# greetings with toy in mouth



## mlg1900 (Jun 12, 2013)

So, I have wondered about this for the last year that we have had Ginger. Do all dogs do this? Every time Ginger greets us. She has a toy in her mouth. Even if she wakes up first thing in the morning and comes out of her crate without a toy. She will run back in and pick up the toy first before greeting us. It is really cute. But I wonder, what does it mean? Why does she always do it? My husband says it is like her bringing us a present? What do you all think?


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## vdogdad (Apr 15, 2013)

Not sure if it's "normal"...but what's "normal" about a V? Our Roscoe does the same thing...we assume he's bringing us a gift, or showing off his retrieving skills!


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

Dharma does this all the time. Right now her favorite toy is a stegosaurus that is really stuffed and much too big for her mouth. She drags that up on our bed, the sofa, her crate and almost anywhere she goes. When we have been away she will hum like crazy and wiggle her bum but the toy is in her mouth at the same time. It is so cute to see this. Unfortunately as I have written in a post- she disembowels waaay too many toys!


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## texasred (Jan 29, 2012)

I have one that always greets with a toy in the mouth.
When she was young, she was a big time chewer. I was always offering her a toy so she didn't mouth my hands. She also like to jump up when I walked in the door, so I would hand her a toy when her feet were on the floor. Then she would wag and I would greet her. It kept her from jumping up on you when you walked inside.
She now grabs her own toy whenever someone comes in a door, or she gets excited. Its a conditioned behavior, and I see no harm in it. In fact I find it cute.


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## Melissa_DT (Jan 9, 2013)

Bentley also does this every time I come home. He runs up to me with his kong in his mouth and makes these weird noises while wagging his tail like crazy. It's definitely strange but I find it cute as well


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## FrancoD13 (Aug 9, 2012)

Bryce does this all the time to. Not just when he greets us but whenever he gets excited. I've also wondered why that is. I love it actually, makes me laugh every time. the only issue we have is that if he can't find a toy right away a slipper or sneaker usually ends up in his mouth.


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## dextersmom (Oct 29, 2013)

Haha yup, same here! Dexter only does it when he gets let out of his crate. He turns right back around and dives in his crate for something to put in his mouth. We never really redirected mouthiness with stuffed toys, so I'm not sure where he picked it up. He also doesn't really bring it to us, just greets us with it in his mouth and then runs into the bathroom with it (to see if we left the toilet paper in his reach, lol). It sounds like it's just a V thing!



Melissa_DT said:


> Bentley also does this every time I come home. He runs up to me with his kong in his mouth and makes these weird noises while wagging his tail like crazy. It's definitely strange but I find it cute as well.


MelissaDT, we ask Dexter if he's "snuffling for truffles" because he snorts like a pig while he does it  We find it hilarious!


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## MCD (May 4, 2013)

I am not sure how many times I have been in the bathtub and Dharma will have a toy in her mouth and want it cleaned so she drops it in with me.


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## jjohnson (Nov 9, 2011)

Gus does this too! We kind of trained it into him though when he was a puppy, offering a toy when we got home so he didn't jump up and nip us. But now he totally panics if we get home and he can't find any toys to grab! So cute!


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## harrigab (Aug 21, 2011)

Ruby's a greeter too, toys, slippers etc with a smothered whine and lively butt wiggle ;D


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## trevor1000 (Sep 20, 2013)

haha thats funny, our boy is the exact same.
Greeting us or as soon as he is out of the crate in the morning.
Sox, slippers, hats, just about anything.
He is soo excited to show us what he has.
Its weird he never does it except greetings and mornings.
We have found that we make sure to leave a toy on our shoes before we let him out of the crate.
He goes right for them and gets the first thing he can, usually his toy.


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## R E McCraith (Nov 24, 2011)

PIKE is just the opposite - put the whistle lanyard on & a cap - he goes to the front door and sits - before he gets there it is a scramble to find a toy - get to him he drops the toy and off we go - this is every time !!


