NAUGHTY!! Is Your Dog Really Misbehaving? Underlying Issue?

Dogs, especially puppies can be so naughty.  But when they are naughty you may have to ask yourself if it's the puppy or is it their lack of training, or is it something else?

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I have always had dogs that liked to drag toilet paper out of the bathroom, down the hall and possibly into another room.  Honestly, that takes some effort on their part to get this done without having it rip along the way.  If it is just a bit pulled off the roll, and salvageable, I will just roll it back up.  BUT if it's shredded all over the place, that is another issue.  And also expensive.

My dog knows that it's naughty to pull the toilet paper off the roll.  He is just like a toddler that knows that it's something he's not supposed to do.  He will look at me, look at the toilet paper look back at me, then jump up and grab it as fast as he can.  Left on his own will be a disaster.  If I'm there, and I tell him no he will just lie underneath the roll and stare at it, and me.

This could be attention getting behavior, but maybe there is an underlying medical issue...

According to the American Kennel Club, dogs will bite, chew and/or eat toilet paper for a number of reasons.

Biting, chewing, and eating toilet paper can be a sign of a puppy in search of relief from teething pain. Adult dogs may also be attracted to toilet paper out of curiosity, as tasting different textures helps them understand their world.

This seems normal.  Although here could be some other medical issues.  The American Kennel Club goes on to describe this possible condition(s).

...dogs dealing with gastrointestinal problems, diabetes, or worms turn to toilet paper out of hunger. Dogs may eat toilet paper because of a medical condition called “pica,” an eating disorder that makes dogs (and even humans) crave non-edible substances, often due to anemia or zinc deficiency.

The behavior could also stem from anxiety, or simply out of boredom..  It could also happen because they flat out think its fun.  In the case of my dog, I believe it is the latter. And it's annoying. But if you have a dog that does this too, watch a bit and see if it could be one of the other possible medical issues.  Better to be safe than sorry.