Dogs are men’s best companions, but sometimes they do some weird behaviors. And this is hiding his treats. Why does my dog hide his treats? I talked with my vet and experts to understand the things.
Well, puppies hide the most valuable asset in order to preserve it. As with other common acts like whirling and digging, it’s natural for these things to hide. Likewise, dogs want to hide their beloved toys and treats to protect them. Go in-depth to find out more about it!
Is it normal for dogs to hide their food?
Some dogs like to hide their food, which is perfectly normal as they do it under their natural instinct. Hiding food in unexpected places is a lot of fun for dogs and completely harmless, but you should consult your veterinarian if you notice any strange behavior/symptoms.
And if you find this behavior of your dog annoying, you can try simple methods to filter out the hiding of your dog’s behavior. Many people complain that their dogs hide treats under their beds, which are annoying, so to prevent this behavior, make sure your dog doesn’t have access to leftover food.
Why does my dog hide his treats?
There are many reasons associated with your dog treats. Let’s explore some of them!
Natural Instinct
Before domestication, dogs would bury excess food to keep it away from other animals. This technique worked as survival ability for their ancestors, as they had to hunt in the wild to keep their bodies nourished.
Sometimes dogs can act instinctively and hide their belongings, just like their ancestors. Times have changed, and your furry partner doesn’t need to chase food, but his instinct is still intact.
Our dog friends cannot completely control their instincts. Therefore, they tend to follow their instincts to hide. This behavior is vital when dogs live in the wild as it plays a crucial role in the survival.
For Giving Too Much Food
Another reason your dog is hiding food is that you give it too much food, and it cannot take all of it at a single time. So, it reserves them, hide in a stash to enjoy them later.
Anxiety
Sometimes your dog gets stressed and starts doing unusual acts like hiding foods and toys. Sometimes they do it out of fear. Some dogs have had bitter experiences with this behavior in the past.
If you have a rescue dog that is very oppressive about its property, you should check to see if this behavior is due to fear. Rescue dogs tend to hide their belongings out of fear, as they have experienced something bitter in the past that has led to anxiety problems.
To seek attention
Dogs tend to do whatever they can to get their owner’s attention. This latent behavior can also occur when the furry companion wants to get the attention of his owner. To avoid this situation, the dog owner should spend some time with his dog every day.
Fun
If your dog is bored, alone, or wants your attention, he will often bury things to play with you. Often, these stolen items are shiny like jewelry, watches or items that you know are “valuable” to you, such as shoes or TV remote controls.
Nausea
Dogs with nausea may try to “air bury” their food. Usually, they dip their nose into a bowl or try to cover it with great mud.
Suppose your puppy suddenly feels like its food is off-putting and is showing additional symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or changes in behavior. In that case, it may be the time to check.
For Encouraging This Behavior
The reason may be you reword its behavior. If you tend to give your dog more treats or bones, toys, or extra attention, when it hides its treats and bones, it is likely to do more for more reward.
Possessiveness
Some dogs are more possessive than others, especially if they live in a house with many pets. They can hide their valuable things under the mud in the backyard, tangled in bed covers or cracks in the couch. And it does not want other people or animals to be near his possessions.
This is more likely if your dog has other possessive tendencies, such as protecting his food during meals or securing his place on the couch. As mentioned above, this could be a sign of anxiety.
Saving Food For Later
As squirrels hide nuts and people keep valuables in safes, dogs hide their treats to be safe and not lost. It is also because they save dog treats for stomach.
Survival Strategy
Dogs are good at survival strategies. Hiding extra treats in a safe place like in the cool ground for preservation and protect them from other pets in the house is a good survival instinct for dogs.
Indication of Stress
Dogs that hide or protect their belongings can have anxiety or stress problems. This could be due to, among other things, the cohabitation of another dog that takes care of things.
Underlying health issues
You may wonder, “Does a dog hide treats for stomach?” The answer is simple; hiding treats is not always a behavior problem. It can be a sign of a health problem, overeating, boredom, or stomach.
How to get rid of this behavior?
Although the habit of hiding treats in unexpected places is normal and harmless, sometimes it becomes a problem when they hide the foods under the bed, couch or hide any important things like remote controllers, pieces of jewelry, etc. To avoid this problem, you can try the following effective steps:
Don’t encourage it
As mentioned earlier, your dog could have learned that its behavior can be rewarded. It will be helpful if you stop rewording it when it behaves; hiding treats, and reward it when it does not.
Don’t give too much food
If you give your dogs too much food, they will not consume all of it and most probably hide some. So, do not give much food at a time. Let them finish their food first; give more if needed.
Limit the boundaries
You can also make it hard for your dog to dig holes and stashing the treats. You can do this by cutting out areas in your backyard where digging is easiest. Cover the area with rocks or tents to make it harder to dig.
Teach your dog the right behavior
Offer suitable toys and play regularly with the “give” signal so that your dog learns how to return toys and determine the correct place to store toys. Call your puppy at the first sign of hoarding. If they return, reward them with a treat.
Control eating environment
If your dog is still exercising, consider using a baby door or barrier to prevent him from getting food out of the kitchen or serving food.
Final Verdict:
Hope you have got your answer, “why does my dog hide his treats?”
What all you have to do is to keep a close eye on their everyday behavior. The behavior of hiding treats of your furry companion generally seems harmless but should never be encouraged. You should spend sufficient time with your puppy and provide adequate mental and physical stimulation.
Related Reading