Why did dog loyally guard destroyed home for weeks after Camp Fire?

PARADISE, Calif. (KGO) -- Madison the Anatolian shepherd guarded his lost home after the Camp Fire destroyed Paradise.

He waited weeks for his owner to return. Have you ever wondered why dogs do that?

RELATED: Camp Fire evacuee returns home to find lost dog patiently waiting

A canine behavior expert has a possible explanation.

"Well some dogs are known to wait weeks and weeks," said canine behavior consultant Trish King.

VIDEO: Dog survives Camp Fire, stays behind to guard burned property

Madison the dog couldn't be found when his owner had to evacuate from the Camp Fire in Butte County, but he survived and stayed to guard the lot where the home once stood.

After the fire, his brother Miguel turned up in a shelter miles away, but Madison stayed close to the burned property.

King said that behavior fits the Anatolian shepherd. "This particular breed is about making sure that what is theirs stays theirs and that they are there to protect it."

RELATED: What's your dog trying to tell you? Here's how to find out

But it's more complex.

For both humans and dogs, the loss of a home to a fire is traumatic. While we feel the same emotions, humans tend to analyze them while dogs live in the moment.

TIMELINE: The evacuation of Paradise from beginning to end

"In this case, the dog is going to go to its home, recognize some of the stuff around the home and, because the people were obviously wonderful people who loved him or her, they will stay there and wait," King said.

Madison also had another reason for sticking around. Sheila Solvin, who rescued his brother, went regularly to the burned lot and left food.

That made all the difference.

"By the grace, we made it," said Madison's owner, Andrea Gaylord.

Here is more insight into why Madison stayed to guard his home.

Take a look at more stories and videos related to the Camp Fire.