Stop Dog Digging -
Let Me Show You How to Stop Your Dog Digging and Making a Mess
By Niall Kennedy
If your dog digs, it may be for a very good reason. While most people think it is annoying and troublesome for them to keep track of their dog’s need to dig, the fact is that a dog digs for a reason. For example, many dogs dig to bury or to retrieve bones or even toys. But, on a hot day, a dog can dig because he’s hot. By digging down, he can lie in the hole and stay cooler. Smart! Or, the dog may be doing it because he is trying to kill rodents like mice and other critters that are lurking out of sight. Dog’s like terriers do this instinctively. Still, other dogs do it because they are trying to run from physical confinement or just because of plain boredom.
As a dog owner, you are stuck in a dilemma. You don’t want your pet to dig holes and leave pits throughout your yard. But, on the other hand, you don’t want to punish your animal for doing something that is just natural for him to do. This is especially true when you have a pet that just seems to always be digging. You don’t want them to do it but you don’t want to punish them. This seems like a lost cause but in fact there are many ways that you can overcome this problem.
In order to get to the behavior and to treat it, you need to know why your pet is doing it. To do that, answer some basic questions. When does the dog dig? Is it when he or she is left alone or when you give them a toy or bone? Do they do it in the same spot every time? Is the dog digging near a fence as if trying to get out? Finding out why your dog digs will lead to answers for you in treatment.
The dog that digs when it is left alone is one that is bored. If this is the case for you, there are several things you can do to prevent it. For example, tire the dog out with a walk or some play time before you leave for an extended amount of time. If it is tired, it is likely to sleep through part of the time. Also, make sure to give the dog toys or other items that will engage her mind. Walking into a pet store you will see hundreds of choices. You’ll even find what are called dog puzzles. These can be such thing as hollow balls or cubes that you’ll place a toy or treat inside. When they smell it, they will spend time working on getting it out. This leaves less time for digging.
For those dogs that are instinctively digging, your response can be, believer it or not, to provide an acceptable spot for them to dig in. Some owners create special pits for their dogs to dig in. They can fill in a small area of a soft dirt and then bury treats inside of it. Scatter them, place some deeper than others. The dog gets the treat when it uses its sense of smell to locate it. Don’t let the dog know you are burying them either.
What about that dog that just doesn’t want to stop digging? In some cases, you may have to protect that flower bed instead of trying to stop the animal. Either a physical barrier can be used or one that is remote punishment type. Some owners try techniques such as a splash of water or a distraction of attention whenever the dog attempts to dig. The problem with these types of systems, though, is that they only tend to work when the owner is present and able to do the distracting. Unfortunately, most compulsive diggers go right back to digging when the owner is no where in sight.
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