Hi ,my little girl who missed on a mate  has taken up home under the stairs with all the shoes .If she had taken on the mate the pups would have been born in november and this time passed with no odd behavior but for the last week or two she has been hiding with the shoes.Is this a phantom and what do you advise about a phantom? do i let her continue living with the shoes or ban her?
thanks

Ahhh....she thinks she's got hush-puppies :rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

(Sorry about that - just HAD to get it out of my system :D )

Seriously though - get her out from under the stairs, take her away from her "babies", lots of walkies, no extra fusses, or pandering to her "neediness" - give her the "jolly hockey sticks" attitude - and in a week or so, she should be getting over it all.

Margot

Ahhh....she thinks she's got hush-puppies

Very clever! :-D

Lokis mum is probably right, if this is a phantom, so do as she advises and all will be well again, but........

Just to be on a cautionary note and look at it from another angle, if she still continues to live under the stairs, the shoes may have nothing to do with it, it may even be possible that she is unwell in herself, many dogs take themselves off and away from people when ill or in pain.  So just keep an eye out that she is eating, drinking and walking ok and that she is not doing the usual brave dog act of hiding her pain and wishing to be alone to 'heal'. If she continues take her to the vet for a check over. :-)

LOL very loud @ hushpuppies.    She is her usual self except for hiding the odd bone or two,just found it a bit strange she is doing the things now that i thought she might have done after mating and when pups should have been here . as soon as it was confirmed there was no pups (two scans )i slowly increased her exercise back to her normal (running on rig ) so her exercise levels have not dropped (can i ask why that would make a difference) Will block her hushpuppies off and see what she does . once after her season she decided she liked gloves and socks and at every opportunity she took a pair and hid them then guarded them from the other dogs , but it soon fizzled out but if she is prone to phantoms is there an underlying problem ? she has also come into season earlier  than expected then later than expected , never six monthly or regular. is this maybe a thyroid problem ?
any advise welcome here
thanks