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- Why does a dog bury food or hide it?
- Should I be concerned if my dog hides food?
- what to do if my dog hides the food
If you live or have lived with a dog, you will probably agree that these faithful companions have the ability to surprise us in our daily life with them, performing all kinds of unusual behaviors that might even look funny.
Of course, if you watch your dog, many questions should arise as to why they perform some of these strange behaviors. An example of this is what we will discuss in this PeritoAnimal article: Why does a dog bury food or hide it? For this reason, if you want to learn or have doubts about this being normal or not, we invite you to read this article where we will resolve this issue.
Why does a dog bury food or hide it?
It is completely normal for a dog to bury or hide its food, as this behavior is part of its instinct and it does so for several reasons that we will explain below:
- To protect food from others. The most reasonable reason your dog buries food or hides it is that he finds it necessary to hide it from other animals he lives with. Often this is because he lives with other dogs or animals who, either through lack of supervision or because they are not satisfied with their own food, steal each other's food. It is also common in these cases to see that the dog eats too fast to prevent the food from being taken away by others, which is harmful to its health in the long run.
- It's a valuable food. The dog can hide food only when you give him something very delicious, like a treat or a bone to gnaw on, so he keeps it for later enjoyment.
- inappropriate environment. If your dog's eating environment isn't entirely comfortable for him, it's natural for him to feel stressed and move elsewhere to eat. For example, if your food bowl is in a very noisy place, in a very busy space or, on the other hand, in one that is very isolated, it is normal for him to try to feel better elsewhere in the house. In these cases, we can observe that the dog takes the food to its bed. Not all dogs want to eat alone and not all dogs want to eat in company, the important thing is to understand what your dog needs.
- Does not have adequate nutrition. Perhaps the reason your dog hides his food is because he doesn't eat the daily amount he needs. Because he doesn't eat enough, he goes hungry and divides them into portions throughout the day, as well as saving them to ensure he can eat later. See the article on the daily amount of dog food.
- negative past experiences. When a dog has already starved because of a difficult and stressful past (for example, if he was abandoned), he may have developed this habit of hiding food to make sure he has food for later.
- joke or boredom. Finally, the dog may bury the food because he finds it fun. Also, if your dog spends a lot of time alone or doesn't have enough activity in his day-to-day life, he may be bored and want to have fun that way.
Should I be concerned if my dog hides food?
if your dog buries food or hides it occasionallyAs in juicy food situations, you shouldn't worry. However, it is recommended that you find the food later to prevent it from rotting and your four-duck companion eating it in that state.
However, as you've already seen, some of the reasons your dog buries food or hides it can be cause for alarm, as such actions show that he feels insecure about a resource as important to him as food. Whether it's because he's afraid that others will take him away or because he's starving or has been hungry in the past, you must look for the cause and treat it.
Also, if you notice that the dog has been acting strangely since he started this behavior or before, it is also cause for concern as it may be a way to show that he is feeling stress or boredom. So check to see if your dog's behavior is normal or if he shows other signs of stress, such as nervousness and excessive barking.
what to do if my dog hides the food
If you recognize any of the causes we've mentioned, don't worry, you can solve this problem by following the correct guidelines:
- Separate the animals at mealtime. Wouldn't you feel uncomfortable if you always had someone by your side who wouldn't let you eat in peace? If this is the situation your dog is going through, that is, living with a companion who keeps stealing food from his bowl, the simplest solution is to separate them at mealtime. This way you can ensure that everyone gets their share, as well as overcoming this stressful situation for everyone.
- Find a comfortable area. If the area where your dog eats is not pleasant for him (especially if he has a very insecure personality), try to place your dog's food in a quiet area, away from stressful stimuli around him.
- Change food and time. If you have any doubts about whether you are giving your dog enough food or whether he has a proper diet based on his size and daily exercise, the best thing to do is to consult a veterinarian for advice on an appropriate dietary change. Likewise, to avoid creating anxiety in your dog, who waits impatiently for food, you should try to stick to a feeding schedule.
- Environmental enrichment. If your dog lives in an environment with deprivation of stimuli, with no objects or items to distract him while he is home alone, it is natural for him to seek entertainment in his own way, ie, for the dog to bury the food or hide for that purpose. So, in addition to making sure you spend enough time with him every day (hiking, playing games, etc.), try to enrich your home by adding durable toys like kong, treats hidden in the house, or gnawing toys.
Now that you know why a dog buries food, don't miss this other article where we talked about why a trembling dog can't stand up?
If you want to read more articles similar to Why does a dog bury food? - Causes and what to do, we recommend that you enter our Power Problems section.