Every dog owner with a garden always has some sort of fight with their dog because of digging. Dogs can destroy a beautiful landscape whenever they start digging. It does not matter to them what crop they destroy, what matters is that they can dig, dig, and dig.
Some dogs will even have a self-satisfied grin that they would not exactly hide when you scold them. Apparently, it’s not something they perceive as a mischievous act, but something that they do normally and enjoy.
Fact is, digging is a natural instinct of dogs. A dog that is about to give birth or a dog that is hot will dig the ground to provide them privacy and comfort. A freshly dug ground can be quite cool and cozy for a distressed or hot dog.
If your dog is feeling too hot, you can give him a bath, or give him a wading pool to cool himself down whenever he wants to. Place his dog house under a shade and as much as possible facing the east. This way, he can be free from the direct rays of the sun around the afternoon.
It may be that your dog is scared of something, and this can happen when you’re near a place where wild life can come in any moment. Your dog may be digging up a hole where he can hide himself so he won’t be seen by the very thing that he’s scared of. Check to see if there are any wild life in your area that can be at risk for your dog.
Sometimes, a timid dog may also be afraid of a cruel owner, and it would dig a hole as a place of solace whenever a beating has happened. Give your dog the comfort and reassurance that he needs so he would not need to bury himself inside that hole.
Is there a pattern that you observe on your dog’s digging habits? Is he digging in just one area in the garden? He’s so fixated in just one area that he was able to dig a hole that hides him up to half of his body. What you can do is fill up that hole and have a designated digging area by giving him a digging box.
Place a favorite toy in that digging box and encourage your dog to dig in it whenever you see him getting ready to do so in his favorite spot. You can fill the box with all sorts of things like food or a squeaky toy.
Show him what to do by going on all fours and digging yourself. Praise him whenever he digs, and share his delight when he finds his treat. If he goes back to his digging place, go and fetch him then bring him back to his digging box. Keep it interesting by placing the treats in layers. Place some at the surface to first train him that something is there.
Stimulate his curiosity further by placing another layer of items in the middle. Give him a sense of accomplishment by placing a final and special toy or treat at the bottom. Maintain that digging box by turning the earth with a shovel at the end of the day and burying a new treat beneath it when the dog is already asleep.
If the hole is made beneath a fence, the hole may also have been made by your dog due to separation anxiety, and they release their anxiety by digging a hole that they feel they can go. They also feel that if they have dug a hole big enough, they will be able to escape and go to where you are.
If you and your family have been spending so much time outside because of certain activities, your dog may feel quite lonesome. The activity outside may have caught the curiosity and interest of your dog that he would want to go outside of the fence in order to partake with the enjoyment.
To solve this entertain your dog by playing with him every now and then. Play fetch, chase him around the garden, do some other activities that will help him vent out all his excess energy. As much as possible have someone to keep him company for a long period of time just to tire him out.
Another way to stop this is to have your fence go as deep as 12 inches beneath the surface. Your dog will get the message that he would be unable to escape and cease his digging.
Regardless of the reason, you can also turn on the sprinkler system whenever he’s digging a hole. Place the sprinkler near his favorite area and turn it on whenever he starts digging. Eventually he will get the idea that he will be sprayed whenever he digs, so he will stop doing so eventually.
Just make sure that you won’t be seen so he will still think that the whole thing is happening even if you’re not around. If your dog still cannot be stopped from digging, put on a good pair of disposable gloves and place his own feces inside the hole that he’s made. Even if you cover the hole, he will still be able to smell his own dump, and be repelled by it.
You must use his very own poop, otherwise, it won’t work. Others go further by lining the entire garden area with chicken wire. After doing so, the area is covered with several inches of soil. Whenever and wherever a dog digs, he will always encounter that very uncomfortable and highly irritating chicken wire so he would stop all efforts to dig.
Others sprinkle on a good amount of cayenne pepper inside the holes previously dug by their dogs and cover them up. When the dog digs in it, his nose will have quite a stinging from the pepper and will not dig again.
Remember that physical punishment is not the answer to correcting undesirable dog behavior. Your dog will only learn not to dig in your presence and will resume doing so when you’re not around. Reprimand your dog verbally whenever he starts digging and praise him when he stops. Pet him and give him treats whenever he digs in his own digging box, and he will retain the good behavior.
It may take time to train your dog to stop digging, so just be patient. Eventually, he will get the idea and leave the garden alone. A dog that cannot be stopped from digging may need some professional assistance. Bring him to the vet if the digging is suspected to come from a deeper problem.
