How can I keep my dog from digging up the yard?????

Question

He get excercise and lots of attention.

Answer 1

Digging is a normal behavior for most dogs, but may occur for widely varying reasons. Your dog may be:

seeking entertainment
seeking comfort or protection
seeking escape
seeking prey
seeking attention


Dogs don't dig, however, out of spite, revenge or a desire to destroy your yard. Finding ways to make the area where the dog digs unappealing may be effective, however, it's likely that he'll just begin digging in other locations or display other unacceptable behavior, such as chewing or barking. A more effective approach is to address the cause of the digging, rather than creating location aversions.

Seeking Entertainment
Dogs may dig as a form of self-play when they learn that roots and soil "play back." Your dog may be digging for entertainment if:

He's left alone in the yard for long periods of time without opportunities for interaction with you
His environment is relatively barren, without playmates or toys
He's a puppy or adolescent (under three years old) and doesn't have other outlets for his energy
He's the type of dog (like a terrier) that is bred to dig as part of his "job"
He's a particularly active type of dog (like the herding or sporting breeds) who needs an active job to be happy
He's recently seen you "playing" in the dirt (gardening or working in the yard)
Recommendations:
We recommend expanding your dog's world and increasing his "people time" the following ways:

Walk your dog regularly. It's good exercise, mentally and physically, for both of you!
Teach your dog to fetch a ball or Frisbee and practice with him as often as possible.
Teach your dog a few commands and/or tricks. Practice these commands/tricks every day for five to ten minutes.
Take an obedience class with your dog and practice daily what you've learned.
Keep interesting toys in the yard to keep your dog busy even when you're not around (Kong-type toys filled with treats or busy-box toys). Rotating the toys makes them seem new and interesting.
For dedicated diggers, provide an "acceptable digging area." Choose an area of the yard where it's okay for your dog to dig and cover the area with loose soil or sand. If you catch your dog digging in an unacceptable area, interrupt the behavior with a loud noise, say, "no dig" and take the dog to his designated digging area. When he digs in the approved spot, reward him with praise. Make the unacceptable digging spots unattractive (at least temporarily) by setting sharp rocks or chicken wire into the dirt.
Seeking Prey
Dogs may try to pursue burrowing animals or insects that live in your yard. Your dog may be pursuing prey if:

The digging is in a very specific area, usually not at the boundaries of the yard
The digging is at the roots of trees or shrubs
The digging is in a "path" layout
Recommendations:
We recommend that you search for possible signs of pests and then rid your yard of them. Avoid methods that could be toxic or dangerous to your pets.
Seeking Comfort or Protection
In hot weather, dogs may dig holes in order to lie in the cool dirt. They may also dig to provide themselves with shelter from cold, wind or rain, or to try to find water. Your dog may be digging for protection or comfort if:

The holes are near foundations of buildings, large shade trees or a water source
Your dog doesn't have a shelter or his shelter is exposed to the hot sun or cold winds
You find evidence that your dog is lying in the holes he digs
Recommendations:
We recommend that you provide your dog with other sources for the comfort or protection he seeks.

Provide an insulated doghouse. Make sure it affords protection from wind and sun.
Your dog may still prefer a hole in the ground, in which case you can try the "approved digging area" recommendation described above. Make sure the allowed digging area is in a protected spot.
Provide plenty of fresh water in a bowl that can't be tipped over.
Seeking Attention
Any behavior can become attention-getting behavior if dogs learn that they receive attention for engaging in it (even punishment is a form of attention). Your dog may be digging to get attention if:

He digs in your presence
His other opportunities for interaction with you are limited
Recommendations:
We recommend that you ignore the behavior.

Don't give your dog attention for digging (remember, even punishment is attention).
Make sure your dog has sufficient time with you on a daily basis, so he doesn't have to resort to misbehaving to get your attention.
Seeking Escape
Dogs may escape to get to something, to get somewhere or to get away from something. For more detailed information, please see our handout: "The Canine Escape Artist." Your dog may be digging to escape if:

He digs along the fence line
He digs under the fence
Recommendations:
We recommend the following in order to keep your dog in the yard while you work on the behavior modifications recommended in our handout: "The Canine Escape Artist."

Bury chicken wire at the base of the fence (sharp edges rolled under)
Place large rocks, partially buried, along the bottom of the fence line
Bury the bottom of the fence one to two feet under the ground
Lay chain link fencing on the ground (anchored to the bottom of the fence) to make it uncomfortable for your dog to walk near the fence
Regardless of the reason for digging, we don't recommend:
Punishment after the fact. Not only does this not address the cause of the behavior, any digging that's motivated by fear or anxiety, will be made worse. Punishment may also cause anxiety in dogs that aren't currently fearful.
Staking a dog out near a hole he's dug or filling the hole with water. These techniques don't address the cause of the behavior, or the act of digging.

Answer 2

1

Answer 3

Some dogs simply enjoy digging, and one solution that could make both of you happy is to provide the dog with a place to dig. dig up one area of the yard , put some 4 X4 around it to define the are and then add sand to create a dog sandbox, if the dog starts digging somewhere else gently scold and take to the sand box you might have to do a little digging yourself a talk in an excited tone to get him started digging and then praise him when he uses that spot for digging, with consistency in training , in time he will learn the rest of the yard is off limits for digging

Answer 4

Al Unser's response to your question is a good method. If the pepper doesn't work here are two methods I used. One is to startle your dog when you catch him in the act. Let him out in the yard and hid nearby and wait for him to start digging. Have a shaker can (empty soda can with several pennies or pebbles in it) and shake it as soon as the dog starts digging then say "no digging" or some other command that works. If your not hiding but nearby the dog when it happens shake the can when it is behind your back. The idea is to not let the dog know the noise is coming from you.

This is another method I used along with startling my dog with the shaker can. After my dog dug holes I put her own feces in each hole and sprinkled a little dirt over it. When she went back to the same hole to dig she got her paws full of her own feces. Those two methods really worked. My yard looked like a mine field until I tried these two methods. She stopped digging immediately after I used these two method. Good luck, I hope this works for you.

Answer 5

Some dogs just like to dig! My Siberian is a hole digging maniac. Don't leave the dog outside unsupervised for long periods of time. If that's not a possibility, try chicken wire. If you want to invest a little money, a shock collar might work. If all else fails...watch your step! =)

Answer 6

The above answerer uses a common deterent. Most dogs dig a lot because they are bored. If the pet is left for long times without physical contact with you, perhaps get chew toys for him/her.

Answer 7

My trick:
Everytime my dog digs a hole, she usually goes right back to it, so for every hole there is, I sprinkle cayenne all over the holes. That put a stop to her digging in 2 weeks.

Answer 8

Can I say something? We schooled my 6yo boston terrier blue boy to stop being scared when Im at work in just 2 days. It can be done, dont listen to all the naysayers. All we had to use was the Dog discipline magic system -if interested check google.

Answer 9

The electric fence should work like a charm, just make sure you are always watching him until then, and bring him in with you when you need to go inside.