About Us Denning is a Natural Instinct in Dogs by Race Foster, DVM Drs. Inc. Domestication of dogs is a fairly recent event in the history of canids on earth. Although wild canids have been around for millions of years, they have only spent a few thousand of those as our pets.
Canines have a definite instinct to hide out in dens.
We frequently see our dogs under desks, the dining room table or even under Grandma's Chippendale buffet, if they can fit. When a dog digs a hole in your garden one reason might be the instinct to make a den. What this behavior is all about is a canine's natural desire to have a place he can call his own. This is not true. The dog will often seek out this refuge when he is tired, stressed, or just wants to be away from it all.