how can i train my three pit-bulls to not dig holes in the yard?

Question

everytime my dogs dig holes in the yard the hole in the yard will be so big that when we have compuny over we have to tell the to watch were they step at cause if that don't they will fall and twist their leg.

Answer 1

Seriously, give them something better to do.

One big reason dogs dig is because they are bored and digging is a self-rewarding behaviour (a fancy way of saying it's fun!).

I know you probably think well, heck, I give them a big yard to run in and there's 3 of them, why don't they just play with each other!? Pit bulls are very intelligent dogs who get bored easily, so free reign in a yard doesn't really cut it. Give them something to do, either in the yard or at other times. They need to feel needed, they need a job; they love to please their human! Look into getting involved in some dog sport, like pulling.

On a side note, please be aware of pit bull's tendency to dog aggression and also the possibility of escape from your yard. If you are leaving them unattended, they could get into trouble by fighting with each other or getting out of the yard. Even if you think they are the best of friends and would never fight, you need to realize the possibility of this happening. Join a pit bull group anywhere on the internet and ask experienced owners what can and does happen.

Answer 2

Most dogs are natural diggers - some breeds more than others. Punishing them for digging is useless and cruel. Without guidance, a bored and lonely dog is going to find something to do - usually something you don't like. They love the smell of freshly turned earth - they don't understand that you treasure those flowers and your grassy lawn!

Make sure they're getting plenty of exercise and training and play time with a human. Try making an area with a sandbox and encourage them to dig there. Or find another fun thing to distract them. Get a tetherball game and hang the ball at a low enough height that they can grab it. (NOTE: this can sometimes lead to a lot of barking and really piss off your neighbors!) For my terriers, I installed an overhead wire across my yard, attached a pulley and ran a second wire down toward the ground with a fuzzy dog toy at the end of it. They love zipping it back and forth and playing tug-of-war with it. You can also teach them to play flyball - a competitive dog sport where the dog is trained to launch his own ball from a box with a spring inside.

http://www.abtc.org/flyball.htm...

There are many devices they sell at the garden centers for discouraging deer and wild animals - it has a motion detector that turns on your sprinkler and chases them away. Of course, that won't work if your dogs love the sprinkler or if they dig everywhere! This is one of them:

http://www.critterridders.com/scarecrow....

And someone else suggested this to another person with the same problem - get doggie boots! I thought it was BRILLIANT! As long as they don't chew them off...

Answer 3

YOu must correct the dog when you catch them in the act of digging. A correction consists of a firm NO DIG. Never hit the dogs. you can make a play area for the dogs as you would kids to dig in. A place where the dogs are alowed to dig filled with sand such as a sand box. Encourage the dogs to dig there

Answer 4

I'm sure there are ways to curve this, but I think that pit bulls for some reason go through phases. Mine has went threw several, where he chewed shoes, then started peeing on the floor again, ect. They all went away. I'm just providing this because even if you do get some good answers on how to curve it, they may not work and you can probably depend on it to just go away after a while.

Answer 5

mine digs 2 i just fill them back in but my friends dog the same breed pit bull digs 2..u gotta see the whole they have from their dog its like a trench

Answer 6

I saw this problem solved on "Barking Mad"

fill in the not okay holes and then

give them a big pile of dirt in an area that they can do this without any problems and anytime they try to go do it anywhere else, tell them no, and take them back to the okay area.

Answer 7

more excersice, more mental stuff to do so they are not bored. or put them in a dog run with cement bottom, but really digging is either breed related (and since yours a pits they are not supposed to be diggers) or boredom related

Answer 8

put them on the leash and then keep an eye on them until they know they are not to dig

Answer 9

through classical conditioning. i'm not really an expert on this but u can ask any psychologist i sure they r able to help