It's not hidden if you guard it!

Bashir is our youngest dog. He's a three year old Australian Shepherd and he's very aware that he's the youngest and at the bottom of the totem pole in our household.

So when he gets a bone or chunk of rawhide he really likes, he likes to hide it. He's hidden bones behind the sofa cushions on the couch and in the corner of the sofa sectional. Much to my husband's chagrin, Bashir has hidden bones under my husband's pillow in the bed. The poor dog goes to great pains to find the right spot; walking around with the bone in his mouth, sniffing and poking with his nose to find just the perfect place. He'll look over his shoulder to see if anyone is watching him and if I am, he'll walk away very casually, "Who me? I wasn't doing anything!"

When he finds the right spot, he pokes around with his nose to make sure the hole is big enough for the bone, then places the bone there and using his nose, he covers the bone. He'll shove blankets over it, sofa cushions, even dog toys! If he's outside, he'll use his nose to shove dirt over the bone.

But after all this work - after finding the right place and burying the bone so carefully - he gives away the spot because he guards it! Not with growls and not aggressively, but with concern. If anyone walks by, he stares at the spot where his bone is and points at it with his nose, "Don't look there! That's my bone! Oh no, don't look!" So of course, everyone in the household - human or canine - knows where Bashir's bone is! Silly boy.

Give your dog a hug from me!

Liz