If you are struggling to find an explanation about why is my dog hiding under the bed all of a sudden? Then this article is just for you.
Do you know dogs have emotions just like us, like we feel sad or happy they also, get sad and happy due to the release of chemicals in their body!
So, sometimes dog also do starnge things while they are going through mixed emotions.
We understand that sometimes it becomes very irritating to deal with a dog who constantly keeps on hiding under the bed. And we get furious and more irritated when we don’t get an explanation of this behavior.
Calm down! We feel you and that is why we have come with not just four or five reasons but a total of nine possible reasons why is your dog hiding under the bed suddenly.
Let’s finish this curiosity by reading this article!
Reasons Why Your Dog Is Hiding Under the Bed Suddenly
We have covered nine reasons why is your dog hiding under the bed all of a sudden. The explanation is listed below
1. Stress and anxiety can play the role
A stressed dog act in a strange manner.
As we know dogs also go through anxiety just like us. And, something change in his surrounding gives him stress and anxiety. This is because they can’t understand what is happening.
Sudden change either in his or yours routine can affect because of this fact they start hiding from you all of a sudden.
They get anxious when their favorite toy or even their favorite food bowl is thrown away. We have to understand that they take time to adjust because of the lack of logic he finds difficult to understand any change.
Likewise, if there is a lack of exercise in your dog’s schedule, it can make him anxious. Any things stressful in his surrounding affects him to give anxiety which he deals with hiding under your bed. That makes him feel better. If you want to avoid anxiety and stress introduce changes slowly whenever possible.
2. Is he injured or unwell
Your best friend will also try to hide if he is not feeling well or ill.
When a dog goes through sickness they start hiding the reason because they feel disgusted.
Have you recently observed any lethargic change or he is not finishing his food completely? If yes, this could be also one of the reasons why he has started hiding under your bed all of a sudden.
You can take him to a vet for his sickness, once he feels good he won’t do it.
They impulsively hide when they are in pain to guard themselves against the predators. They don’t like to be around during this time and just like to lay somewhere in the dark and safe place. For that, your bed is an ideal place in the whole house.
Moving on to know the other reasons
4. Upsetting experience
When you check a day in a dogs’ life they also go through ups and downs. Likewise, when something bad happens dog hiding under the bed is a sign that he wants to feel safe.
They can have traumatized experiences like having a fight with the dog next door, or when they accidentally break when no one is at the home, or you’re accidentally stepping on your pooch’s tail. They get hurt in this process, and it can startle your canine badly and make him feel scared and afraid, and hence, he likes to hide.
Furthermore, they also tend to hide whenever they get reminders of such experiences from the past.
You have to be very careful with your dog. Even if your voice is angry or if there is some tension in the house or some kind of hand gesture can scare an abused dog easily.
You can control this behavior of your dog once you detect what triggers him and try to desensitize your dog from all those actions. Also, make sure that he never gets exposed to such an experience again.
Continue reading…..
5. Stressful noise of firework or storm
Dogs have noise phobia (excessive fear of sounds) Especially sounds of the firework or storm can intensely affect them.
This fear of noise can develop in any breed at any age. So, even try to solve this noise problem they seek to shelter them by hiding under your bed. This noise anxiety cannot be destroyed easily but if your hard work can pay off.
Dogs are not very fond of loud noises and such noises make them fearful. Some of the common origins of noise anxiety in canine are gunshots, drill machines, construction noises, or vacuum cleaners.
6. Seeking a safe place
In some conditions, a dog hides under your bed because they might be looking for a safe place to stay out of the way or he might be trying to avoid some things that trigger him.
This kind of gesture responsible for dogs to hide when you have moved the furniture of your house, and they are in an unfamiliar environment.
7. Are they feeling lonely
This is true that dogs also feel alone, sad, and isolated.
This is because they are pack animals. They are descended from wolves, who used to live and work in groups to are social beings. Just like us, they are also deprived of companions.
So, sometimes dogs can act strange and can hide because they are feeling alone. Sometimes when we are so busy in our life we forget to give our pet attention. They can also feel solitude when you pay attention more to your children and not equal attention to them.
In such situations, he might seek comfort from hiding. So that he can sleep without any trouble.
Every time it is not a situation to take stress because it is like we do. When we want space even isolate ourselves, similarly they also need space when they are worried or anxious.
But, if it does this more often then you should straight away take him is to a vet. Because it is not a healthy sign.
Does your house have many frequent visitors then, this could be a matter of concern
8. Unwanted strangers visiting the house
Most of the dogs get nervous when they meet a new animal or new people in their territory. They will hide from them. So, if this is the case with your dog too then you should curb this behavior by giving them deconditioning training.
