Molly the Cleaning Lady

Dear Dog Lady,

I have a three-year-old black Lab named Molly who is perfect in every way except one: Her habit of turning her doggy bed into a repository of family shoes and clothes. Every day and sometimes during the night dear Molly collects whatever slippers or shoes are lying about and brings them to her bed. Anything hanging on the back of a door knob or on a bed ends up in her bed. She doesn't chew them up but just seems happy to have them gathered about her. What does this all mean? She has lots of toys she could collect in her bed.

Jan, Cambridge, MA

Jan, your fashion hound seems to be taking her latest collection very seriously. She designs her nest with family shoes and clothes, which seems quite adorable to Dog Lady – and maybe to you too because you don’t sound too upset about it.

You must understand the found items are so much better than her toys because these garments reek of beloved odors and essences. Dog Lady remembers her family’s black Lab, Sooty, had a similar yen. He would gather strewn items after we left for the day. We’d come home to find Sooty sleeping with his nose in mother’s nightgown and brother’s dirty underwear.

Dogs need to do work and Molly, a retriever, sees her job as collector of stray shoes and clothes. She’s just doing what comes naturally and hopes to win your approval. Have you thought of officially hiring her on as the cleaning lady?

Posted by Dog Lady at July 3, 2007 11:29 AM