Why does my dog pace from room to room with a toy in his mouth?
It’s not necessarily a sign of “boredom and not enough exercise” as the other poster said. My dog does this, too, and he gets plenty of exercise out back, has me here all day with him AND gets nice walks. Mine does this with a huge bone – he’ll carry it room to room – look out the window with it and finally decide where it “belongs” – only to pick it up and move it elsewhere a little later on. It’s simply that he’s showing what things are “his” and “stashing” them so that other dogs won’t get them (even if there AREN’T any other dogs) A dog I had years ago would take a bone or toy, lay it on the floor in plain sight and then move his nose back and forth – like he was burying it with invisible dirt! Sometimes he’d make this disgusted snort like “Damn it! Why can I still see it!” 🙂 I think this behaviour hastens back to their ancestors – wild dogs and wolves that would bury or hide their food so other animals couldn’t find it.
