Why does my dog keep digging holes under the fence to get out of the yard.?

Question

Okay so we adopted a five month old female dog (boxer and heeler mix i think) from an animal shelter in december. The problem is that she keeps digging holes under our fence to get out of the yard. She always has food and water, so its not like she's hungry and we have a large yard as well, so she has plenty of room to run around, she was also spaded and she doesn't go into heat, plus we have two small dogs as well and they don't do it. No matter what we do its seems that she finds somewhere to dig and gets out. Why would she do this and what can we do to stop it.

Answer 1

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Answer 2

Some breeds of dogs dig more than others. I don't know how boxers or heelers rank.

Some dogs just want to get out and play with the neighbors. You know how it is, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

I do know how you can end, or at least greatly limit, the dig outs.

Buy a roll of 2x4 wire about 4 feet high and lay it down on the ground next to your fence. Do that all the way around the peremeter of your fence. Then take landscape timbers and lay them on top of the wire and staple the wire to the timbers. It works best if you have landscape timber all the way around the fence line, but you can probably get away with skipping a section without a timber.

Your dog will probably still dig, but unless she is part armadillo, she probably won't dig under both the fence and the wire on the ground.

Doc

Answer 3

You had everything right except the large yard is all the exercise she needs part ;)

Congradulations!!!! You just adopted a VERY high energy easily bored breed lol. Especially if it IS a heeler mix! (tho boxers are usually no couch potatoes either!)

Ok....imagine this....you are gold medal athletic runner....you got energy to BURN.....the world is your oaster and there's soooo much to do out there! Now imagine you've been put into a walk in closet. Granted, it's a nice big closet...and you have a couple of "cell" mates, and someone comes by and gives you all the food & water you can handle. You would still be far from content....what after all....is REALLY on the other side of that door? All those awsome sights sounds (and for a dog...smells) to check out. Well, since no one bothers to open the door for you....you'll be "polite" and just let yourself out.

Moral of this stupid story? lol. ALL dogs need daily exercise, a minimum of 45 min a day...more for active "gold medal runners" like your pooch. This wards off many bordom woes (and your dog IS digging from bordom, but also because it's a natural "exploration" that dogs enjoy doing....what after all...is under all that dirt!)

Try walking your dog, twice a day preferably for an hr each time....do this for a few weeks at least....and see if still digs. If you really stick to it, you'll be pleasantly surprised! Want to do even better? Let him jog along side you on a bike (he'll settle down in no time flat) Or if you don't have the time to walk him for 2 hrs a day...get a doggie backpack (or tie together two kids backpacks) and gradually weigh it down (according to dogs weight) this will make a 30 min walk seem like an hr walk for a dog. So two 30 min. walks become 2 hr walks.

Answer 4

It's too bad she has already learned how to dig out - you should have started correction the 1st time you observed the behavior. About the only thing you can do now is the same thing you should have been doing from the beginning - put some of the dog's feces in the hole she digs - every time!!! This definitely would have alleviated the problem earlier, but now you just have to hope you can turn her around. Be consistant!!!! Good luck

Answer 5

we adopted a bullmastif from the shelter she loves to play and run she'll do it tell she's about to full over if you let her. So the rest of the time she loves just to snuggle. I think you dog needs to get out and play take her for walks and then she'll want to rest in the sun. My dog goes for what I call a poopy walk at about the same time everyday so she not just out side in the back. This way she knows the nabourhood and all it smells. But put something around the bottom of the fence and get some fun balls and toys to make her attive when out side. remeber all dogs like to play and being in a shelter cage could have made her feel trapped and the yeard is just a bigger cage.

Answer 6

We had an Akita that did this as a pup and young dog. We put concrete under that gates and rail road ties along the fence to keep him from digging out. He still dug holes and went in a circle while he did it. He loved to dig holes.

Your dog needs training and exercise. Also call the shelter and ask if they offer classes or any help like that. They want you to be successful with your dog.

Answer 7

Some dogs are escape artists..hard to say really why they do it. It's possible that is the reason she ended up in the animal shelter.
Anyway..It's important that you stop her from doing this..every time she outwits you she gets better at getting out..and that makes it harder for you. Some people bury chain link under the fence so they can't get under. Make sure the fence it too high for her to jump over also.
If you can't do that, best to buy a chain-link dog run with a roof. Put the run on cement, or better yet sink the posts into the cement..unless she tries to chew through the metal...you should be ok.

Answer 8

its probably boredom. hellers are a very intelligent dog, and are traditionally a working dog. this means that their minds work in different ways that domestic dogs. this may suggest why she is not interested in playing with the other two dogs.
by the sounds of things, she would love puppy preschool(you can get the information from your local vet) and play with her using the commands. dog toys like those roll balls that you put food into will also keep her stimulated.
another good toy is a tennis ball attached to a stretchy cord(make sure its strong enough) through a hole in the top of the ball. if you attach the cord to a washer, the dog wont pull the string through. if you hang this up to a clothes line or the overhead beams on a porch, she will get lots of fun out of it.
and make sure you walk her!!

Answer 9

I have 2 boxer puppies and I have had experience with the digging issue. What I learned early on is that it is best to keep them crated for their safety while they are young while you are away. They are dogs that want to be around people, not necessarily other dogs so most likely they are trying to get out to find you or someone else to be with. Other dogs around them dont usually help to stop it. I would suggest crating her while you are gone. She will learn that she sleeps during the day when you are away and is out when you are home-just until she is full grown. Hope that helps. Aimee

Answer 10

Everyone here has great suggestions! The only thing I can add to help curb the boredom is to give her treats she has to work for. Maybe put out chew toy with a hole you can hide peanut butter in or something. A rawhide with a soft center she has to work for or a toy that stimulates her mind. Also, try to hide treats in various areas of the yard (Under small upside down Terra cotta flower pots maybe) that way she's got a job for a while following her nose and not digging.

---I had a dog that just loved to dig period. He wasn't trying to escape, he just like to lay in the cool earth. We finally gave him his own dirt pile and he'd dig there. In the summer we'd resort to letting the water hose slowly drip in one area of dirt where he could get nice and cool. (Of course we lived in Florida and you know it's hot and humid there!)

Answer 11

She's bored and a puppy. Just like a child she is getting into whatever she can find to entertain herself. In my personal opinion dogs aren't meant to be left outside 24/7...what's the point, but you could always put cement along the inside and outside of the fence or bury chicken wire.