that she will choose to chew up, and then the rest she will carry around.