Why do Chihuahuas hide their food ?
You have cleaned your house from the attic to the basement in preparation for your in-laws’ visit. Your mother-in-law sits on the couch, gets a funny expression on her face, reaches under the sofa, and pulls out a bone. Clearly you didn’t pass the inspection. Thanks Fido!
Well, at least your Chi did not put a hole in the sofa – something you’ve seen him do numerous times in the yard.
Chihuahuas bury their food and treats all the time. They might do so to save the treat for later. Sometimes, they just want to cover up its scent. At times, they might bury food which they don’t want other house pets to eat.
Find out all the reasons why do Chihuahuas hide their food and how to stop this behavior.
Why Do Chihuahuas Hide Their Food?
Here are the main reasons why do Chihuahuas hide their food and treats:
1. It in their genes
In the wild, Chihuahua’s ancestors – wolves – often hide their food to save it for later. They also hide it from other predators. Covering up food with mud helps masks its scent and can prevent other animals from tracking it.
Although domesticated dogs get plenty of food, they might still hide it because they have retained this natural instinct from their wild ancestors despite years of evolution.
2. For a future famine
As most of us would have guessed, dogs bury their treats and bones to save it for a future ‘famine’. You might see this behavior more in rescued Chihuahuas that have always had to compete for food in the shelters. However, even dogs without such traumatic pasts might bury their treats and bones just like a squirrel buries its nuts for the winter.
You won’t see your Chihuahua burying and hiding their food only in winters – they might do this all-year round. Sometimes, your pet will start enjoying its treat or bone right away but at other times, it might bury it first for a few days.
Unfortunately, many dogs are unable to find the hidden stash later or simply forget about it. This can only lead to rotten or moldy food or food infested with ants and roaches.
3.Your pet isn’t hungry at the moment
When you give your Chihuahua a bone or a treat, instead of eating it, it might run to the yard, dig a hole, and bury it. It will even use its tiny nose to push mud over it.
If your Chi is an indoor dog, it will bury its food and treats in a blanket, under the couch, or under the sofa. This behavior is cute and peculiar but it could mean one thing: your pet isn’t hungry now.
However, that does not mean that it won’t need that juicy bone later. So, it is saving the food for enjoying it quietly and peacefully at later in the day.
4. Your Chi is a picky eater
Some picky Chihuahuas scatter rugs over their food bowls. This is to show their ‘dissatisfaction’ over what the dog owner has served them.
If your Chihuahua really hates what is served, it might walk away. However, many dogs simply place blankets or rugs over their food bowl. Out of sight, out of mind!
5. For digestive reasons
Experts believe that the answer to ‘why do Chihuahuas hide their food’ or bones in the mud may not always be for squirreling it away for a rainy day, but for ‘digestive reasons’.
You see, a week in the earth adds some bacterial flora on the buried bones which your Chi relishes for digestive enzymes. Don’t worry; your pet is safe as long as you deworm it regularly.
6. To keep other house pets from eating it
Sometimes, your Chihuahua might hide its dry food if you have other pets, dog or cat, to keep the other animals from accessing their treats. Sure you would give each pet its treat at the same time, but one might hide it while the other might enjoy it right away.
7. Insecurity and anxiety
The Chihuahua is a high-strung dog known to have separation anxiety. Many even get anxious and insecure about food. This behavior may be seen in Chis living in multi-pet households or even in rescued or adopted Chihuahuas.
If your pet has anxiety about everything, it might hide its food and treat thinking it may not get it again. Most Chis will hide their food because it is ‘precious’ to them. If you are your Chi’s favorite person, getting a treat from you might be very important to your pet. That is why it hides the same as it becomes its prized possession.
Why Do Chihuahuas Cover their Food?
Chihuahuas cover their food for more or less the same reasons that they bury their bones and treats.
1. To save it for later
Most Chihuahuas will cover their wet food or dry food if they are not hungry and wish to save it for later.
They might pull their blanket, your son’s clothes, or whatever else they can find and cover the food with it. Sometimes, your pet simply feels very uncomfortable about the time or place that you have offered the food in and that takes precedence for it – no matter how delicious the food you have served may be.
2. When they don’t like what is served
Conversely, some Chihuahuas cover their food when they do not like what is being served. The taste, smell, or appearance of the food may not appeal to your Chi. Resultantly, it might cover it up. You will know if this is the case when your Chi begs for something else.
3. They consider that food as a prized possession
One of the reasons why Chihuahuas cover their food is when they consider it their prized possession. They do not want anyone else taking their food and covering it up is their way of protecting it.
4.They get this ‘caching’ from their ancestors
As explained earlier, food covering is very much a natural instinct in dogs. In the wild, dogs, and their ancestors – wolves – cover the leftover food after they have had their fill. They might hide it in the cave or under the ground and this behavior is called ‘caching’. They mainly do it for future use not knowing when they will get their next hunt.
Domesticated dogs have retained this behavior.
Is Chihuahua’s Covering or Hiding of Food a Sign of Illness?
