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Why is my dog crying and treating her stuffed animal like a baby?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Boxer | Female | unspayed

My female boxer seems to think her stuffed animal is her baby and maybe even dead? She’s crying so bad with her stuffed animal in her mouth. I tried taking it away but she went crazy looking for it. I don’t know how to make her happy again.

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1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 29th, 2017

Hi there. It sounds like Rose may be having a false pregnancy. This is related to unbalanced hormone levels. Honestly, if you are not planning on breeding her you should have her spayed. That will stop this behavior. Not only that but spaying decreases the risks of mammary cancer and uterine infections (pyometra) both of which can be life threatening. There is really no treatment you can do for this at home. Usually these episodes last 2-3 weeks. If it lasts longer than that you should get her examined by your vet. My only recommendation would be to try a calming therapy like DAP. http://dapdiffuser.com/ https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/comfort-zone-diffuser-with-dap-for-dogs

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