Hiding treats and toys is a natural instinctive behaviour that can be traced back to a dog's wild ancestors. Burying leftover food is a survival skill coming from never knowing when their next meal will be.
Dogs like hiding items for a variety of reasons, ranging from natural instincts to underlying stress. Habitual hiding habits can become problematic if off-limits items keep disappearing. Training, creating a controlled environment, and positive reinforcement can help curb item hiding.
When your dog brings you a toy, it is his way of saying, “Come play with me!” Most owners provide their dogs with a variety of dog toys that engage them in different ways for mental and physical stimulation. The toy your pup chooses to present to you may be a toy that you use most often to play with him.
Like so many canine behaviors, the tendency to bury bones is firmly rooted in your dog's ancestry. Dogs are protective creatures that safeguard all that they deem valuable. Following in his ancestors' footsteps, your dog uses his own front feet to hollow out an area in the ground that keeps his “treasures” safe.
It's an instinct that they inherited from their ancestors. When they manage to hunt down or scavenge a big meal, they hide the leftovers by burying it in the ground, both to help preserve it and to protect it from other scavengers, says The Spruce Pets.
Do dogs remember where they bury things? Yes, it is not unusual for dogs to remember exactly where they buried their items. Keep in mind that dogs have a very strong sense of smell, so even if they bury an item in the ground, they should be able to smell where they placed it and can retrieve the item later.
He might simply be recognizing that your bundle of joy is something valuable that should be protected. If your dog has a history of hiding his favorite squeaky toy or your favorite slippers, you might find him attempting to stash his new family member too.
Splooting is a great stretch for the animals' hips. Splooting also allows the animal to cool themselves by pressing their belly into the ground or against tile floors. Owners may notice that their pets sploot more often when they are younger.
Seeking Attention, Avoiding Contact and More
“Some dogs do it when they are excited or anxious: The physical contact may be comforting to them,” Dr. Sung says. “It can also be a form of attention-seeking behavior. Who would not pay attention to a dog walking between their legs?”
Laying on their back while getting some shut-eye helps dogs cool off. Unlike people who sweat to control their body temperature, dogs perspire through the pads of their feet.
Your Aussie will bond to his family and be protective of and loyal to them. Many dog owners are surprised to learn that even though Aussies have strong guarding and herding instincts, they are sweet and cuddly indoor dogs that can even be kept in apartments.
Dogs use a foot to bridge the communication gap. Your dog quickly learns that handing you their paw receives a positive reaction. By giving you their paw, oftentimes, they just want a pet.
Like all shepherd dogs, Toy Australian Shepherds are hyperactive, playful, sociable, and very intelligent. They're faithful, affectionate, and protective of their loved ones, and have an affinity with children and older people. Aussie dogs are also very friendly with strangers and get on well with other dogs and pets.
Licking is a natural and instinctive behaviour to dogs. For them it's a way of grooming, bonding, and expressing themselves. Your dog may lick you to say they love you, to get your attention, to help soothe themselves if they're stressed, to show empathy or because you taste good to them!
Just as humans stare into the eyes of someone they adore, dogs will stare at their owners to express affection. In fact, mutual staring between humans and dogs releases oxytocin, known as the love hormone. This chemical plays an important role in bonding and boosts feelings of love and trust.
Just like circling and digging at bedding before lying down, hiding prized possessions may be an ingrained ritual that comes naturally to some dogs. Your dog's wild ancestors most likely buried food and other objects to keep predators from getting them, which may account for his desire to hide his toys in your sofa.
Attention Seekers
Aussies can be very clingy. They crave human companionship and love being included in pretty much everything you do, including being involved in all family activity. Since they require an active lifestyle, they will want to join in everything and anything that is going on around them.
In most cases, people do not realize that to a dog, a hug does not mean affection at all. They will generally grab things between their front legs when they are play-fighting, actually fighting or humping something. Not exactly a sign of affection, but rather a symbol of dominance.
Since dogs consider their owners a part of their family and pack, they want to lay on top of them to show them that and to provide them with comfort and security as well as receive it in the process. Laying close to their owner is also their way of protecting what they love, even if there is no real threat or danger.
This unique type of expression shows pleasure and happiness, and when your dog is especially happy the movement can be so intense as to curl your Australian Shepherd into a U-shape!
Australian Shepherds tend to whine for all sorts of reasons, such as to get your attention or if they're sick or injured. If you can rule out a medical condition, then the next step to quiet your Aussie is to train them not to whine. Failing to indulge in their bad behavior will clue them in to stop. Good luck!
Australian Shepherds are known for their fierce loyalty with one person, that doesn't mean every Shepherd will act like that. Some Shepherds might not build a particularly strong bond with any one family member. Others might like one of you more than another, but they don't sit on you to show it.
Dogs can hear, smell, and see babies, but they don't really know what a baby is, so it is shocking when dogs treat babies differently than adults. While your dog may not care much about adults, you might notice that your dog seems especially interested in babies.
In addition to detecting illness, some dogs have reportedly been able to sense when a female owner is about to go into labor. Little is known about this phenomenon, but the prevailing belief is women may emit a special “labor scent” or give off other early physical cues.
Professor Ruffman states that this indicates the presence of empathy, meaning that the dogs subconsciously felt upset in response to the baby's distress. Canine behavior experts have also stated that dogs pick up on the energy around them and that the energy of a crying baby causes the dog to feel upset.