Why do dogs like to bring toys to their nests?

Entering many dog-owning households, you may witness such a warm and interesting scene: a dog, holding its beloved toy in its mouth, runs cheerfully to its little nest, carefully places the toy beside it, and then lies down comfortably. So, why are dogs so enthusiastic about bringing their toys back to their little nests? Behind this behavior actually lies the complex nature, instincts, and profound emotional needs of dogs.

Tracing back through the long river of evolution, the ancestors of dogs, wolves, had a strong instinct for resource collection and protection. In the wild, wolves would bring back important resources such as leftover food and bones to their dens. The den, for wolves, is a safe haven and an important place for the group to multiply and thrive. Bringing resources back to the den, on the one hand, ensures the safety of the resources and prevents them from being snatched away by other predators; on the other hand, when food is scarce, these reserves can sustain the survival of the group. Although dogs have undergone a long process of domestication, this instinct deeply rooted in their genes still remains.

For dogs, toys are like precious food or bones in the eyes of wolves. Bringing toys back to the nest is an expression of their subconscious following of their ancestors' behavior patterns and protecting their "precious resources." For example, the Border Collie, as a highly capable working dog breed that retains many primitive characteristics, often brings back toys like balls and frisbees that it has picked up to the place where it rests and carefully "stores" them. This is not accidental but a vivid reflection of evolutionary inheritance in their behavior.

From an emotional perspective, when a dog brings a toy back to its nest, it is conveying love and trust to its "home." Dogs are social animals. They regard the human family as their group, and their little nest is their "private territory" within the group. When a dog brings a toy back to its nest, it is decorating this small space that belongs to it in its own way, making the nest warmer and more "personal." It's just like how humans would place their favorite items in their bedrooms to create a comfortable and unique living atmosphere. Toys for dogs often carry beautiful memories of interacting with their owners.

Every time they play games like fetch or tug-of-war with their owners, dogs can feel the full love and attention from their owners. When it brings these toys back to the nest, it is as if it is bringing back the happy moments spent with the owner, allowing itself to immerse in a warm emotional atmosphere even when resting. Imagine a Golden Retriever, after playing happily with its owner, brings its beloved plush toy back to the nest and lies down quietly. There may still be a glimmer of excitement and satisfaction in its eyes from the previous playtime. At this moment, the toy becomes the sustenance of its emotions, and the nest becomes a haven for its feelings.

This behavior of dogs is also closely related to their psychological needs. In the world of dogs, toys are important sources of spiritual comfort. When the owner goes out to work and the dog is left alone at home, a sense of loneliness will quietly creep in. At this time, the dog will bring the toy back to the nest and relieve the inner anxiety and loneliness by interacting with the toy, such as chewing and chasing. The nest, a familiar and safe environment, allows the dog to feel more relaxed during this process of self-entertainment. Just like a young child will hold a beloved doll tightly for comfort when the parents are not around. Small dog breeds like the Chihuahua, due to their relatively sensitive nature, often carry a small toy and hide in the nest to amuse themselves after the owner leaves, thus getting through the long time of being alone. The toy in the nest is not only an entertainment partner but also a "spiritual guardian" for the dog to fight against loneliness.

From the perspective of social behavior, when a dog brings a toy back to the nest, sometimes it is a potential "sharing" behavior. In the wild, wolves would bring back the hunted food to the den and share it with the group members, which is an important way to maintain the harmony of the group and enhance its cohesion. Although dogs live in human families, this sharing instinct has not disappeared. It brings the toy back to the nest perhaps because it hopes to share this joy with the "group members" it deems important, that is, other pets or the owner in the family. It looks forward to the owner coming to its little nest and playing with the toy together again, reliving the happy moments of interaction. For example, when there is both a dog and a cat in the family, the dog may bring the toy back to the nest in an attempt to attract the cat to play together. Although the cat may not be interested, the dog's behavior is undoubtedly a vivid manifestation of its social instinct.

In addition, a dog's arrangement of the nest and placement of toys may also be influenced by environmental factors. If the living environment is noisy or there are some factors that make the dog feel uneasy, it may frequently bring the toy back to the nest and use familiar items to enhance the sense of security of the nest. It tries to build a "comfort zone" of its own with the toy and keep the external interference at bay. Conversely, when the environment is warm, quiet, and full of a sense of security, the dog may treat the toy more calmly, and the frequency of bringing the toy back to the nest may also be relatively reduced. For instance, on a stormy night with thunder and lightning, many dogs will become anxious and uneasy. At this time, they often eagerly pick up the toy and quickly run back to the nest, as if the toy and the nest can protect them from the terrifying sounds and unknown fears outside.

A dog's love for bringing toys back to the nest, this simple yet interesting behavior, is the result of the intertwining of various factors such as its evolutionary instincts, emotional needs, psychological comfort, social behavior, and adaptation to the environment. As owners, when we observe this behavior of dogs, we should not just find it cute and interesting but also understand the voice from the dog's heart. We can respond to the dog's deep affection and trust by increasing the time of interaction with the dog, providing it with a greater variety of toys, and regularly tidying up and decorating its little nest.