Why Does Your Dog Love Shoes?

Have you ever noticed that your dog is fascinated with your shoes?  Don’t be alarmed – this is common behavior!  The most important thing to keep in mind is that shoes are at an ideal level for our four-legged friends.  Most of the time we store our shoes on the floor, so this provides easy access to our pups!  There are many reasons why dogs like shoes (and even socks).  Below is a list of possibilities for why.

Smells – All dogs use their noses and mouths to interpret the world around them.  It is common for your dog to fall in love with your smelly pair of shoes.  In fact, the smellier the better for them!

There are certain types of shoes that can sometimes retain the original scent of the animal that it came from (think leather!).  Talk about interesting, right?  Not only that, but shoes always smell like their owner.  There are times when you may be away from the house and come back to see your dog snuggled up to your shoes.  This means that they missed you.

Teething – Puppies absolutely LOVE shoes, especially when their teeth start to emerge from their gums.  Chewing on shoes may provide relief to our pups.

Stress Relief – Say what?!  Dogs who tend to suffer from separation anxiety or those who are more prone to stress may grab a shoe to help alleviate those stress levels.  If the shoe smells like the owner, it will make the dog feel safer.

Do you believe that chewing on shoes is a bad thing?  Not necessarily in our opinion!  It clearly serves a purpose of comfort and joy.  Perhaps you can keep those shoes that you are about to pitch and save them for your dog.  They would appreciate it dearly!