What is the best way to get a boxer to stop digging holes in your yard?

Question

I have two boxers. The female is such a great dog. Very friendly with kids. The male is such a pain. He digs holes, turns over the trash cans, tears up anything we leave in the back yard. We got the female boxer so he could have a companion. He wear her out. They have a huge yard to run and play in, but the minute we give our male boxer some free time he starts digging holes.

Answer 1

If your dog keeps digging in the same spot, try putting your dogs poop in the holes. That kept my Labrador from digging to get out under the fence. Fortunately, it also helped her quit digging all together. Good luck.

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 your grass.

Make sure they're getting plenty of exercise and training and play time with a human. Boxers need at least a strenuous half hour of ball playing or running every day. Turning him out in the yard shouldn't be his only workout. Try making an area with a sandbox and encourage him to dig there. Or find another fun thing to distract him. Get a tetherball game and hang the ball at a low enough height that he can grab at 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! This is one of them:

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

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

I disagree with the bored part. I know it is in all the books but, our dog does it too and he will begin digging while we are playing frisbee, etc. If we do go in the house for a minute he will begin to dig instantly. I think it could be lonely but not bored. I have found no way to stop him except to be out there with him every time he is outside. That has been the only successful thing.

Answer 4

Your dog is bored. I suggest getting your Boxer some new toys to play with. Dogs love rawhide bones to chew on (but be careful because they can be chewed down small enough for the dog to swallow and choke on them. Throw them away when they get too small). I also suggest spending some time walking or playing with your dog...anything to keep its interest and use up some energy. Also, maybe he is trying to get something? Is there a furry critter that has made its home in your yard? If he is trying to dig under a fence, is there something on the other side that he is trying to get? I suspect he is just bored so he needs something to keep his attention (i.e. toys).

Answer 5

I was advised to put chicken wire where he digs about two to three inches below the dirt and use wire clothes hangers (cut the ends where it rounds) to anchor it in the ground in various spots. I can't say whether this works because I just bought the chicken wire but I'll be putting it down this weekend. From what I was told, getting their claws stuck in the wire will discourage the digging. Good luck

Answer 6

digging holes is a sign of boredom.maybe he needs some toys or somthing to do.i (to keep my lab from digging) give him 2-3 toys. makesure that they are not all the same type of toys(all squikies ect)make some variation.
example:a squiky, a ball, a bone, a chew toy ect.
hope this helps=)

p.s. plz do not do what angelkake said to do!!

Answer 7

Every time he digs a new hole, dump some Cayenne Pepper in it. The next time he tries to dig in it the pepper will startle him. He'll eventually stop.

Answer 8

shoot it.

It's a character trait of the breed! You should have known that before you got a boxer. You can't change a dog like you can't change a man. Get yourself a yorkshire terrier, that should be more your style, mr. lawn and garden.

Answer 9

play/find out any of Mohammad Ali's interviews on TV/radio :)