Dogs certainly are capable of pulling some interesting new tricks, both desirable and undesirable, in pursuit of attention. However, dogs do not muster up medical conditions in an attempt to "manipulate attention"! Although your dog may be behaving strangely, what you are describing isn't a behavioral problem, it is a physical one known as "false pregnancy." It typically occurs in certain intact female dogs following a heat cycle and runs the same course, time- and symptom-wise, as normal gestation (pregnancy) and lactation (nursing) would. The hormone imbalance resulting in "false pregnancy" can cause some very strange behaviors, such as treating toys as "puppies" and digging or burrowing into furniture, carpet and closets or under beds in an attempt to make a whelping area for the impending imaginary puppies. The usual treatment is to do nothing; allow the situation to run its natural course. If your veterinarian didn't make this diagnosis and didn't seem to understand what was going on with your dog, it might be a good idea to seek a second opinion. A qualified veterinarian should be able to diagnose and reassure you about your dog's strange but temporary condition.

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