Why Dogs Dig in Their Beds

Since you live with your dog, you probably know their entire before-bed routine by heart. They paw at their beds and turn around in a circle before finally plopping down. It’s normal to you, but you still have to ask: why? Of all the things that they could do to sleep, why do they choose to dig into their beds? Well, we’ve got some answers.

Survival, at First

Long ago, our canine friends lived and thrived in the great outdoors. There they were in charge of making sure they fell asleep in a comfortable enough spot. Of course, the flat, hard earth wasn’t fitting the bill so they dug into the ground just enough to make themselves comfortable. They would also dig at the ground to make sure that they removed any bad bedmates, like sticks, stones, snakes, and spiders. 

Mostly Comfort, Now

As we domesticated them, we removed a lot of the factors that would have made pawing or digging necessary. However, no amount of comfy beds and clean rooms can get rid of instinct. Dogs still paw into the spot that they plan to lay down in, but they do it for a different reason. Now, it’s mostly about comfort. Compare it to how you might fluff your pillow before sleeping.

Can I Stop It?

Not really, and there’s no real reason for you to have to. A dog digging in their bed isn’t bad or dangerous. It doesn’t harm your dog any more than fluffing your pillow harms you. So, there is nothing to worry about. Ultimately, you can only sit back and watch as your dog fulfills this ancient survival instinct on their designer bed.