Have you ever provided your dog with a bone, only to see him bury it on the sofa or in the garden? Many dogs enjoy hiding objects in secure locations, and they have a tendency to bury both objects that are theirs and occasionally objects that are not. Learn the four causes of this behavior, how to stop it, and whether you should.
What Motivates Dogs to Bury Bones and Other Objects?
What Motivates Dogs to Bury Bones and Other Objects?
1 - Instinct
Dogs' propensity to burrow bones could be a holdover from before they were tamed. In order to prevent food from rotting and preserve it for later consumption, wild dogs would throw away surplus food. This instinct may still exist in our pets, who might put down or hide bones, toys, or even delicious foods that they wish to keep for later.
2 - Anxiety
Digging and/or burying may be a cause of your dog's uneasiness or ongoing stress. A dog may become stressed and worried if you recently adopted them, changed their schedule, or moved. You'll need to play investigator and try to figure out what might be scaring your dog if neither of these have occurred recently.
3 - A surplus of toys
You adore your dog and want to provide them with the best toys possible. They could feel compelled to bury a couple of their favorite toys if you offer them a lot of stuff at once. To avoid excessive burying, you might offer your pet a handful of its favorite foods at once.
4 - Playing
Your dog can simply enjoy playing the game of burying items. If tension, anxiety, and compulsion have been checked out, your dog may simply be burying items because they perceive it to be a fun activity. This behavior is relatively innocuous if your dog appears to be having fun and stops when instructed to do so. You shouldn't be concerned about this as long as your dog isn't being naughty or ruining your garden.
5 - Compulsive and obsessional behavior
While some dogs are predisposed to compulsive behaviors, others may exhibit them in response to stress or simply boredom. If this is happening and your dog is digging and concealing objects, you should address the problem. You aren't interested in your keys or the remote disappearing.
How to stop burying
Remember that burying behavior might be motivated by a variety of factors, such as boredom, nervousness, and the instinctive desire to bury objects in secure locations. When carried out properly, it's common behavior. Make sure to give your dog plenty of scheduled walks, playtime, positive training methods, and other suitable outlets for their energy to reduce this behavior. For the purpose of keeping your dog entertained while you are away, keep entertaining toys out. The use of Kong toys or food-related puzzle toys is particularly effective. To keep things fresh, swap the toys frequently.
Additionally, you may turn the entire process of burying into a fun interior game you'll play with your dog a few times each week. This is advised because your dog has a natural desire to burrow; therefore, you are giving him the appropriate opportunity to do so by asking him to. Your dog will learn new skills from this game, such as what to hide and what not to hide.
To lessen the risk of competition, if you have more than one dog in your home, it can be a good idea to keep them apart during particular playtimes or while they enjoy a few of their favorite treats and toys. If they're all alone themselves, they could be able to indulge in their particular treat without worrying that another dog will take it, which might lessen their desire to bury it.
Do the following if your dog is digging up your belongings or their toys due to boredom:
1: To grab your dog's attention, shout their name in a cheerful manner.
2: Change the game your dog is playing, move your dog towards a suitable digging place, or encourage your dog to behave in a new way.
Finally, to encourage your dog to get interested in all of the items that are accessible to them, restrict their access to all their own toys and only leave out a select handful at a time. You can minimize your dog's desire to take their prizes outside and bury them by limiting the amount and offering diversity.
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