You wake up, and see your dog sitting under your bed and is confused by this act because he usually doesn’t do this.
There are a few reasons as to why your dog goes under the bed, such as to protect you, to seek out a spot that is cooler, or to hide from an intruder or other pet in your home.
If you’re concerned about your dog behaving in this way, get to know the reasons why he does it and choose the appropriate action to rectify the problem.
He Feels Threatened And Looking For A Hideout
Your dog can be easily frightened by loud rowdy noises, such as the sound of thunderstorms or fireworks, and this fear can set him off into a frenzy.
He could also show signs of anxiety and fear when you have many guests visiting your house, such as a large family BBQ or a dinner party.
Your dog might not know how to handle the new people and noises, which can set off his fear and make him hide in the closet, under the bed or tables and even in the bathtub.
The small confined space under the bed makes him feel protected and safe, and this is the reason why he will often want to remain there whenever he senses any danger coming.
This is an instinctual reaction that can be traced back to his ancient ancestors when they had to remain hidden from predators, protecting themselves from becoming prey.
I would suggest getting a crate for your dog and having him crate trained.
The purpose is to make him associate a crate as his den – a place where he will feel safe and relax and that will make him go to the crate whenever he needs to protect himself from any threats.
The crate should be large enough for him to be able to stand up, turn around, and lie down comfortably.
He Is Hiding From You
Your dog is keeping himself away from your sight by hiding under the bed because he is in fear of you.
This will be the case if you have lost your temper before or tried to punish or discipline him for any reason.
In such a case, he will turn his back on you and hide from you.
He is in fear that he will make you angry again, and he wants to stay out of your way for a while.
So, if you want him to trust you again and be comfortable with you, you will have to work on regaining his confidence in you, which will then translate into him accepting you as his leader and obeying you.
Secondly, this can happen if he has some health discomfort such as arthritis or joint pains, and he doesn’t want you to pet or touch him.
That makes him try to hide from you. You will also likely see him not willing to move around and keep himself away from climbing any staircases.
Thirdly, he knows that you are going to groom him (trimming his nails or giving him a bath) – something that he hates, and he will try his best to hide himself from you.
He Wants To Keep An Eye On You
Your dog may be concerned about your safety and is doing his “duty” to protect you. This is likely the case when you have a new partner on your bed or in your room, and he is worried about your safety.
Your dog will patiently observe till he feels that your new partner is NOT of any viable threat to you before he will feel comfortable leaving you alone.
He is merely observing to make sure you are safe in your environment and that he will not have to act up.
This will probably take a couple of days before he draws to his conclusion.
The other explanation is that you may have been snoring in your sleep lately and that he is trying to see if you are having any health problems by keeping a close watch on you.
Either way, this is just his way of making sure that you are still okay.
He Is Desiring For A Private Space
Just like you would want to have a personal private space to retreat to when you need some quiet moment or to have a good rest, the same goes for your dog.
He is looking for a place that he can call his own and feel relaxed and safe, and that is probably the reason why he finds hiding under the bed is such a great spot for him.
The small and confined space under your bed is the closest thing to his natural den that he can find. Of course, if your dog is of a big size breed, he may be at risk of getting stuck there.
Getting him a dog crate will help solve that problem. A dog crate can be a great place of comfort and security for him, similar to what a den is to a wild dog.
And getting a comfy crate for your dog means you can leave him at home knowing he will be safe and feel comfortable staying there when you are out doing your groceries.
A crate is not just a place to keep your dog when you are not home. It can also be a place where your dog can be when he is feeling anxious or needs to get away from the noise of your kids.
It is a place of solitude, a safe haven, a personal space where he can curl up and rest or relax and take a nap without any fear.
He Had Found An Ideal Hiding Space For His Treasure
Your dog had found an ideal hiding space for a treat or food that he had discovered on the floor.
This is a natural instinct that dogs in the wild practice: to bury the food for future use and keep it away from other animals that may take it away from them.
He will not come out of his hiding spot until he is sure that no one else is going to find the food that he had hidden.
Surprisingly, many dog owners do not understand this instinct at all. They will casually leave food everywhere in the home without thinking twice about it.
This is when your dog will start to act a bit strange. He will steal the food that he can find from the table and secretly hide it under the bed.
He is simply acting on what his instinct is telling him to do, that is, to save the food for later.
You should start paying attention to your dog and take note of his sneaky actions.
There are three main reasons why your dog may be stealing the food that he finds:
First, he may be hungry, and he wants immediate satisfaction of his hunger, so he steals the food. Or to save the food for his future needs.
Second, he may be stealing the food because he finds the act of stealing to be fun.
Third, he may steal the food as a displacement behavior. That is, he may be bored, and stealing the food will get your attention.
In each of these scenarios, your dog is certainly doing something that you strongly don’t want him to do.
You will want to be sure that the dog is aware of “what to do” and “what NOT to do” in your house.
Make use of a reward-based training approach to get the behavior that you want from your dog and enjoy a better relationship with him.
He Is Looking For A Cooler Place To Rest
With all the vents blowing “hot” air and the bright light from the sun shining into the house, the temperature can become unbearable for your dog.
That explains why he goes under the bed for shade or for a cooler place to stay during the day.
This is because the environment is too warm for him to handle, and he will choose to move over to the floor and lie down to sleep.
If you expect him to stay on his couch during a hot day, then you have got to change your expectations.
What you can do is to get him a cooling mat or pad so that he can lay on it when it gets too warm in the house.
This will give him a comfortable place to sleep and will deter him from resting under the bed.
Do Dogs Hide When They Are Dying?
I’m not sure if dogs know when they are about to go, but I do know that when they are in the process of dying, they seem to like finding a quiet, dark place to lie down.
They don’t want to be bothered by anyone, and they are too tired to move.
So, if you find your dog is acting strange, hiding under the bed and showing signs of prolonged lethargy and disinterest in things that he used to love doing, loss of coordination and appetite, you should take him to the veterinarian immediately.