Pet Behavior Expert Reveals the Adorable Reason Dogs Walk Around With Toys

One dog owner revealed the adorable reason why they think their dog likes to pick up his toys and parade them around the room.

However, a leading pet behavior expert believes there may be something more complicated going on in their canine friend’s head than they first thought.

When it comes to toys, dogs aren’t all that different from kids. Despite having some weird and wonderful toys, the two will often crave and crave new and exciting toys.

In a 2020 study published in Animal Cognition, a group of 17 dogs were given a line-up of three toys. Two of the toys were familiar to them while one was a completely new, novel object.

The researchers found that in 38 out of 50 tests conducted, the dogs chose the new toy over the other familiar one. Dogs can be like children when it comes to toys in other ways, as Charli the whippet labrador or “whipador” shows.

In a video posted on TikTok by his owner, who writes under the handle Charli_Puppydog, the happy dog ​​can be seen parading one of his toys around the house, showing it to his human and their guests.

“When your dog’s toxic nature thinks he’s always the main character,” an onscreen caption jokes. Charli’s behavior is not all that different from the kind of thing a child might do when their parents have visitors over: try to be the center of attention by showing off a certain toy.

Charli’s owner has her own theory as to why she likes to park like this and it’s super cute. “She’s just so proud of all her toys that she just loves to showcase them,” they said. “He also loves a good chase, so he probably half expected us to follow him!”

The whipador is a celebrity on TikTok, where his owner regularly posts video updates of his antics. This particular video has been viewed more than 500,000 times, with fans quickly commenting on Charli’s hijinks.

For many, the behavior is very relatable. “Mine does this to every sock he can find,” commented one dog owner with another writing: “My oldest dog does it.”

But what does this really mean? To know, Newsweek seek help from Susan Nilson, a professionally recognized cat and dog trainer and behavior expert.

He said Newsweek Charli appears to be walking “calmly” and holding the soft toy “softly” suggesting she is mostly happy.

“His tail is loosely flicking to the side at a moderate height, indicating that he is quite calm and relaxed,” Nilson said. “A high tail carriage usually indicates a state of high emotional arousal, while a low or tucked tail usually indicates fear or anxiety, so it appears to be somewhere in between.”

However, she noticed that Charli’s ears were back “which could be because she’s carrying the toy, but could also indicate some discomfort or anxiety.”

Although Charli is happy and living in a forever home now, that anxiety can be traced back to her traumatic start in life.

“We got him as a puppy but had to rush him to the emergency vets the second night we got parvo,” explained his owner. “The vets gave him a 50/50 chance of survival, but he pulled through and is now the big strong dog you see in our vids!”

Despite the small potential hint at a once-lived trauma, Nilson is keen to emphasize that Charli looks like a very happy pup. “In general, his body posture is quite relaxed, and his whole demeanor is quite low and mellow.”

Nilson adds that there may be more direct reasons why he wants to carry his toys that way. “Some dogs, especially those bred for hunting or retrieving, have a strong instinct to carry things in their mouths so that could be a factor here,” he said. “It’s also common for dogs to hold toys in their mouths as a form of comfort or security, similar to how a child might hold onto a security blanket or stuffed animal.”

Regardless of the origin of her parade, Charli is more than carrying her toys. “His favorite thing is chasing a frisbee on his walks,” said his owner. “He also loves eating, zoomies, parading his toys and meeting people. He’s so excited he can’t control his bum wiggles as he runs to say hello.”

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