97 Tips for Raising Labs
Following are approximately 97 questions readers of BigYellowDog.com submitted in recent years. They were answered by a licensed veterinarian on the site as a general service to all Lab owners. This information is for general reference only. Always consult your veterinarian for any questions about your Lab's health. We hope this information is somewhat helpful. At this time, we are not accepting any more questions.
Question
All of a sudden, our 5-year-old black Lab is burying her Milk Bones dog treats. She used to eat them immediately. Now, she just hides them outside where they get all beat up with the weather and all. Is it safe for her to dig them up days later and eat them? We don't give them to her often, just as a treat for being good.
Answer
Digging and burying is a normal behavior for dogs. Usually Milk Bones-type treats don't spoil, so it is probably OK for your dog to eat them after they have been outside for a few days. However, you might want to be sure and take a look at them to make sure they don't look suspicious. To solve this behavior, you might try giving a smaller treat to your dog that he will want to eat instead of bury. If your dog continues to do this, it's probably nothing to worry about. However, if you are concerned with where your dog is burying the bones (a garden, near a fence, etc.) you might designate an area like a child's sand box for your dog to be her very own so she can bury her bones in one spot that is "hers".
