Does your dog sometimes push their blanket, a toy, or even their nose over their food bowl after eating? This peculiar behavior, often called dog covering food, can leave owners scratching their heads. The simple answer is that your dog is likely engaging in a natural, instinctual behavior rooted in their ancestry and designed to protect their valuable resources. This action is commonly seen as a form of burying food, even when no actual dirt is involved.
This behavior isn’t about cleanliness or a dislike for their food; it’s about deep-seated canine instincts. It’s a testament to their wild ancestors who needed to secure their meals for later. Let’s delve into the fascinating reasons behind this common canine quirk.
The Ancient Roots of Resource Management
To truly grasp why your dog might be covering its food, we need to look back at their wild relatives, the wolves. Wolves are pack animals that hunt and eat communally. After a successful hunt, the pack leader often eats first, and then other members take their turn. However, if there’s excess food, wolves have evolved specific behaviors to ensure their future sustenance.
The Instinct to Preserve
In the wild, food is a precious commodity. A wolf pack might bring down a large prey animal, but they can’t eat it all at once. To prevent scavengers from stealing their hard-earned meal and to ensure they have food for lean times, wolves would bury surplus food. This burying instinct was crucial for survival. They would dig a hole, place the food inside, and then cover it with dirt, leaves, or snow, effectively hiding it from prying eyes and preserving it for later.
This ancient practice is still very much alive in our domestic dogs, even those living pampered lives with readily available kibble. The drive to ensure future meals is hardwired into their DNA. When your dog covers their food, they are essentially mimicking this ancestral act of hiding food.
Deciphering the Signals: More Than Just Hiding
While hiding food is a primary driver, there are several nuances to this behavior. It’s not always about “saving food” in the way a human might stock a pantry. Sometimes, it’s about a more immediate need for security or a response to their environment.
Food Guarding Behavior and Canine Resource Guarding
One of the most significant reasons for dog covering food is canine resource guarding. This refers to behaviors a dog may exhibit when they feel their valuable possessions – including food, toys, or even people – are threatened. When a dog perceives a potential threat to their food, they may try to “hide” it to make it inaccessible to others.
This food guarding behavior can manifest in various ways:
* Growling: A low rumble to warn others away.
* Stiffening: Becoming rigid with their body over the food.
* Snapping: A quick nip to deter someone.
* Licking their lips: A sign of stress or appeasing behavior.
* Taking the food away: Moving the food to a more secure location.
* Covering the food: The behavior we are focusing on, a less confrontational way to secure their meal.
When your dog covers their food, they might not necessarily be trying to store it for tomorrow. Instead, they could be signaling, “This is mine, and I want to keep it safe right now.” The blanket or whatever they use becomes a visual barrier, a way to conceal their prized possession. This is a direct manifestation of their protecting food instinct.
What is Food Hoarding in Dogs?
Food hoarding is closely related to food guarding behavior and the burying instinct. It’s the act of accumulating and concealing food, often beyond immediate need. While wild canids hoard to survive periods of scarcity, domestic dogs might hoard for various reasons, including:
* Anxiety: Feeling insecure about the availability of future meals.
* Learned behavior: If they’ve experienced food scarcity in the past (even perceived scarcity), they might hoard as a preventative measure.
* Genetics: Some breeds or individual dogs may be predisposed to hoarding tendencies.
* Boredom or Stress: Sometimes, hoarding can be a displacement behavior.
When your dog covers their food with a blanket, it can be a milder form of food hoarding. They are taking steps to secure their food, not necessarily to pile it up elsewhere, but to make it unavailable in the present moment.
Fathoming the Specific Methods of Concealment
Dogs use a variety of methods to “bury” or cover their food. It’s fascinating to observe the creativity and determination they employ.
Common Objects Used for Covering:
- Blankets and Bedding: This is perhaps the most common. A dog might push their bedding, a favorite blanket, or even a rug over their bowl. This mimics the natural covering of dirt and leaves.
- Toys: They may try to place chew toys or plush toys over their food.
- Their Own Body: Sometimes, a dog will simply lie over their food bowl, using their body as a shield.
- Nose or Paws: A less effective but still observable method is pushing dirt or bedding with their nose or paws, even if they aren’t actually digging a hole.
Why These Methods Mimic Natural Burying
These methods, while not involving actual digging, fulfill the same psychological need for the dog. They create a visual barrier and a sense of concealment. The action of pushing and rearranging the object is a motor pattern directly inherited from their wild ancestors who were meticulously burying their kills.
When Does This Behavior Typically Appear?
The act of dog covering food can appear at different stages of a dog’s life and under various circumstances.
Puppies vs. Adult Dogs
- Puppies: Young puppies might exhibit this behavior if they are particularly keen to eat quickly and “save” the rest, or if they are competing with littermates for resources. It can also be a sign of early food guarding behavior if they feel another puppy is too close to their meal.
- Adult Dogs: In adult dogs, this behavior is often more ingrained. It can be a learned response or a continuation of early puppy habits. It’s more commonly seen in dogs who have a strong burying instinct or a history of resource guarding.
Situational Triggers for Covering Food:
- After Eating: This is when you’ll most often see it. They’ve eaten their fill but still want to secure what’s left.
- When Interrupted: If you approach their bowl while they are eating, or if another pet or person comes near, they might cover their food as a defensive measure.
- When Feeling Insecure: If the dog is anxious, stressed, or doesn’t feel their food is safe, they might cover it even if no immediate threat is present.
