Burying food like bones taps into ancient dog survival instincts going back over 10,000 years when they had to hunt meals and store excess for later.
Ancient
Burying treasures creates a dog’s personal safe "stash spots" away from thieves. It lets them protect and control prized items.
Safety
Dogs bury food, chews, and toys to preserve them for savouring later on. It stops other pets stealing their stuff too.
Save
Some theories suggest dogs, especially pregnant females, bury food to avoid intestinal illness if left out too long in summer heat.
Health
Many dogs simply derive great joy from the ritual of digging, burying, and finding buried objects again later like a game.
Fun
Certain breeds like terriers are hardwired more than others to practice burying behaviors due to their working backgrounds.
Breeds
Some dogs may bury items excessively due to anxiety, loneliness, changes, or trauma as it soothes them. This requires attention.
Stresses