Why Do Dogs Like To Hoard Things?

Dogs are funny because they like to do things that remind us of ourselves. Just look into their eyes and you see a mischievous streak, just waiting for you to take the bait. One thing that many dogs love to do is to take everything they can and hide them. This is very cute until they get hold of your car keys or your slippers.

If your dog has a crate, it's likely that many of the items are there, but some things you will never find. Even if you get him lots of toys, he still likes to hoard things. This almost becomes an obsession, even though you "train" him not to grab things and hide them, he still will when you're not looking.

Veterinarians differ on how smart dogs really are, but they generally agree that they have the mental capacity of a 4 or 5 year old human, but who really knows? The fact of the matter is, when it comes to hoarding things, it almost becomes a game with dogs. They like to play the game, and they will do it even when they know that they are not supposed to.

Many breeds of dogs like to be in contact with their humans, and most of all they like to be helpful. They are constantly watching you, what you touch, where you go, what you do and so on. So during the day, mostly while you are engaged in other things, they will take your things and "store" them for you. That way they can be helpful and "bring" them back to you.

Dogs like to matter, and they feel that they are doing the right thing. They certainly don't feel that they are doing the wrong thing, as they "work" to store your things. Sometimes it might also happen out of boredom, but they like to get a reaction, so they work to store your things. Of course, bringing them back to you is not always high on their list of priorities.

To the dog, it is also part of the process of building a relationship with you, so you can train your dog to put things where you can find them, or show you where they are, you might be making some progress.

You can also spend more time with your dog on other things like walks, outside "fetch" and other pastimes to wear him out and transfer his interests. Give him lots of other things to think about, and he'll slowly stop hiding your stuff.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-Do-Dogs-Like-To-Hoard-Things?&id=9021157