A dog’s natural instinct can explain why. The DNA from wild dogs that once had to bury bones and meat to survive lives deep in domestic dogs. When they bury toys or hide things at random, the problem could lie deeper in their psychology and relate to a recently developed fear that is trauma rather than ancestral based.
Reasons Why
There is no one answer it fits all here. It could be something simple as a dog’s DNA that compels a need for food preservation/caching, to fearful compulsions or obsession-fueled desires. Feelings of anxiety and boredom, along with simple attention-seeking playfulness are possibilities too.
Natural Instinct
The reasons why domestic dogs bury items might stem from their wild canine ancestors, like the gray wolf. These wild animals practiced “scatter hoarding,” where they would distribute and bury leftover meat in various distant locations. Canine behaviors like this ensure that they have sustenance during winters or other times when food is hard to come by.
In times gone by, when a successful hunting dog or wolf secured prey, they had to eat quickly. The reason? The aroma of fresh meat could attract not just other wolves but also competing wild animals. Consequently, after a fast feast, they’d choose a strategic location to bury the remains. This action wasn’t just about preservation—it was about survival. The buried food, shielded from other dogs and the effects of the environment, provided a backup meal for times when hunting was unfruitful.
Preservation
The reasoning behind dogs burying bones, meat, or even those that bury toys may not be just about hiding them; they could signal a dog’s urge for preservation. The deeper a dog buries its treasures, the longer these items last. Below the Earth’s surface, the temperature remains cooler, mimicking the effect of a refrigerator. This slows down the decomposition of meat and carcasses. Additionally, the dirt keeps the meat away from sunlight and airborne pests, ensuring it doesn’t spoil quickly. Such a backup stash proves invaluable when a fresh hunt doesn’t yield a meal.
Wild dogs were smart hunters who knew that burying bones and carcasses deep in the earth extended the freshness of their game. Shielded from direct sunlight, the decreasing temperature as one dug deeper provided an ideal environment to store meat. Beyond just preservation, the soil’s organic content almost marinated the meat, enhancing its flavor for subsequent meals. Additionally, this burial technique deterred non-burrowing insects from accessing the meat.
Food Caching
Many animals, including a variety of birds and mammals, engage in caching—saving food for later consumption. Wild ancestors of domestic dogs, such as wolves, foxes, and coyotes, often faced uncertainty about their next meal. When these hunting animals made a successful kill, they would consume as much as possible immediately. However, they also used the earth as a natural cooler, burying leftover meat in the cool dirt to shield it from direct sunlight and potential scavengers. This kept their food fresher for longer, allowing them to retrieve and eat it during lean times.
Anxiety
an outcome of behavioral anxiety or chronic stress. Dogs, especially those recently re-homed or exposed to changes like a shifted routine or a new environment, may exhibit increased anxiety or signs of chronic stress. For such dogs, digging becomes a soothing activity. They might engage in burying behaviors, like hiding, food, bones, or a chew toy within couch cushions or under furniture, particularly if they can’t access actual dirt.
In households with two dogs or more, there might be heightened competition over resources. This is especially true for smaller dogs living in the constant apprehension of their larger companions taking away their food. Some dogs, particularly those rescued from challenging backgrounds like backyard breeding or hoarding scenarios, may have previously grappled for limited resources. Such past experiences could transform a dog’s instinct into persistent anxiety and a tendency to bury their prized possessions in a secluded spot.
Observing your dog’s body language prior to their burying action can offer clues. It’s crucial to feed them in a secure, comfortable spot within the home and ensure other pets aren’t dominating them or pilfering the treats. For many dogs, this behavior might fade as they realize the safety and consistency of their new environment. However, if this burying tendency persists, pet parents should consult with their veterinarian. In extreme scenarios, some dogs might escalate to guarding almost any item they deem valuable. This behavior, known as resource guarding, may require the expertise of a certified pet behaviorist.
Possessiveness
In a world filled with fascinating scents and delightful objects, even a domestic dog can naturally become more possessive than others. This sentiment amplifies when they coexist in a multi-pet abode. Such dogs may bury their prized bone and most valued possessions underground in the backyard, embed them amidst the cozy blankets on your bed, or secretively stash them within the crevices of your couch. If your furry companion becomes exceedingly anxious or portrays aggressive possessiveness, resulting in resource guarding, it may be to time to turn to a canine trainer or behaviorist for guidance.