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## SeqViz (Feb 24, 2014)

My V always seeks something, a Nylabone or toy, to put in his mouth after I let him out of the crate when I return home. I have him leave it inside now because when he was younger, everything disappeared outside and didn't come back in. LOL

He is a big chewer so I always assumed that he needed something to mouth/chew. When he was younger, he always wanted to chew/nibble on my hands, so I find his new routine quite acceptable.

And after he is done doing whatever outside, he seeks something, a stick, a leaf, etc., to carry back inside. I think it is cute. I thank him for all of the gifts he gives me! Some have even been dead mice, etc. LOL


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## born36 (Jun 28, 2011)

Mac does this also. 

I love it.


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## mswhipple (Mar 7, 2011)

Maybe bringing you the toy is an invitation to play, although the gift theory is also a likely explanation.


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Ruby greets us with whatever is nearby. A toy, shoe, pillow, even her dog bed! She didn't start doing this till she was about a year old. I think it's because she's sooo excited and having something for her to bite down on suppresses some of that energy. If by chance there's nothing nearby for her to grab, she barks, moans, and whines out of excitement.


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## lilyloo (Jun 20, 2012)

Here she is bringing me a blanket after I came home from the grocery store.


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

I think you all are very lucky your dogs have chosen this automatic behavior, or that you have somehow instilled it in them. Mr. Ferguson greets me with the desire to put his mouth over my wrist, which can be very uncomfortable. He doesn't mouth any more, but only when he is greeting after we have been gone, or in the morning. I would encourage a toy or something in his mouth to curb his enthusiasm. I am going to begin a test... I am going to keep some toys in the car, and near the gate where I greet him in the morning to place in his mouth... I want to see if this can become a habit. He is always so happy to see us, and IMO his mouth is his only means of demonstrating this, and exhausting the physical energy behind his joy.
I am anxious to see some positive results, and how long it will take, before he does this on his own.
Only problem is that the trainer has restricted him from his soft toys, but maybe I can work around it??


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## FLgatorgirl (Mar 11, 2013)

Ellie started doing the greeting with a toy in mouth thing on a consistent basis maybe around a year old as well. She will frantically look around for something and if a toy is not handy, she will grab a shoe, her blanket, anything she can fit in her mouth. Not sure why all of this started as we never had the issue with mouthing and needing to redirect. She is just so happy to see everyone and wants to bring you a gift I guess. 

I have started making sure she has a toy nearby when guests come over because it does lessen her excitement level some.


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## hcrowder (Dec 26, 2013)

Penny is the exact same way. She butt waggles, whines, etc. but always picks up a toy before I manage to open the crate. She then does circles around me, holding her toy, wagging her tail, and whining until she calms down. 

I should add that this happens even if I have only been gone for 5 minutes.


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## Lyndam (Aug 22, 2013)

My ruby is exactly the same. Butt waggle tail thumping and muffled excited noises through a toy or blanket and yes that occurs if I just come down from upstairs ....


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## MilesMom (Jun 21, 2012)

Miles always greets me with a toy. Since we have gotten Chase, it gets a little disrupted because Chase tries to grab the toy from Miles, then Miles looks a little sad that he doesn't have anything to bring us!


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## daniellamarcella (Oct 18, 2013)

Haha...I love this so much. Vika does the EXACT same thing. When we get home and let her out of her kennel, she'll wiggle her way out with her tail going 50 miles an hour and her ears down, then wiggle back in to her kennel to pick out her favorite toy and greet us with that in her mouth.

Isn't it adorable? :-* :-* :-*


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## jjohnson (Nov 9, 2011)

@lilyloo - I love that picture. Really cute, and it looks like it should be in a Pottery Barn ad or something


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## tknafox2 (Apr 2, 2013)

It is so funny that this subject has come up just now, Fergy will be one next month, and he is just now starting this behavior. I was going to try to encourage it myself, after reading this. But he has begun all on his own! Maybe it is an age thing?


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