This lack of socialization should be removed from your pet’s behavior you can try to calm him down slowly, invite your friends again, and allow him to get used to socialization.
Well, a few dogs are suspicious and alert by the nature. When your dog tries to hide under the bed during this situation it is better to leave him alone for the time being.
9. They love closure under the bed
For some, a dog hiding under the bed or table could also be a sign that he wants to feel like personal space. It is their little fun fort to relax in.
Dogs enjoy the little den where they can snuggle up. They always look for new hiding spaces around the corner of your house.
If you want to know how to stop your dog hiding under the bed, scroll more!
How to stop your dog from hiding under your bed?
Get a crate: If your dogs enjoy a den-like space to snuggle, so the other alternative can be a crate. You can gift him a crate that stimulates a den, and you can put that crate anywhere in the house you want. This works perfectly well when you want him to stay away from your bedroom.
Spend more time: To remove all his anxiety, stress, and loneliness you must spend a little time extra with your pooch. So, he feels doesn’t feel the stress and avoids hiding.
Training: You also train him to perform different behavior. When they hide under your bed just ignore them and when they lay down on a rug or mat give them a treat. This will send him the message that sleeping on the rug will lead to positive reinforcement and hiding under the bed will get him nothing. Keep doing it, and eventually, he will learn this change in his behavior soon.
Exercise and thunder sheets: You can also increase his physical activity time and when thunder comes you avoid noise anxiety by putting a thunder shirt on him.
Herbs, medications, and professional help: You can calm your dog down with help of some herbs like chamomile or could give him anti-anxiety pills but always make sure to consider pills from a specialist. If nothing works then visit a vet for professional guidance.
Wait! This is not the end!
FAQs
There are many reasons associated with it some can be because he is ill, and he is suffering from some kind of stress and anxiety. It can also be possible because of the noise anxiety, phobia from the sounds of fireworks and storms.
When a dog suffers from traumatized experience then also he tries to hide. It can be anything for instance, like you shouting at him, or you are paying more attention to your children and less to him. Also, when they feel lonely and sad they try to isolate themself by hiding under your bed.
One reason could be because of lack of social behavior the dog doesn’t like when they meet a new pet or new human at their place so, they hunt to hide from them under the bed.There are many reasons associated with it some can be because he is ill, and he is suffering from some kind of stress and anxiety. It can also be possible because of the noise anxiety, phobia from the sounds of fireworks and storms.
When a dog suffers from traumatized experience then also he tries to hide. It can be anything for instance, like you shouting at him, or you are paying more attention to your children and less to him. Also, when they feel lonely and sad they try to isolate themself by hiding under your bed.
One reason could be because of lack of social behavior the dog doesn’t like when they meet a new pet or new human at their place so, they hunt to hide from them under the bed.
Dog obeys what their body wants from him. That is the one reason he hides when he is dying because he knows that is weak and vulnerable and won’t be able to protect himself. This makes him extremely weak in front of the predators. So hiding is the only solution by which he can help himself.
Growling in dogs is a sign of distress and anxiety. To bring your dog out of the bed is by placing treats where he can see them. So, he tempts and comes out of the bed. You can use positive stimuli for better and good results.
Summing it All Up!
A lot of pet parents face the issue of their dog hiding under the bed. And, this behavior of hiding under furniture is common in most dogs you should not panic if he does this occasionally. But, if it is frequently observed then it is a matter of concern.
Dogs might hide under because of fear, anxiety, they might feel alone, or they just want to spend some time in peace. There are also various reasons explained in this article which are mentioned above.
I hope you got your solution to the question of why does is your dog hiding under the bed all of a sudden! If you know any other reason which is not mentioned in this article you share with us. Comment down below we would love to know about that.
References:
- Traverse, T. (2020, May 12). Why Does My Dog Hide Under The Bed? American Kennel Club. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/training/why-does-my-dog-hide-under-the-bed/
- Renae, K. (2019, October 21). 12 of the strangest dog behaviors explained. Insider. Retrieved August 25, 2022, from https://www.insider.com/dogs-strange-behavior-explained-2018-12
Karen Valenzuela is a dog behaviorist & trainer from Brooklyn, New York, and a freelancer for DogLovesBest. Karen is so much into dogs that she decided to become a dog behaviorist since she was in Middle School, and she did it too! She pursued her career as a dog behaviorist and now she’s certified through ACAAB. She has trained more than 10,000 dogs to correct their behavior and helped them develop a strong bond with their owners. In her free time, she loves to explore new ways of making the pet canine’s life more interesting and also has the ability to give those ideas the form of insightful posts.
After following the above tips now my dog doesn’t hide under the bed.