Overfeeding
A dog’s tendency to keep burying food and demonstrating food caching behavior can mean they have an overabundance of food and treats. When a hale and hearty dog buries edibles or shows a propensity to hide food rather than eat it, you might be feeding the more than they can consume. Most dogs nowadays have the luxury of predictable meal timings, diminishing the need to conceal leftovers. Choosing the right dog food is important. Commercially available dog diets occasionally overstate the required daily food intake, whereas raw and homemade diets, devoid of fillers, can satiate your pet’s nutrient demands in lesser quantities.
Boredom
When a previously relaxed dog hides things or suddenly exhibits compulsive behaviors they may have developed these tendencies due to underlying stress or sheer boredom. If your dog, driven by such behaviors, engages in relentless digging and concealing antics, it’s vital to address and rectify the behavior. Giving bored dogs extra attention, or something to do like tasting a new kong recipe can do wonders. You can try to encourage good behavior and initiate play with brain training games or by teaching them funny dog tricks.
Nausea
A peculiar sight that baffles many a pet parent is witnessing their dog trying to “air bury” food. Such dogs might push their bowls aside or enact a constant digging process sans dirt. Finicky eaters or those transitioning to new diets might occasionally indulge in such antics. If your furball suddenly exhibits an aversion to their food, coupled with symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or behavioral shifts, perhaps a veterinary checkup is in order.
Hunting Instinct
Many hunting breeds have an amplified urge to hide things and safeguard their belongings as part of their natural behavior. This can stem from the ingrained canine instinct born into hunting dogs. This particular type of dog’s breed tends to exhibit a more pronounced tendency to bury bones and other treasured items.
Playfulness
Dogs, with their boundless energy and enthusiasm, sometimes find joy in the simplest of activities – like burying objects! If underlying issues of stress, anxiety, or compulsion are ruled out, your dog may dig out of sheer enjoyment. When a playful dog is digging, it could merely be a sign of boredom, a plea for attention, or an invitation to playtime. All work and no play makes Fido a dull pup, so if they are not upturning gardens and responding warmly to your commands, it could be a sign of playful behavior.
Abundance
Showering your pet with a cascade of toys all at once might overwhelm them. In such scenarios, they might choose to bury a handful of their favorite toys for future playtime. A pro tip? Offer your furry friend a select few favorites intermittently to curb the burying spree.
Attention
Dogs, being the charismatic creatures they are, sometimes resort to hoarding pilfered items like the TV remote as their whimsical way of seeking more attention. However, a word to the wise: such attention-seeking dogs might, unknowingly, tread on dangerous grounds if they ingest a purloined item.
How to Stop
No matter a dog’s breed or any character traits that dogs inherited there are certain strategies to deter a heightened desire to bury their food or other objects. As a general rule, seeking out reasons dogs dig holes is important, but so is offering a safe place and more guidance as you work on modifying a dog’s behavior traits.
Feeding Routine
To cultivate a sense of food security give your dog regular and consistent meal times. Food surpluses are an invitation to create secret stashes and foster anxiety over guarding their hidden bounty. Rather than bestowing upon them an ever-accessible bowl of dry delicacies, provide a supervised feast.
Refrain from indulging in the act of overfeeding and erect a baby gate around their dining spot if needed to curtail any mischievous post-dining food escapades.
Positive Reinforcement
To cultivate favorable habits in your canine, spotlight behaviors you appreciate and reward them accordingly. This nurtures positive actions, while simultaneously sidestepping behaviors you’d rather not encourage. If you are always around when a dog’s digging, it’s possible they’ve associated it with garnering attention.
Try engaging in a fun game of tug or a brisk training spell. Whether your pet’s a budding trickster or mastering basic obedience, keep the lessons short, joyous, and laden with irresistible rewards. You can also delight their senses with indoor activities like a snuffle mat, an intriguing puzzle toy, or a tempting chewable. Or distract their olfactory sense with a treat-dispensing toy, making them momentarily forget the alluring outdoors.
For rare moments when your dog appears exceptionally engrossed, barking, or showing restless behavior while focused intently on the ground, it’s plausible they’re on the trail of an elusive critter. Hounds, in particular, and some other hunting and herding breeds are notorious for this trait.
Sense Stimulation
Understandably, mental and physical stimulation needs are as diverse as a dog’s ancestry or personality. High-spirited breeds like Border Collies or Australian Shepherds are often on the lookout for tasks.
