There are 2 opinions when you talk to people about dog digging. One is that dogs will be dogs and dogs that like to dig will dig. The other is that the flower garden and yard are mine and the dog will not dig no matter what his instincts tell him. I lean towards the middle ground. I will let my dog dig to fulfill his inner dogginess, but only where I allow him to. He will not be allowed to run rampant throughout the yard. If your puppy or dog has already developed their taste for digging, we can resolve that in a little time with some crafty ingenuity.
If you are in the planning stage of getting your pet and haven’t actually gotten them yet, consider the breed of dog you are looking at. The breed of dog often plays a significant role in any given dog’s love of rewarding pastimes, digging is one of them. Terriers and Nordic breeds (Malamutes, Huskies, some Spitz family breeds) seem to especially enjoy digging. I have had Norwegian Elkhounds and American Eskimos that didn’t show any signs of wanting to dig, but our Husky tried chewing through the fence. Of course each dog is an individual and there is no guaranteed way to predict if your chosen family additon will be a digger or not.
Why Do Dogs Dig?
Dogs dig for a variety of reasons besides internal instinct. Some of them are:
- Lack of exercise: Digging can burn off some of their energy.
- Boredom: Dogs need a job to do, something rewarding. To a dog digging holes gives them a sense of purpose, it’s interesting, and rewarding.
- Separation Anxiety: A dog digging under the fence or wall is the most direct path to get to you. See our article on separation anxiety causes and solutions.
- Curiosity: Digging is not the reward here, the reward is the glorious unknown that exists beyond the fence line.
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The reasons above have obvious solutions. Lack of exercise, give him more. Longer walks, playtime with a ball or Frisbee. We train our dogs to use the treadmill as we have long and cold winters. Boredom can be fixed with some toys or chews. Curiosity can be cured with a tie out or a crate.
For those dogs that just like digging itself here are a few basic tips for controlling their pastime:
- Restrict access to the yard. If he’s only allowed in the yard when you can supervise him, he won’t be able to dig.
- Give him an area where he is allowed to dig.
- Use a natural deterrent. Dog poop. 99% of dogs will not dig where there is dog poop, even the ones that eat it (coprophagia). For the same reason that their instincts will keep them from soiling their sleeping area.
- Super effective, but time consuming. Put some chicken will under the first inch or two of grass next to the fence. Dogs will give up if they think it is pointless, which will happen quickly when they hit the chicken wire.
If your dog is a true blue digger, and it is part of his personality, trying to suppress it totally is just setting yourself up for failure. It’s not fair to you or your dog. He needs to be able to express that part of his dog behavior somewhat. Your lawn and dog can coexist. The most natural and easiest way is for you to give them an area where they are allowed to dig. You can make it clear to you dog that digging is allowed in his area but forbidden anywhere else in the yard.
But what if you don’t have any place for him to dig? Solution: buy a small sandbox, or make one yourself, and fill it with dirt and sand, throw some leaves on top and voila. Encourage him to dig in the sandbox, praise him when he starts. If he starts anywhere else give him a stern NO and redirect him to the sandbox. To really get him to understand, give him a reward, a treat, when he digs in the sandbox. Bury a few toys or bones in there as a reward.
For more information and solutions to a great variety of dog behavior problems, visit Kingdom of Pets. They have a great collection of books on training, health care and other dog related problems.
