Why do dogs bury bones?

Asked by: Jared Paterson, York

Wolves bury food that they can’t eat immediately. This keeps it safe from scavengers like crows and the cold ground helps to preserve it. Birds don’t have a good sense of smell so they find it harder to locate these buried caches than wolves do. Dogs retain this behaviour and will bury toys or bones – either because they are saving their leftovers, or just because they are bored.

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