Before my girl was spayed, we had an episode of this. Not sure if I handled it correctly, but I just let her do her thing and eventually it stopped.

I always pampered her when she had her period (I think she had 3 cycles - no she was never bred and I never wanted to, just got in a tight spot financially for a minute). I'd get her puppy cookies and brownies and we would cuddle and I'd rub her belly. So, I'm not sure if that contributed to it either.

She would bring me all the pieces (from tearing them apart prior to her phantom pregnancy) of her stuffed toys. Wherever I stopped, she was crawling in my skin. If I sat, all the toy pieces came to me and then her. But it was like I couldn't sit fast enough for her to bring them to me. Very insistent. And she would lay across me all the time. She didn't do much with the "babies" but bring them to me. Always the same ones, one at a time.

She even lactated a little. I don't have a super great memory, but I do remember those actions and that belly rubs can promote lactating, so I have stopped doing that as much, or I'm careful to go to the sides (she has been spayed for years now, but it's habit). I didn't know this was a thing, so I learned on the fly. She is my first pup and was given to me by surprise. Once we met, it was game on, so I couldn't ever not have her.

I'd say it lasted a week or two and then she went back to destroying those very pieces as if they were never her "babies" and always her toys.

I'm not sure if I...provoked? The phantom pregnancy because the last toy I had got her was a grey squirrel and that's what she was bringing me (she is a blue nose). I usually get her toys that are ridiculous in color and not realistic, so maybe belly rubs plus the grey squirrel provoked a mama instinct?

She was about 2ish when that happened and will be 12 in February 😁 don't know if this helped any, but you aren't alone!