Axel – How does this Caching Thing Work?

Caching is an instinctual behavior to save resources when there is excess.  Typically, canids dig a hole, place an object, push dirt over the object with their nose and tamp to cover it.  In this photo, Axel stalls at the hole portion of the behavior and keeps pushing the item deeper into the ground, skipping the pushing dirt and tamping behavior.  Grayson looks on and within moments after Axel leaves, picks up the (not so) cached item and finds another place to stash it.  Just because behaviors are instinctual, doesn’t mean that they are not benefited from some practice and trial and error.