My Dog Won’t Stop Digging - What Can I Do?
Stephanie Hetu
Lonely, bored, tired of eating that same old stick, then maybe
you would like to dig yourself a hole.
When it comes to the canine thought process this could be the
reason why Scraps keeps tearing up your finely groomed lawn. This
article will help you find the behavioral reasons why your dog
digs and offers some suggestions on how to stop your companion’s
pesky habit.
First and foremost as an owner don’t go placing blame on your
good friend until you are sure it is their fault. A good way to
find out if your dog has been digging is to check its paws and
nose for soil or pica. This is a good indicator to see if they
have been eating dirt. In this case consult a veterinarian
because there are all kinds of nasty bacteria in dirt that can
affect your dog’s health. Another full proof method to find out
if your animal is the culprit is to hold yourself a stake out and
catch it in the act. Don’t start correcting the problem until you
are sure it is your animal causing the problem. Otherwise you
might cause the dog more anxiety than it has already endured from
watching some other animal dig up its master’s lawn.
Once you have assessed that it is your dog doing the digging then
you need to find out why it is digging. It is instinctual for
dogs to dig for a number of reasons: boredom, loneliness, animals
in the yard, to cool down, or just for fun. First you can judge
by the nature of the whole and where it is located why your dog
is digging. If your dog is digging next to the house or in shaded
areas then it is probably too hot for it. If it continuously digs
up the same spot in the yard then it is most likely a foreign
animal and you should thank it for the early warning—gophers and
moles can be a gardener’s nightmare. If the placement of holes is
sporadic then it is not receiving the stimuli or attention that a
dog needs.
After you’ve come to a conclusion why your dog is digging then
you can try some of these suggestions to help thwart its efforts.
If it is an animal causing the problem then you should call an
exterminator or animal control to handle the matter. Building a
dog house or adding a pet door can give the animal the comfort
level it needs while you are away. The more difficult digging
scenario to mend is the digging out of boredom or digging for fun
case. Do not, I repeat DO NOT, physically punish your dog as this
will teach the animal nothing except disrespect for humans which
can lead to biting and other misbehavior. If your dog is digging
out of boredom try giving it a tasty alternative such as a
rawhide bone. It is a common misconception that dogs bury their
bones. More likely if they are digging for a bone it is because
they can’t remember where they left. So give them the treats
where they can find them easily. If toys and chews don’t work
then try exercising your animal more often throughout the day. It
could be that they aren’t expending enough energy and need some
kind of outlet. If these simple methods do not work then you
might have to get creative. One method is to bury a piece of
chain link fence where the dog has been digging—it will not like
this rubbing against its paws. You can also bury a balloon or
sneak up on it with a paper bag; the popping will work as shock
therapy. Other suggested methods are burying the dog’s feces,
mousetraps, or moth balls to deter the animal.
In my own personal opinion the best way to keep the mischief down
in an animal is to give them more love than they know what to do
with. When you leave them alone they will more curious as to when
you will return than with anything else.
Stephanie Hetu
Find over 200 pages of dog training tips, information and cute
pictures at www.Cutepuppydog.com
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