Why do dogs bury bones
Barking, chewing and burying bones are only some of the natural behaviors of dogs. Dogs burying bones are often seen in children's books, in the movies and in animated cartoons. Dog owners would know about the dog's puzzling habit.
With a sneaky look on its face, a dog that has a bone on its mouth will look for an ideal spot to hide the "treasure". Once found, the dog would frantically dig - carefully lay the bone on the hole and then cover it with dirt and soil. Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years but are dog owners aware of the reasons why the pets bury bones Does your pet know why it is hiding the bones? Burying bones is an instinctive behavior thus dog experts believe that man's best friends don't really know the reasons why they have this habit.
It is believed that the habit of burying bones, similar to other canine behaviors is an instinctual nature that have survived in spite of domestication. The habit of burying bones is as old as the dog's history. Even though dogs have existed for millions of years, it was not very long since these animals were domesticated. Primitive dogs have lived harsh lives in the wild and the habit of burying foods has been a great help to survive. Primitive dogs have lived difficult lives in the wild. Apart from the need to avoid the predators, dogs have to fight other animals for the prey because food is scarce.
Humans hoard food. Squirrels work long hours to fill their coffers with acorns and nuts. Even ants fill their anthills with food in preparation for the rainy days. Dogs too hoard and this is done by burying bones and other foods. In the wild, dogs would not know when the next meal would be. A dog that has been lucky in finding a large prey that cannot be consumed in one sitting would have to hide the food from other animals. The buried food will be unearthed when food is scarce. The dog will unerringly find the buried prey although it is possible that what will remain are the marrow-rich bones.
Dogs these days never lack food. Pampered pets don't have to bury bones for the rainy days but the instinct to hoard remains. Dogs still have the inclination to hide not only bones but other food as well. Dog owners would just be surprised to find treats and bits of food hidden on the dog's bed. Dog owners would just have to accept the fact that the dog may destroy the garden once in a while to bury its treasured bones.
With a sneaky look on its face, a dog that has a bone on its mouth will look for an ideal spot to hide the "treasure". Once found, the dog would frantically dig - carefully lay the bone on the hole and then cover it with dirt and soil. Dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years but are dog owners aware of the reasons why the pets bury bones Does your pet know why it is hiding the bones? Burying bones is an instinctive behavior thus dog experts believe that man's best friends don't really know the reasons why they have this habit.
It is believed that the habit of burying bones, similar to other canine behaviors is an instinctual nature that have survived in spite of domestication. The habit of burying bones is as old as the dog's history. Even though dogs have existed for millions of years, it was not very long since these animals were domesticated. Primitive dogs have lived harsh lives in the wild and the habit of burying foods has been a great help to survive. Primitive dogs have lived difficult lives in the wild. Apart from the need to avoid the predators, dogs have to fight other animals for the prey because food is scarce.
Humans hoard food. Squirrels work long hours to fill their coffers with acorns and nuts. Even ants fill their anthills with food in preparation for the rainy days. Dogs too hoard and this is done by burying bones and other foods. In the wild, dogs would not know when the next meal would be. A dog that has been lucky in finding a large prey that cannot be consumed in one sitting would have to hide the food from other animals. The buried food will be unearthed when food is scarce. The dog will unerringly find the buried prey although it is possible that what will remain are the marrow-rich bones.
Dogs these days never lack food. Pampered pets don't have to bury bones for the rainy days but the instinct to hoard remains. Dogs still have the inclination to hide not only bones but other food as well. Dog owners would just be surprised to find treats and bits of food hidden on the dog's bed. Dog owners would just have to accept the fact that the dog may destroy the garden once in a while to bury its treasured bones.
About the Author:
Read more about why dogs bury bones, wag their tails, bark, pace and many other interesting behaviours at Sarah's Dogs.
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