Why is My Dog Trying to “Bury” My Baby?

Dogs are intelligent creatures. They do things that make us gape with awe. From burying bones and favorite toys to sensing pregnancy to smelling cancer, these animals are something else. Parents with babies may have noticed a few odd behaviors coming from the family dog. We’ve read stories of dogs rescuing a lost baby and bringing her to safety. There are plenty of videos showing the kindness of dogs towards tiny humans.

Among the ones that created a lot of buzz is the one showing a dog covering a baby with a blanket. In the Poke My Heart video below, the family dog is trying to cover a baby clad in a diaper when sleeping. She moves around the baby trying to cover her entire body with the blanket. Once she’s satisfied with the result, she walks away. However, the baby starts wailing when she realizes her fur buddy had moved away (how cute!)

Today we seek to answer the question: Why does my dog try to bury my baby? While it’s a sweet thing to witness your dog covering your child, it’s a grey line. Danger could be lurking somewhere. So, what are some of the reasons that could cause your gorgeous canine friend to exhibit this odd behavior?

1. Parental Instincts

When you have a baby, you think you are the only one with the capacity to be a parent or guardian to your baby. What you don’t know is that your puppy feels the same too. If she’s had kids of her own in the past, it is highly likely that she will view your baby as hers. In that case, she will become a true mother to her part of which means taking care of her and ensuring she’s happy at all times. This holds true for male dogs as well. As they watch you care for the little one with such caution and attention, they might feel like a father to her.

2. Hoarding Instinct

Secondly, your dog may have resorted to covering your child out of instinct. For millennia, dogs have been known to bury their food. In the wild, food wasn’t as available as right now. Dogs had to hide food deep in the ground when they stumbled on a big kill. They did this to keep it safe for later. The ground not only preserved the food but also added some flavor to it while keeping it away from hungry pack members.

Over time, the idea of burying food developed and became ingrained in the dog’s DNA. In addition to hiding bones only, your pet will try to stash anything precious to him. This includes toys, socks, and yes, your baby. Of course, he is not hiding your child to partake of it later. She thinks of her as something valuable that should be kept away from predators.

3. Protection

The third probable reason your fur baby is burying your actual baby could stem from his protective nature. This is especially true if you have a guard dog at home. By covering the baby up, he’s sending the message that she’s precious and no intruder should come near her. According to him, when she stays covered, she is away from the sight of intruders. Dogs are very intelligent and they can tell that a baby is helpless and needs tons of protection than a grown-up adult.

4. Jealousy

Although this is highly unlikely, dogs can also bury babies because they are jealous of them. When you have a newborn at home, the attention often shifts from everything and everyone else to her. Human beings can find ways to cope with this except the dog. After all, he’s a dog and his behavior is different from ours. To announce his jealousy, he will cover the baby to hide her from you so you can pay attention to him instead.

Obviously, this is not a very pretty scene. You need to watch how your dog generally behaves with the baby. If he growls or barks when you hold the young one, then it is positive that he’s jealous. You will need to train him to co-exist with your baby peacefully.

Conclusion

Why does my dog try to bury my baby? Hopefully, now you have four probable reasons why your canine friend may exhibit this unusual behavior. For the most part, there’s no reason to worry if your pet displays this behavior. Pay close attention to him and if he is jealous, intervene and save the situation before things get out of hand.