Why Do Dogs Bury Bones and Other Goodies?

Whether it's a bone, a stinky shoe, their favorite toy, or your human child's favorite toy (uh oh), our beloved canine companions often find themselves digging knee deep in a hole, stowing away yet another wonderful treasure. Sometimes they even pick your couch cushions or your new duvet cover as a great place to hide pilfered goodies. No matter the location, it appears dogs often find it necessary to store away preferred items from any potential robbers. Including you. But why?

Well, the reasons dogs may decide it's wisest to hide that brand new (probably too expensive) chew toy are a bit more complicated than you might think. Dogs often have good reasons for doing the things they do, and this includes digging and attempting to bury all sorts of things.

We dig deep (see what I did there?) into three common reasons behind this interesting behavior.

It's no surprise that a dog whose environment is lacking in mental and physical stimulation will find something to do. Oftentimes that thing takes the form of a behavior that's undesirable (to us humans), like digging up the backyard or creating a nice, muddy hole in the flower garden. Eventually those holes can serve as additional just-for-your-dog storage compartments where they can keep their favorite toys or that brand new marrow-filled bone you gave them.

To prevent your yard (or your living room) from becoming an excavation site, always offer your dog daily enrichment opportunities that engage both their mind and body. Take them for walks and let them sniff, play games of fetch and tug, and do some fun trick training using positive reinforcement. Schedule time in your day to practice basic skills so your dog gets access to stimulating reinforcement opportunities every.single.day.