Why Does My Dog Want Me to Hold His Bone While He Chews?

Why does my dog want me to hold his bone while he chews?

My weimaraner pup likes to shove his rawhide bone or toy into my arm so I will hold it for him while he chews. It’s both cute and rude.

Do you think it’s something a dog owner should allow?

In general, I don’t think the behavior is anything to be concerned about, but it’s sometimes hard to interpret.

Is it, God forbid, dominance? Is it for security? Or just a normal way to seek attention?

It’s hard to tell sometimes, especially if your pup is generally right in the middle as far as assertiveness goes.

Why does my dog want me to hold his bone?

Here are some possibilities:

1. To get better “leverage” while chewing. This is the case with Remy, especially while he was teething. It just seemed easier for him to chew if I held the bone or if he propped it against something.

2. It’s a way to get attention.

3. It’s a nice way to bond and receive affection, especially if the dog tries to crawl into your lap while you’re holding the bone.

4. It can also be a way to show possessiveness over the bone by keeping it away from other dogs or by keeping YOU away from the other dogs.

5. Sometimes it’s even a way to keep the bone away from YOU. For example, sometimes Remy will crawl into my lap with his bone and then put his back into my chest with the bone facing out. He’s obviously trying to prevent me from grabbing it (he runs off or snatches it if I try) so I don’t allow this behavior.

See my post, Should I let my puppy sit on me?

*Enjoying this article? Get realistic dog training tips emailed once a week. Click Here

Why does my dog keep bringing me his bone?

This is normal dog behavior (some dogs do it and some don’t), but just take a look at your unique dog and consider her personality and overall behavior.

For example, if she’s constantly trying to get you to hold her bone maybe she needs more exercise and interaction in general. Or maybe she just needs to learn some manners and self-control (right, Remy?).

Either way, it’s a good idea to set some limits. See my post, How to teach my dog the word off.

Is your dog generally shy or fearful? She might be engaging with you in order to feel more confident, which is a good thing (within reason).

Does your dog have any issues at all with possessiveness? If so, then you want to be extra aware of her behavior. It’s great if she’s offering you the bone. It’s not so great if she’s trying to guard it from you or from the other dogs in the house.

So, as with anything it’s just good to be aware of what you’re reinforcing with your dog.

Rules for your dog with toys or bones:

1. Work on “drop” and “leave it” with your dog so you can always be in control of the toys and bones. Teach your dog that you can take away a toy at any time.

2. Rotate which toys and bones are available to your dog so “new” things are always coming from you.

3. Use a phrase like “that’s enough!” when you’re done engaging with your dog. You can use it to end games of tug or fetch or to end a training session.

4. Limit games of tug and fetch to five minutes or so.

5. Work on the basics like down and stay for overall self-control.

6. You get to decide the rules about dogs on the furniture. Your dog does not get to decide.

7. Don’t allow your dog to constantly invade your personal bubble. If he paws at you, see if you can block him with your legs or by turning your body or simply standing up and leaving.

8. Sometimes naughty puppies just need to go into their kennels for a 20-minute break. 🙂

What are your thoughts on all this?

Do you generally agree with me or do you think I’m way off?

Do you have a dog that likes to “offer” you a toy or bone?

Let me know in the comments!

*Enjoying this article? Get realistic dog training tips emailed once a week. Click Here

Additional resources:

• Resource guarding issues
• Should I let my puppy sit on me?
• Why do dogs lean on you?
• Teaching your dog when play is over

Lindsay Stordahl is the founder of That Mutt. She writes about dog training, dog exercise and feeding a healthy raw diet.