Cam Captures Dog Taking Slippers at Night, Then Owner Realizes Reason Why

A dog owner checking a late-night pet camera expected to catch mischief, but instead discovered the young beagle had quietly turned a slipper into a comfort object while home alone.

Leizle told Newsweek that she and her husband have had their dog, Finch, since he was 12 weeks old. Now, nearly 3, Finch has grown up with a mix of crate training and gradually increasing independence as the couple adjusted to their overnight work schedules. And throughout those two years together, the couple has learned about the beagle breed’s curious streak.

“Beagles are known to be mischievous and conniving,” she said. “They're a slave to their noses, so we've always made it a point to crate train him as a puppy, knowing there would be times where he would need to be left alone at night due to the nature of mine and my husband's work.”

Leizle shared a throwback video in a May 14 TikTok post on the account @finchthebeagle, showing what she saw while checking on Finch via a pet camera. At first, the dog’s behavior looked like typical mischief as he grabbed one of her slippers and carried it around the house. But instead, the entire situation took a softer turn. Finch used the slipper as a pillow.

“I thought he was being naughty at first and that I would have to scold/talk to him through the camera speakers,” she said.

But once she saw him curl up with the slipper and go to sleep, her heart melted. Leizle said Finch had taken slippers before while teething or trying to get attention, but this moment felt entirely different.

She realized how much dogs miss their owners when they’re gone and made her cherish Finch even more than she already did. His behavior reassured Leizle that her dog is still in his “mom-obsessed phase.” She believes her husband was home that night, but Finch still needed his mom’s scent to keep him comfortable.

“It was such a reminder that dogs love so deeply and so purely,” she said. “Their lives are only a small part of ours, but to them, we are their whole world.”

Why Dogs Seek Comfort in Their Owner’s Items

Dogs often gravitate toward their owner’s clothing, bedding or personal items because these objects carry a strong, familiar scent profile. Because scent is a dog’s primary sense, these smells can serve as a powerful source of reassurance during separation, helping canines feel closer to their owners when physically absent.

A vet-reviewed article from Dogster suggests this is a form of self-soothing. Dogs may sleep on, carry or rest against clothing because it provides both emotional comfort and a sense of security tied directly to their attachment to a specific person. Dogs love their owners’ items simply because it “smells like you.”

A 2015 study published in Behavioral Processes found that dogs show a stronger positive neural response to the scent of familiar humans than to unfamiliar scents. The research suggests that owner scent is processed in reward-related regions of the dog’s brain, reinforcing the role of scent in attachment and comfort.

Leizle said many TikTok commenters on the video suggested leaving used clothes or pillows out for Finch while the couple works overnight shifts, but since slippers carry the strongest scents, Finch gravitates toward them over the other items. Plus, she said, Finch already has plenty of comfort items, including a blanket of Leizle’s that he claimed as his own and drags it everywhere.

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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 12:41 PM.