The Remedy for Digger, the Digging Dog
Narrated from: Dog TrainingThe number one reason dogs dig is because they are bored. They can dig out from under the fence to escape to a place that seems much more fun than their own yard. Or they can dig a million little pits in your beautifully landscaped lawn. Either way, the outcome is never good unless he unearths some million dollar ancient artifact. That’s not very likely though! This behavior has a ton of fixes, but this particular one is tried and true, and it’s probably one you’ve never heard of or tried.
First of all don’t get mad at him; he had no idea that that was a prize winning garden. The fix isn’t terribly expensive and once it’s done, he won’t dig in the garden again. Now go and locate all of the places he’s been digging and mark them with brightly colored paper so you don’t lose them. If the hole is really deep, fill the hole halfway with rocks, then some dirt. Add a layer of rat wire over the spot and finish covering the hole with dirt. He probably left it right there for you to put back. The purpose for the rat wire is that it pulls on the dog’s nails and their nails are very sensitive; they are strongly discouraged from digging there again. Repeat this process until all the holes are filled. Add grass seed or transfer patches of grass from another non-conspicuous part of the yard.
The next thing you do is very important, so don’t skip this step. Do this as soon as you have repaired the yard from his digging, or he’ll tear it up again before the fix is even in place! Install a small plastic wading pool and fill it with sand. Put a few bones, new toys or treats under the sand. He will want to investigate what you are doing if he’s outside while you work. Encourage him to dig around and find what you’ve hidden there for him. You see, stopping him from digging when you aren’t home simply will not work; you aren’t there to deter the problem. By providing him with a place he is allowed to dig, and where he finds hidden “treasures”, he’s not likely to dig elsewhere.
Since we know that the digging dog is doing his digging because he is bored, try and think of other things that will allow him to have fun and explore in his own yard, such as a small wading pool filled with fresh clean water on warm days, or put several different types of balls all over the yard. Even something as simple as a sock with a couple of treats added, but tied at the top will give him something very interesting to do while you’re away. If you have a medium to large sized dog and a good tree, hang a tire swing for him to play with. Use your imagination and create a playground for your bored dog and you can keep him stimulated and interested right in his own backyard!
to top of the page Previous Next