the breed of dog that you have

As an owner of a digging dog you have probably given up hope of a lovely landscaped yard or even of having flowerbeds. While these things can be a challenge, you can work with your dog to eliminate or minimize the amount of digging that the dog will dog in designated "non-digging" areas of the yard.

The first aspect to consider is the breed of dog that you have. Terriers, high-energy breeds of dogs and bored dogs tend to dig more than other dogs. If you have one of these types of dogs, there are some strategies that you can use to help prevent or eliminate the problem.

Breeds

If you have a digging breed remember that this is a natural activity for them. Eliminating this instinct will be extremely difficult. It may be more practical to simply designate a digging part of the yard, and teach the dog to dig there. This can be done by making the soil softer in this area and by praising the dog when you catch him or her digging in the correct area. If you catch the dog digging outside of the area distract him by saying, "stop" or "not there" and then direct him to the digging area. Praise him when he digs in the designated area.

Seasonal digging

Some dogs learn quickly that by digging in the soil in the hot summer months they can expose cool, moist dirt that will help keep them cool. In this case the dogs will dig beds in the earth for reasons of comfort. Try providing a nice shady spot with soft dirt that they can dig into. Also some breeds enjoy getting in water to cool off, so a nice shallow kids wading pool in a shady area can do the trick as well.

Digging to bury food or bones

Many dogs dig to bury prized bones or food items. Wild dogs use this same behavior. Dogs seem to enjoy allowing the food to rot underground for a period of time before digging it up to eat. This is again a natural and instinctual behavior, and if your dog is one that digs for this reason, simply make sure that they don't have any bones or food items outside to bury. If this seems too harsh, you can again provide a designated burying area. This option is not as effective, as dogs tend to want to secret their bones and food items away, and are less likely to consistently use the same area. If they do bury the item in the correct location, it is important to avoid going to that area, or they will simply dig it up and move it.

Boredom

Digging is a great way to release pent up energy and to prevent boredom. If you think this is the reason that the dog digs try exercising the dog more before you leave them alone. In addition provide toys and chew items in the yard area to give the dog other things to play with and to expend energy on. Balls are terrific as the dog can push and toss them around and will self-exercise throughout the day.

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