He spends most of the day under the table, behind the sofa or in the bathroom. He comes out to eat when the house is quiet, and disappears again the moment anything happens. You’ve tried coaxing, treats and simply waiting, and nothing seems to change.
A dog who hides is coping in the only way he can. The hiding place isn’t the problem. It’s telling you how unsafe the rest of the world still feels to him.
Keep the hiding place safe
- Never reach in or pull him out. Not by the collar, not on the lead, not to “show him it’s fine”. If hiding stops working, he has nowhere left to feel safe, and that makes him more frightened, not less.
- Leave him alone while he’s in there. Don’t sit beside it, clean around it or let children or other pets follow him in.
- Put water nearby, and a comfortable bed if there’s room.
- Toss the odd treat near the entrance as you pass, without stopping or looking at him. You become the person who brings good things and asks for nothing.
Make the rest of the home feel safer
- Keep the days predictable: meals, walks and quiet times at the same times each day.
- Turn the volume down. Low background sound, such as a radio, softens sudden noises. Keep visitors, parties and busy days to a minimum for now.
- Offer a second safe place where the family spends time: a covered crate with the door open, or a bed in a quiet corner. Many dogs will choose a den that lets them watch the household from safety.
- Use gates rather than closed doors, so he can see and hear what’s going on without being exposed to it.
Help him come out on his own terms
- Sit on the floor side-on, looking away, somewhere he can see you. Read, scroll your phone, be boring.
- Toss treats away from you, not towards you, so that coming out never means being drawn closer than he chooses.
- Try treat and retreat. When he comes near, toss a treat behind him, so that approaching you is followed by the relief of moving away again.
- Scatter some of his dinner on a rug or the lawn. Sniffing is calming, and it puts him in charge.
- Celebrate small things: one paw out, a look around, a nap in the open.
Notice what sends him back
Keep simple notes of when he hides: the time, what had just happened, who was there. Patterns soon appear. The doorbell, the hoover, raised voices, children running, the television. Once you know what sends him back under the table, you can make those moments smaller, rarer or more predictable for him.
And remember that a dog who hides and a dog who lies very still in the open can both be frightened. Quiet isn’t always calm.
When to call the vet, and when to ask for help
If an adult dog who used to be out and about has started hiding, see your vet first. Pain and illness can make dogs withdraw. Ask for behaviour help if he’s hiding most of the day for weeks, if fear is stopping him eating, drinking or toileting normally, or if he growls or snaps when anyone comes near his hiding place.