6 Interesting Reasons Why Your Dog Buries Their Treats

 6 Interesting Reasons Why Your Dog Buries Their Treats

It is most commonly thought that dog's bury their treats because of a natural instinct passed down from their early ancestors.  Whilst we know that our dogs are not wolves, they do still share some similar traits.  When wolves hunt successfully and catch their prey, they eat as much as they can and then bury anything remaining in order to try and preserve it for longer.  By burying the left overs underground, it keeps it cooler and stops it from decomposing as quickly, or being stolen by other animals. 

Although our dogs no longer need to catch, kill and potentially bury their prey anymore, they may still feel the need to bury their treats or food for lots of different reasons.  We shall look at them in more detail below:

1. Anxiety 

Some dogs may feel too stressed or anxious to consider eating their treat at that given time.  If your dog is feeling uncomfortable in a situation, then it is likely they will not be able to settle enough to enjoy their treat, so they may choose to bury it for later, when they are feeling calmer or their situation is less stressful to them.  

2. Attention Seeking

Your dog may also be trying to get attention from you.  This can be manifested by them burying treats, as they know that this is likely to illicit a reaction from you, whether that be positive or negative.  More commonly, they may also steal and bury other items, particularly those with your scent on, which can explain why your socks may end up at the bottom of the garden! 

3. Resource Guarding 

This is especially common for dogs who have been born in puppy farms, as the competition for food is usually very high between littermates and their mother.  This may drive puppies to grab food, remove it from the group and hide it, to try and ensure they have access to it later.  This need is likely to continue with them well into their adult lives.  

4. Not Hungry

Your dog may also choose to bury their treats simply because they are not hungry.  Because our dogs have access to regular, nutritious meals as well as treats, they could just be full at the time!  So, they will bury their treat for later on when they are feeling a little more hungry.  

 5. Breed Traits

Some breeds of dog are more predisposed to digging than others.  Breeds such as Dachshunds, Terriers, Beagles and Hound breeds are usually more likely to enjoy digging and burying treats as this is something they have been bred to do for centuries.  

6. Enjoyment

Some dogs simply dig and bury treats because they enjoy it and find it fun!  Digging especially is an enjoyable activity for many dogs, so they may well just be doing it to make themselves feel happy. 

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