Why Do Golden Retrievers Like Socks So Much? Vet-Verified Risks & Prevention Tips

Golden Retrievers are well-known for their happy-go-lucky personalities and affection for people. A lesser-known fact about them is that many Golden Retrievers love playing with socks. This behavior is so common that you can find numerous videos of Golden Retrievers searching for socks and playing with them. There are also plenty of forums with concerned Golden Retriever owners whose dogs won’t stop chewing on their socks.

It's likely Golden Retrievers like playing with socks because they carry their family members’ scent. Socks become the ideal chew toy because they smell like the people that Golden Retrievers love, and they have a soft and plush texture.

Even though it may seem cute and harmless, playing with socks can be a safety issue. Therefore, it’s best to keep socks away from Golden Retrievers. Keep reading to understand why your Golden Retriever might be chewing on your socks and how you can prevent them from accessing them.

The 4 Possible Reasons Why Golden Retrievers Like Socks

Every Golden Retriever is unique and can have differing reasons for chewing on socks. Here are some common reasons why your Golden Retriever may develop a habit of playing with your socks.

1. Socks Carry Your Scent

Golden Retrievers are known for their love and affection for their families, and they’re capable of forming strong bonds with people. Considering how much Golden Retrievers love being around their humans, it’s very possible that they may prefer socks because of their scent.

Dogs are known to find comfort in articles of clothing that carry their owners’ scent. Since socks carry a particularly strong scent of their owners, Golden Retrievers may like them even more.

2. Soft Texture

Golden Retrievers may view socks as toys that smell like their owners. Socks can feel similar to plush dog toys, and they can be fun to tug on and chew. When they’re balled up, they can feel like softer versions of tennis balls. So, if your Golden Retriever loves to play fetch and retrieve things, they may prefer playing with socks because they’re lighter and easier to carry in their mouth.

3. Getting Attention

In general, dogs are very quick to pick up on what gets your attention. If you show a particularly strong reaction whenever you find your dog chewing on socks, your dog can begin to learn that chewing on socks will get your reaction. Both positive and negative reactions can reinforce this behavior. Therefore, if you want to get your Golden Retriever to stop chewing on your socks, it’ll be extremely helpful to not display strong emotions or acknowledgement when you catch them with your socks.

4. Anxiety or Compulsive Behavior

Chewing can be soothing and calming for dogs, so many dogs will chew because it feels good to them. However, excessive and destructive chewing and licking can be linked with a behavioral issue, such as anxiety or a compulsive disorder. For example, some dogs may start to chew on objects when they feel overwhelming stress from separation anxiety. Since socks have strong smells of their owners, Golden Retrievers may resort to chewing on socks when they’re feeling anxiety.

Is It Safe for Golden Retrievers to Chew on Socks?

It’s not recommended for Golden Retrievers to chew on socks because of the safety risks. Socks aren’t designed to be dog chew toys and can’t withstand a Golden Retriever’s strong jaws. They can unravel rather quickly, and the threads can get caught between their teeth, hurting their gums or being a choking hazard. If ingested, socks can also cause gastrointestinal upset or infections in dogs. Moreover, foreign body obstructions caused by socks or pieces of them can be life threatening and require surgical removal to save a dog’s life.

Chewing on your socks can also enable Golden Retrievers to start chewing on any kind of sock they find in the house. It is a self-reinforcing behavior that can quickly develop into a hard-to-break habit. Therefore, not only does chewing on socks pose a health risk, but it’s also costly. You’ll likely find yourself having to replace socks much too frequently, not to mention the health risks and potential veterinary costs.

Preventing Your Golden Retriever From Chewing on Your Socks

If your Golden Retriever develops a habit of chewing on your socks, it’s best to schedule a vet appointment first. Your vet can examine your Golden Retriever and rule out any medical issues. If your Golden Retriever’s chewing is connected to a behavioral issue, your veterinarian might offer treatment options that address emotional distress and separation anxiety.

Provide More Enrichment

Getting your Golden Retriever to stop chewing on socks usually requires multiple changes. Oftentimes, Golden Retrievers will chew on socks because they’re bored and under stimulated. So, it’s important to find toys and activities that are more fun for them than socks. It’s likely you’ll have to make changes to your Golden Retriever’s routine so that it includes more playtime, exercise, and other boredom-busting activities.

Keep Your Socks Put Away

It's also important to store your socks in a secure place at all times. Make sure your dirty laundry hampers are placed in areas that your Golden Retriever can’t access. Fold and store away your socks immediately after washing them so that your Golden Retriever won’t be tempted to snoop through your laundry. The more you manage to prevent this behavior from happening, the less it is self-reinforced and likely to turn into a habit.

Train Your Golden Retriever

Keeping your Golden Retriever away from your socks will also require some training. Teaching and practicing the “leave it” command can help immensely with getting your Golden Retriever to drop your socks without you having to chase them around and tug the socks out of their mouth.

As we’ve mentioned before, giving a strong reaction—both positive and negative—will reinforce the behavior and cause your Golden Retriever to continue chewing on your socks. So, make sure to remain calm if you catch your Golden Retriever with your socks. You can try to remove the socks from their mouth without making it a big deal or redirect your dog’s focus on the socks by using a more fun toy and reinforcing them for playing with it with treats.

There’s no denying that training your Golden Retriever to leave your socks alone will be a challenging task, especially if they’ve already developed a habit of chewing on your socks. It’s often helpful to enlist the help of a professional dog trainer to come up with an effective training plan to help redirect your Golden Retriever to chewing on safer, more appropriate toys and chews.

Conclusion

It’s most likely for your Golden Retriever to enjoy chewing on socks because they smell like you. They may also simply like the texture or the attention they receive when they engage in this behavior.

Because socks can be a choking hazard and cause serious foreign object ingestion problems, such as infections or even intestinal obstructions, it’s best to keep socks away from your Golden Retriever. Redirecting them to plush toys specifically designed for dogs can help them enjoy chewing while significantly reducing safety risks. Preventing this behavior can go a long way in preventing big problems and it becoming a hard-to-break habit ,so you might need to get very disciplined with your and your family's sock management and habits.

Featured Image Credit: Kyle Buhrer, Shutterstock