If your Chihuahua is ill, it will not cover or hide its dog’s bowl.
It will walk away or hide under the bed. You might also notice other signs of illness or discomfort like putting its tail between its legs or vomiting, diarrhea, and lethargy.
So if these signs are not present, then the food hiding should not be a matter of concern.
Has your domestic dog recently started burying or hiding its bones or food? Then it could be due to some change in its environment.
Have you brought home another dog? Has there been a change in your pet’s feeding schedule? All these changes could stress your sensitive pet and lead to food hiding and resource guarding.
Is Hiding Food Normal Behavior in Dogs or Should You Discourage it?
Before we try to answer the question: ‘should I discourage my Chihuahua from hiding its food?’ we need to consider the following:
- Has your Chi always hidden its food and toys?
- Does it dig up the food later and eat it?
- Have you recently changed your dog’s diet?
- Have there been any changes in your dog’s environment in recent times?
Hiding or covering food is a natural and instinctive dog behavior. They probably have retained this instinctual behavior of squirreling away treats in the dog bed to save them for a rainy day, just like a wild dog does.
So, there is no reason to discourage your pet from hiding or covering its treats. Here are some ways in which you can deal with it:
1. Know when to discourage it
If your pet does not like the food and keeps covering it only to beg for other food, then you might want to discourage the behavior. If you allow your pet to continue covering or hiding its food, then it might turn into a seriously picky dog and will only eat what it wants and when it wants.
2. The food rots and spoils
If your Chi never gets back to eating the treats it hides, or forgets where it has hidden them, then too you must discourage it. Pick up the food and do not give it to your Chi. This will help reinforce the fact that the food is only available for eating right away and if it does not want it, it won’t get it!
3. Make your Chi feel secure
If insecurity is the reason why your Chi hides or covers its food, then you may want to take a look at your Chi’s environment. If you have brought home another pet recently, make your Chi feel loved and secure. Offer both pets the same food and treats. This will reduce your Chi’s insecurity around food.
Why do Chihuahuas Bury Things in Blankets?
Many Chihuahuas not only bury their food, they might also bury their toys, your shiny watches, or jewelry.
Hiding things, as explained earlier, is a dog’s way of masking its scent and protecting it from predators.
Our domesticated Chihuahuas do not have predators but that hasn’t stopped them from retaining this natural instinct.
Your Chi might bury its things in its blankets as a way of alleviating boredom. Many bored Chihuahua hide toys in blankets, under laundry baskets, behind the washing machine, and even in your slippers. No place will be good enough and your Chi might even continue removing and hiding those toys in different places.
Most Chis that are extremely bored will resort to resource guarding in this way. Most cases of resource guarding are centered around food but some Chihuahuas might even guard resources like toys, bones, and other objects that are precious to them.
In the next section, we will tell you exactly how to stop this bad behavior.
How to Train your Chihuahua Not to Hide its Food or Toys?
Hiding food or toys can become an obsession with your Chi if you do not curb the bad behavior. Here are some ways to train your pet not to hide its food and/or toys:
1. Give it more mental stimulation during the day
Bored dogs resort to weird behaviors like burying things in the yard or blankets. Provide some puzzles to your pet and also exercise it a couple of times a day to prevent this. Exercise will tire your pet out so it won’t have any energy left for digging!
A food puzzle can help divert your pet’s attention and prevent it from resource guarding and other destructive behavior. Alternatively, you can provide it with a snuffle mat which encourages natural foraging to reduce boredom.
2. Remove the toys it hides
Give your Chihuahua other toys than the one it hides. Rotate its toys from time to time. Limit your pet’s access to just one or two toys at a time.
3. Give equal attention to all pets
If yours is a multi-pet household, make sure you give equal love and attention to all your pets. This will reduce its insecurity and stop it from resource guarding.
4. Pick up the food if your Chi does not eat it
When your Chi runs out to hide its food, say a loud NO or clap your hands loudly. Take away the treat/bone/food and keep it out of reach. Your pet will understand that burying the treat is unacceptable.
5. Use positive reinforcement
Train your Chihuahua to follow basic commands like ‘Stay’, ‘Heel’ etc. This way, when you see your pet burying its toys, give the command and make it stop the ‘digging’. You can treat your pet and praise it when it listens to you. Soon your Chi will associate ‘not burying’ treats or toys with rewards and praise.
6. Avoid giving treats/bones it buries
Make the resources your Chi buries scarce and save your yard, couches, and blankets from sharp claws! When it does not have what it likes to bury, the problem will be solved.
Conclusion – Why do Chihuahuas Hide their Food?
Chihuahuas hide their food or toys because it is natural canine instinct. In the wild, dogs hide their food for a rainy day, to save it from other animals/predators, and to eat it later when conditions are more favorable.
Your Chi might also hide its toys to alleviate boredom, as a way of resource guarding, and to expend their pent up energy.
We hope this guide helps your curb your Chihuahua’s food-hiding behavior.
