Why do dogs hide their treats & toys?

Probably every dog owner wonders why do his furry companion hide his favorite toys & treats? Well, dogs hide their most prized possession to keep it safe and secure. Just like other common behaviors like digging and whirling, hiding things also comes naturally to them. However, it is not always necessary that your furry companion is hiding his belongings only out of natural instincts.

It is a very well-known fact that dogs can’t let go of their some natural instincts, and hiding their prized possession is one of the most common instinct. We humans also have a tendency to hide our precious things so that anyone else can’t put their hands on our things. Similarly, dogs tend to hide their favorite treats & toys to keep them secure from other living beings. However, there could be many other reasons behind our canine companion’s hiding behavior such as past experience, anxiety, etc.

Many people don’t realize why do dogs hide things and to understand this behavior, many types of research have taken place to understand this mysterious behavior of dogs & they found out some of the amazing reasons behind this hiding behavior of the dog. Do you also shower your dogs with an abundance of treats & toys, only to find them getting buried around the different corners of home & backyard?

Let’s find out all the possible reasons behind this behavior of your furry companion:

Natural Instinct

Before dogs get domesticated, they used to bury their excess food to keep it out of the reach of other animals. This technique worked as the survival skill of their ancestors as they had to hunt in the wild to get keep their body nourished. Sometimes, dogs can act out of their natural instinct and can hide their things just like their ancestors. Times have changed now and your furry companion doesn’t have to hunt to feed himself but the instinct is still intact in him. Our canine friends don’t have full control over their natural instinct that’s why they tend to follow their hiding instincts. This behavior is very crucial when dogs used to live in wild as it played a crucial role in the survival of dogs.

Over-feeding the treats

If your dog is hiding his treats then it can be an indication that you are feeding him the overly generous amount of food. When the dog realizes that he won’t be able to consume the treat at once then he hides it to consume it later on. The dog owner should avoid overfeeding his furry companion as it can create further health complications like obesity etc. Dogs never say no to treats so sometimes they indulge in overeating whereas sometimes they hide their treats to have it later. When there are more than two dogs in a household then also dogs can involve in hiding behavior to keep their treats & toys secure from each other.

Out of anxiety

Sometimes, dogs hide their treat and toys out of anxiety. Some dogs have bitter past experience due to which they behave in such a manner. If you have a rescue dog who is very possessive about his belongings then you need to check whether such behavior arises due to anxiety. The dog owner needs to rule out the anxiety from his furry companion otherwise it may affect his mental health adversely. Rescue dogs tend to hide their things out of anxiety as in their past they would have experienced something bitter which resulted in their anxiety issues.

To seek attention

Dogs tend to do all the possible ways to attain the attention of their owner. This behavior of hiding things can also occur when the furry companion wants to get some extra attention from his owner. To avoid this situation, the dog owner should ensure to spend some time with their dog every day.

Is it normal for dogs to hide their food?

Some dogs love to hide their food which is completely normal as they do it under the influence of their natural instinct. Stashing food in the most unexpected places is really fun for dogs and completely harmless but if you notice any weird behavior/symptoms then you need to check with your veterinarian. And, if you find this behavior of your dog annoying then you can try simple techniques to filter your dog’s hiding behavior. Many people complain that their dogs hide their treats under the bed which is annoying so to avoid this behavior you need to make sure that your dog doesn’t get access to leftovers.

This behavior of your furry companion may seem harmless as a whole but the dog owner should never encourage it. The dog owner should spend enough time with his furry companion and should provide him ample mental and physical stimulation.

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