How To Stop A Dog From Digging

You come home from a long day at work expecting to spend the evening relaxing in front of the television with a glass of wine. When you get out of the car, you stumble, nearly spraining your ankle all because of the hole Buddy your dog has dug up. Now you might be angry, but punishing your dog is not a good idea.

If you know that your dog has the tendency to dig a hole when he is bored, you might want to leave him with a box of his favourite toys to play with. Dogs tend to get bored easily when no one spends time with them so increase your interaction time with him. You might want to take him for a walk maybe twice a day instead of just one. Not only will it help with your bonding, this would also help to burn out the excess energy that he has which might have been used to dig holes. You might also spend about 15 to 20 minutes daily to play with your dog to ensure him of your attention. This would go a long way in making sure that he feels loved and cared for.

If your dog is an ardent digger or a breed that naturally tends to dig like a terrier or a Labrador, you might want to designate an area for him to dig. Provide an area with soft soil or a child’s sand box where you could bury his favourite toys. If he digs in area he is not supposed to reprimand him with a strict “NO” and lead him back to his designated area. After a few times, the dog will usually figure what is okay and what is not.

One popular method that seems to work is to bury chicken wire under the ground your dog likes to dig. This prevents the dog from digging further and after some time he completely stops digging around that area. Just make sure that there are no sharp edges sticking that might hurt your dog. If your dog is an escape artist you might want to bury large rocks along the fence line as the dogs then will not be able to dig through.

If your dog is digging a hole in an effort to cool down or to warm up, you might want to provide a better alternative for him. On hot days always make sure your dog has a cool place to retreat to. If needs be bring him inside the house. Always make sure that your dog has fresh, clean water at all times. When the weather is cold make sure that he has a comfortable area that would protect him from the cold winds.

If you have tried these methods and have not found a solution you might want to consider keeping your dog in the house with bathroom breaks outside or even get consider getting professional help.