Why Does My Dog Open Packages? Bobo Explains
Bobo & Mommy ·
A box arrives. You turn your back for one minute. You return to find it open, the contents "inspected," and a very official-looking dog standing guard over the evidence.
Naturally, we launched an investigation. Bobo agreed to an interview.
Bobo's statement
Bobo, why is this package open? Suspicious merchandise.
Suspicious? Yes. Delicious... um, no. Suspicious smell.
Did you try the merchandise? Yes. But only for safety reasons.
So you stole a package? No. I risked my little life to make sure everything was safe.
Are you sure about that? Um... okay, okay. No package came for Bobo. So I claimed a package.
What is Mommy going to say? She doesn't need that package. I am already her whole package. She won't know. If she asks, I will look very innocent, like this. Or I will blame Bobby. Mommy knows it's always Bobby's fault. Naughty Bobby.
For the record, Bobby is a stuffie and has an airtight alibi.
So why do dogs open packages?
Behind the courtroom drama, there's real instinct at work:
- Boxes smell like adventure. Packages pick up scents from everywhere they've traveled, which is irresistible to a nose thousands of times stronger than ours.
- The thrill of discovery. Tearing into something hidden taps a dog's natural foraging instinct. The crinkle, the resistance, the reveal: it's basically a puzzle toy that fell from the sky.
- It got a reaction once. If opening a box ever earned attention (even an "oh no, Bobo!"), that's a memorable reward worth repeating.
The gentle fix: open and clear boxes promptly, keep deliveries off the floor, and redirect that investigator energy into snuffle mats or puzzle feeders. It isn't mischief, it's a curious nose doing its job.
Watch Bobo's full interview
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Love, Bobo & Mommy 💛