You watched a sock, a squeaker or a corner of a toy disappear. Or you found the empty wrapper afterward and pieced together what happened.
Safety note
Get help now. Call your veterinarian or an emergency vet line immediately, even if your dog seems fine. Tell them what was swallowed, roughly when, and the size of the piece.
Why this needs a vet, not a wait-and-see
Some objects pass through without trouble. Others cause a blockage that needs urgent treatment, and there is no way to tell which from the outside.
Sudden vomiting, not eating, straining, or a painful abdomen are reasons for an urgent examination. Sudden behaviour change on its own warrants a veterinary visit.
Safety note
Never try to make your dog vomit, and never wait to see if the object passes on its own. Do only what your veterinary team tells you to do, and nothing else.
What to tell the vet team
What was swallowed, and its rough size, shape and material, for example fabric, foam, rubber or plastic.
Roughly when it happened, and whether any of it came back up or came out since.
Any vomiting, lethargy, loss of appetite, or straining, however small it seems.
Whether your dog has swallowed objects before, since that changes how they monitor and treat.
Once the vet visit is done, prevent the next one
Prevention here is management first. A dog who swallows things is rarely doing it on purpose, and reward-based practice, not punishment, is what changes the habit.
Pick socks, wrappers and small toys up off the floor before your dog is loose in a room. A tidy floor is the least effort of any option here.
Give appropriately sized chew items instead, and supervise chewing on anything that can be shredded into swallowable pieces.
Use a crate, a gated room or a closed door when you cannot supervise, rather than trusting your dog to leave things alone.
Teach a trade, not a chase
Chasing your dog to grab something from their mouth teaches them to run and swallow faster next time. A trade teaches the opposite.
Practise with a boring object first. Offer a treat next to your dog's nose, and take the object only once they let go on their own.
Build up to swapping for a treat of clearly higher value than the object, so giving something up reliably pays well.
Practise this daily with safe objects, so it is already fluent before it matters with something dangerous.
Today's version, in one line: call your veterinarian now, and start trade practice with a boring toy once the visit is done.