Three methods to help prevent your dog from digging

A dog has an instinctive behavior towards digging but it can become obsessive and very destructive if left unchecked. A dog that digs can totally destroy a garden and therefore create anger and expense to its owner.

If>Method 1. Make Sure Your Dog Is Comfortable

One of the most common reasons for a dog to dig is to control its own temperature. If you live in a hot climate you will often see your dog dig itself a cooler hole to rest up in.

If you can relate to this as a behavior within your dog then it is an easy one to solve. Provide a cool, shaded location in your yard for the dog to relax in, you may find that your dog stops digging immediately.

You may also wish to utilise a large container of water or child’s pool to allow your dog to cool down in. By providing cooler alternative surroundings the urge to remove chunks of your yard can easily be eliminated.

The opposite of this is true in the winter. A dog will dig to create a warmer space in cooler temperatures. By digging down into the ground the dog can find a place which is removed from the harsh winds. All you need to do here is to provide a warm space for it. Obtain a nicely insulated dog house, you may find that the dog uses this instead of “digging itself in”.

Method 2. Give Your Dog Plenty Of Exercise

Boredom is a large factor in why a dog digs. If your dog has excess energy to burn then it will probably turn to the yard to dig to release some of this pent up energy.

Yet again this is simple to eliminate. Make sure your dog gets walked regularly, you give it plenty of opportunities to play and it has other means of exercising whilst you are away. This will ensure that your dog is much more rested and relaxed and therefore a lot less likely to dig.

Exercising>Method 3. Do Not Let Your Dog Become Bored

A bored dog will likely dig for stimulation purposes. As an instinctive behavior your dog may turn to digging holes as a way of occupying its time. The bored dog is much more likely to engage in this act than a dog which is much more focused on you and other activities it has at its disposal.

As previously mentioned, make sure that your dog has plenty to occupy its mind. Make sure you spend time with it stimulating the mind through games and training. A rigorous exercise regime whereby you take your dog out to new places will also ensure that it has lots of new experiences and therefore prevent it from becoming a victim of a normal, routine, boring way of life.

A dog which is left to its own devices all day in the yard with nothing else to do will more than likely end up digging as an answer to its boredom. Certaining there are other reasons why a dog digs and some problem dogs will dig through other behavioral issues rather than those mentioned above.

In these cases the dog will not cease digging just be employing the above methods. Professional advice should be sought in these instances to isolate and therefore rid the specific behavior responsible.