- With High-Value Treats: Dogs are more likely to hoard or cover highly desirable items like chews, special treats, or even puzzle toys.
Differentiating Between Normal and Concerning Behaviors
It’s important to distinguish between a dog’s natural inclination to “bury” and problematic food guarding behavior that could pose a risk.
Normal Burying Behavior:
- Occurs after the dog has eaten its fill.
- The dog is not aggressive towards people or other pets when covering the food.
- The dog is not overly possessive or anxious about its food.
- The behavior is usually mild and doesn’t involve intense guarding.
When to Seek Professional Guidance:
- Aggression: If your dog growls, snaps, lunges, or bites when you or others approach their food, or even when they are covering it. This is clear canine resource guarding and needs professional intervention.
- Obsessive Behavior: If the dog constantly tries to hide or hoard food, even when it’s readily available, and appears stressed by it.
- The behavior causes conflict: If the food guarding behavior leads to fights with other pets or creates a stressful environment for the household.
A certified professional dog trainer or a veterinary behaviorist can help assess the situation and provide strategies to manage or modify any concerning aspects of the behavior.
Practical Tips for Managing the Behavior
While the behavior itself is often benign, it can sometimes be inconvenient or signal underlying issues. Here are some ways to manage it:
1. Ensure Adequate Food Supply and Nutrition
A dog that feels it might not get enough food is more likely to hoard or guard. Ensure your dog is on an appropriate feeding schedule with sufficient quantity and quality of food. Consult your veterinarian for dietary recommendations.
2. Manage the Environment to Reduce Resource Guarding
- Feed one dog at a time: If you have multiple pets, feed them separately in their own spaces to minimize any potential for competition.
- Practice polite mealtime manners: Teach your dog to wait patiently for their food and to stay away from other dogs’ bowls.
- Desensitization and Counter-Conditioning: For dogs showing mild guarding, gently approach their food bowl after they have finished eating and reward them for remaining calm. This can help them associate your presence with positive experiences.
3. Redirect the Instinct (If Desired)
If the dog covering food behavior is not causing issues, you might choose to simply accept it as part of your dog’s personality. However, if it’s bothersome or you want to channel the instinct constructively:
- Puzzle Feeders: Instead of a regular bowl, use puzzle feeders or slow feeders. These engage your dog’s mind and can satisfy their instinct to “work” for their food, potentially reducing the urge to hoard or cover.
- “Find It” Games: Hide small portions of kibble or treats around the house or yard. This channels the burying instinct in a fun and appropriate way.
4. Desensitizing to Your Presence During Meals
Gradually accustom your dog to you being around their food. Start by simply being in the same room while they eat. Then, as they get comfortable, walk past their bowl. Eventually, you can place a treat in their bowl or near it. The goal is to show them that your presence doesn’t mean a loss of their food, but rather a potential gain.
Examples of Canine Behavior in Action: A Table
To illustrate the range of these behaviors, consider this table:
| Behavior | Description | Underlying Instinct | Potential Concern |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dog Covering Food | Pushing a blanket, toy, or their body over their food bowl. | Burying instinct, protecting food, hiding food. | Can be a mild form of food hoarding or food guarding behavior. |
| Food Hoarding | Accumulating and hiding food in various locations. | Burying instinct, protecting food, saving food. | Can indicate anxiety or insecurity about food availability. |
| Resource Guarding | Defending a valuable item (food, toy, person) from perceived threats. | Protecting food, survival instinct. | Can escalate to aggression if not managed. |
| Scatter Feeding | Spreading kibble around the feeding area. | May be a less directed form of burying food or a play behavior. | Generally not a concern, but can make cleanup difficult. |
| Eating Quickly | Devouring food at a rapid pace. | An instinct to consume quickly before others can or to avoid predation. | Can lead to digestive issues like bloat; may precede guarding behaviors. |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: Is it normal for my dog to push their blanket over their food?
Yes, it is a normal, instinctual behavior. It’s their way of trying to secure their food, much like their wild ancestors would bury surplus.
Q2: Why does my dog do this only sometimes?
Dogs are not robots; their behavior can vary. They might do it more when they feel particularly possessive, when they’re not very hungry, or if they perceive a slight threat or distraction.
Q3: Can I stop my dog from covering their food?
You can manage or redirect the behavior, but trying to completely stop an instinctual behavior without addressing the underlying cause might be difficult and could lead to other issues. Focus on ensuring they feel secure and don’t need to guard.
Q4: Should I worry if my dog covers their food with their bedding?
Generally, no, unless the behavior is accompanied by aggression (growling, snapping) or extreme anxiety around mealtimes. If you’re concerned, consult a professional.
Q5: What’s the difference between covering food and actual burying?
Both stem from the same burying instinct. Covering with a blanket is a domestic version of what wild canids do with dirt, leaves, or snow to hide their food.
Conclusion: Embracing Canine Nature
The act of a dog covering food with a blanket is a captivating glimpse into the wild heart of our domesticated companions. It’s a testament to their ancestral burying instinct, their drive to protect food, and their innate need for security. While it might appear odd, this behavior is often a harmless expression of hiding food or a subtle form of canine resource guarding.
By recognizing the underlying instincts, we can better appreciate our dogs’ unique behaviors. Instead of trying to suppress this natural inclination, focus on ensuring your dog feels safe, secure, and well-fed. With patience and a little insight, you can foster a harmonious relationship where these ancestral echoes are understood and cherished.