For energetic breeds, provide extended leash walks, or give them puzzle toys. Committing to a walking ritual twice daily and allowing them to revel in playtime with dynamic toys such as balls or frisbees will take their mind off digging. You can also try agility training or give them a whiff of scent work to prevent their mind from wandering. Keeping a stash of captivating toys in the yard, and intermittently rotating them, might also increase interest.
A Cavalier King Charles, however, may be quite content with a leisurely day, open spaces to frolic, and socialize, and perhaps even indulge in some dog park escapades. Whether an action-filled day or a Netflix binge, your dog’s behavior should dictate the senses they love to stimulate.
Toy Rotation
Rather than bestowing a bounty of toys upon your furry friend, exercise moderation. If they have a beloved toy they engage in burying behavior with, either reserve it as a special treat under watchful eyes or cloak it in secrecy. Facilitate easy access to their cherished toys and a limited selection of others to ensure available playthings are ones they enjoy playing with rather than hiding. As they relish their chew toys or bones, maintain a watchful presence to thwart any clandestine burying plans. If you catch your dog relocating toys during play, gently guide them back, demonstrating the proper storage method.
Treat Moderation
You can start curbing their urge to hoard delectable treats for later, by refraining from offering a bone immediately post-meal, especially when their tummy is satiated. To stop a dog from digging holes just to hide food, also make sure you only offer them treats when they are hungry enough to eat them right away.
Yard Cleanliness
An immaculate yard is not only pleasing to the eyes but also vital in discouraging unwanted predators and pests from invading it. To get your dog to stop digging holes related to underground activities of unwanted guests, efficiently dispose of yard waste and fortify your trash bins. Mow your lawn regularly, and ensure there are no hiding spots for pesky rodents who venture into your yard.
Dedicated Space
If your dog is obsessively inclined to the art of digging, try carving out a dedicated digging space for your dog to dig up. Try furnishing this special patch with soft soil or sand. Celebrate their digging achievements here with words of adulation, and perhaps sprinkle a few dog-friendly products for them to unearth. To fortify training endeavors by adding large rocks and other forms of natural-looking protection around enticing dig spots. Precious zones and gardens, should be safeguarded with a fence line or chicken wire during this training period.
If your canine buddy revels in the thrill of hide and seek, gamify it! Command them to bury a cherished toy or bone amidst a mound of soft blankets or fluffy pillows. Then, let the retrieval game commence!
Expert Advice
It could be time for an intervention if your dog digs and continually indulges in bad behavior throughout their training process. Behavior traits related to digging, such as aggression, dominance, prey drive, stubbornness, compulsion, and resource guarding, can be a concern. Dog digging holes when trying to escape the yard may also require professional help to find a cure.
Such manifestations could be indicative of underlying mental or physical dilemmas. A veterinarian can offer thorough assessments for potential health issues, while a seasoned trainer or behaviorist could be your guiding star in reshaping your dog’s personality traits.
FAQ
Below you’ll find answers to our most frequently asked questions that can help you understand the reasons why dogs hide things or why they only dig holes to bury stuff.
Yes, their spatial memory functions as a navigational compass that directs them to the precise burial site, while their associative memory unravels the emotional tapestry they wove during the burial act. Essentially, the former aids in categorizing places as “desirable” or “unpleasant,” while the latter stitches together experiences, gauging them as favorable, neutral, or distasteful. Tracking breeds that have an unparalleled sense of smell may be able to seek them out via olfactory senses.
Not all, but the impulse reverberates profoundly with hound-hunting breeds, terriers and miniature schnauzers. Dachshunds, beagles, and basset hounds can also display a pronounced inclination for burring bones. If a dog’s ancestral lineage was sculpted to track and pursue petite prey, they too might have a knack for digging and searching for hidden items.
It’s an instinctual act that is deeply rooted in their DNA. Noses play a pivotal role in the burial rites, allowing them to suss out smells of predators and other trespassers who might steal their buried treasure. Dog snouts also make decent miniature bulldozers too.
Whether for comfort, shelter or just to hide food or objects, the reasons behind your pet’s behavior will dictate the severity of the problem. For exceptionally passionate diggers who persevere till their paws exhibit signs of wear can be detrimental. If your dog secretively stashes perishable goods, they can may also encounter the wrath of soil chemicals wreaking havoc on their digestive systems.
In these matters, it’s always best to enlist the wisdom of your veterinarian and provide photos and videos of the areas they like to dig. Unusual or excessive digging may be symptomatic of underlying anxieties or behavioral quirks. While rocky patches of dirt, sharp objects in the ground, and areas treated in chemicals can pose numerous dangers when digging.