Why is Your Dog Obsessed With Bringing “Gifts” to Anyone Who Comes Over?

Inviting people over to your house is stressful. Even the chillest person becomes someone who suddenly cares about things like dust on their baseboards or whether the throw pillows on the couch are fluffed enough. While you get out the Barkeeper’s Friend to scrub invisible marks on the stovetop and light candles in the bathroom, your dog is probably only concerned with one thing: people! They, too, have to make a good impression on these friends. They need attention! Love! Belly rubs! And what’s the best way to gain immediate approval from a stranger (or a friend you only see occasionally)? Give them a gift, duh.

As this cute video illustrates, some dogs love to carefully select a random household item to bring to any guests who step into the house. It could be one of their own toys, a shoe, a sock … any seemingly random item they’ve decided they want to bestow on this new person. It’s kind of like how male penguins present females with pebbles to help them build their nests, aka “pebbling.” Cute.

Even though this behavior isn’t really annoying or disruptive, like jumping up or barking, you might be wondering why your dog does it. Lauren Hewitt is a clinical animal behaviorist and the founder of training school Dog Mom Mindset. She says that her dog does this all the time, especially with slippers. She says that part of the reason for the behavior is that dogs all have different, built-in instincts.

“They want to pick up and parade items around as a natural expression of behavior they are genetically coded for, so this is really common in dogs like Golden Retrievers,” Hewitt says. Wolves would bring food back to their dens after hunting, and this has been passed down to many dogs, but especially Cocker Spaniels, Labradors, and other Retriever dogs. 

They want to make you (and your friends) happy.

In addition to genetics, how you react when your dog brings you items may encourage them to keep doing it. “Dogs that have picked up items and then received positive feedback, like happiness or praise, might also repeat the behavior until it becomes a habit,” Hewitt says. She adds that if you praise your dog when they bring you different items or often play games like fetch together, it’s no surprise that they want to share the magic with your guests. You’re always saying “good girl” or “good boy” when they bring you something, so when they hear the doorbell or a knock at the door, they just want to impress somebody new with their great fetching skills. 

All dogs are different, and if you have a Chihuahua who likes to bring slippers to your visitors, that doesn’t necessarily mean they have Retriever energy. For some dogs, Hewitt says, this behavior could mean that the scent of the owner’s items acts as a “comfort blanket,” and it simply makes them feel good to carry these things around.

“For dogs who love to play fetch, it could be a way of enticing the person to throw the item so they can play the game. This is more likely if the dog is dropping the item at your feet, as dogs who love to parade often want to show off rather than chase after,” Hewitt adds. Some dogs might have learned that when they take your belongings, they get your attention. Even negative attention is still pretty exciting for a dog who just wants you to notice them.

Take heart: This habit really isn’t a problem.

It’s natural to wonder why your dog does basically anything. They’ve all got their own little personalities, quirks, and reasons, and we all want to get to know our sweet pals better. However, if your dog always insists on bringing your guests a gift at the door, you might be questioning whether there’s any need to worry.

Luckily, Hewitt says there’s not really any need to panic. “I actually really like this behavior,” she says. “It channels the dog’s excitement at visitors into something much calmer, and I actively try and teach dogs who get extremely boisterous to ‘get a toy’ to carry, because they are less likely to jump and bark.”

So, if your dog brings a present to visitors, they’re actually already doing something that professional dog trainers might encourage them to do. All that without you even trying! However, Hewitt notes, you should be a little more vigilant with dogs who are prone to resource guarding or who get aggressive when you take something away from them. Additionally, if your dog ever tries to chew up or swallow items, you should pay attention to this behavior and consider consulting an appropriately qualified and regulated behaviorist.

Hewitt says that instead of trying to deter this behavior, you should redirect your dog to something that they’re allowed to have, rather than your belongings. For example, you could consider having a toy that you save for this circumstance. Hewitt says that you can then teach them a leave or “drop it” cue while still allowing your dog to express the behavior with something more appropriate. “Then, you can ask them to drop your expensive designer shoes and swap for their favorite toy instead,” she adds.

Overall, your dog being an obsessive gift-giver is really not a bad thing. They are just trying to help, in their own way, to create a welcoming and friendly environment for your guests. As long as they’re not chewing up your expensive belongings or picking up anything dangerous, it’s likely just them showing off. Who can blame them for that?