Why Dogs Bury Things

Does your dog bury his bones, or even his favorite toys, in the backyard? Or even worse, does he sometimes dig them up and bring the muddy mess back inside…smiling and wagging his tail all the while? According to pet expert Arden Moore in The Dog Behavior Answer Book (Storey, 2006), thousands of years ago, dogs did not know where their next meal would come from, so after a kill they would bury any uneaten food to hide it from scavengers. When they were hungry again, they would return to their cache and dig up their leftovers. The dirt also helped keep their food fresher longer by protecting it from sunlight. Your dog is just following that ancestral urge. Even though you feed your dog every day, you can’t take that “must stash food for a hungry day” mentality out of him. The same goes for those extra toys he stashes away. He may even take other household items like the TV remote or your wallet–both have been known to disappear from many a home!

If the burying urge becomes a problem for you, keep in mind that dogs tend to bury extras, not essentials. Patrol your house and pick up any spare dog bones or toys. Limit his access to one bone and one toy at a time. Vary the type of dog bones and toys from time to time to keep him interested. By limiting the quantity and providing variety, you may lessen his motivation to take his treasure out to the backyard. Make his favorite digging spots less attractive by covering them with chicken wire or bricks or other objects that are not paw-friendly. And try offering your dog a less-destructive indoor option: Show him how he can bury his favorite toy under a blanket instead.

Does your dog bury treasures? Has he or she buried anything surprising? Share your stories in the comment field below.

Read more: Behavior & Communication, Dogs, Pets, bones, burying, dogs, toys

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

KS G.

4:25AM PST on Nov 21, 2011

Thanks for the article.

send a green star

Michele W.

8:06AM PDT on Sep 16, 2011

Thank you

Shannon B.

1:27PM PST on Jan 30, 2011

sorry, that's a 5 foot rawhide bone, not 5 inches!

1:25PM PST on Jan 30, 2011

My dog Al was a big time burier! He'd bury kibble, biscuits, and toys. He even buried a 5" rawhide bone my mom & I got him for his birthday! It took him all day to do it, and if we accidentally "caught him in the act" he'd be compelled to dig it up & bury it somewhere else. But the BEST burial plan involved a giant frozen roast, an afghan & a sofa.

My mom left a roast on the counter to thaw while she was at work. When she got home she thought she was going insane because she could have sworn she left the roast out, but there was no evidence that there had ever been a roast anywhere in the kitchen (or ANYWHERE in the house for that matter!). She looked everywhere & couldn't find the stupid roast. Fast forward a few hours & Al is trying to get my mom to go to bed (seriously). So fine, she went to bed, and as soon as the light went out Al went to work. He didn't know my mom was standing in the hallway watching him pull the afghan out from behind the sofa & unbury the half eaten roast, LOL!
Al was quite the special little guy, and after 8 years I still miss him every day.

C. G.

1:04PM PST on Jan 30, 2011

thank you

Tharon M.

6:52AM PST on Jan 10, 2011

This article has me recalling, many years ago, we took our dear boy Kim out on picnic by the river. He had a lovely day. We had taken the remainder o a ham leg, & gave it to him as we were packing up. Time to go & Kim was no where to be seen. Finally we located him covered in soil & no bone. It was about 18months later we returned to this spot, with Kim in tow & the first thing he did was rush off, coming back a short while later with his treasured bone ! He was so pleased with himself too. LOL.

11:18AM PDT on Oct 15, 2010

Thanks.

Lynn Marie M.

7:02PM PDT on Oct 7, 2010

That is sweet. Dogs rock.

Ann E.

7:28AM PDT on Aug 28, 2010

Its great to hear people taking such pleasure in their dogs' antics.