Sampson’s Dachshund Nest and Blanket

Why does your Dachshund ‘dig’ on his blanket or bed before he lays down? No, he’s not trying to ‘dig to China’. This is very normal behavior. Your Dachshund is just creating his ‘den’ or ‘nest’ before he settles down to relax or sleep. This is the same reason you may see him ‘circle’ before he lays down.

Another behavior you may see is that he/she might ‘chew’ or ‘gum’ his bedding material or blankets. Fear not, it’s evidently just their way of making their den or nest ‘just right’. After all, you can’t have your nest ‘too hard’ or ‘too soft’. It’s got to be ‘just right’.

Making their den or nest just right is the Dachshund’s way of saying, ‘this is where I will be bedding down, I will not go potty here.’ Denning or nesting is a trait that has carried down from the days when undomesticated dogs had to dig their own nests for the night, instead of being given beds and blankets as they are today.

You may also notice your Dachshund sniffing and smelling his nest before he prepares it. This is another trait carried down. Your Dachshund will sniff to make sure no other animal has been bedding down in that area for security reasons.

I know, you may be thinking, ‘but my Dachshund is the only one that sleeps there.’ Well, he doesn’t know that and instinct will tell him to check every time.

For whatever reason, Sampson really liked to make holes in this one particular blanket while leaving most of the rest alone.