My dog will NOT stop digging!!! what can i do?

Question

First off, my dog is a husky/akita mix. I know they tend to dig. A little does not bother me, but this is getting ridiculous! I used to keep her tied up because she would escape the yard. She dug constantly. I talked to a dog trainer and they said if she is off the chain then she will quit digging. The fence was replaced and now she is untied. She quit digging for a couple weeks, but now is back at it again. I have tried to just about everything. I heard putting chicken wire under the dirt. She is sporatic on where she digs so that really wont work unless i do the whole yard. I have put her poo in a hole she has dug and that hole she never touched again. Problem there is i havent seen her poo in weeks. have two dogs, hard to know whose is whose. Lately she has been digging under the house. This hole keeps getting bigger and bigger. I am at a loss...is there anything else to try or any advice out there? I am about ready to put duck tape on her feet.

Answer 1

maybe cause he is digging for a cold place to lie in the cold dirt or hiding a bone --There are many reasons why dogs dig. For some, it is characteristic of their breed. They are going after prey, real or imagined. Dogs that are confined to a yard have a great need to dig. During the winter, they dig to build a den or warming chamber. During the summer, they dig to create a cooling pit. Some dogs dig to escape. They want to escape because they are domesticated and, therefore, have a great need to be with people. Dogs also need to be with their own kind from time to time and, if confined, will dig to join their canine companions. Most dogs dig to bury bones and, later, to recover them. Whatever the reason, your solution to this problem will be to eliminate your dog's motivation for digging or to redirect the digging from an inappropriate to an appropriate place.

Praise your dog when he is not digging! Punishment for digging will create more stress and result in an increased rate of digging as a means of alleviating tension. Corrections, such as tying your dog to a stake in the hole, or filling the hole with water and pushing his head in it, are abusive. These often-mentioned tactics serve to break the bond between you and your dog.

A dog left alone all day in the yard will be bored. Give him plenty of exercise before leaving and, if possible, ask a neighbor to take him for a walk during the day. Better yet, give him access to the house through a pet door.

To redirect a dog's digging to a more appropriate place, you must be prepared to spend some time on training. First, create a "sandbox" or an area where it is okay for your dog to dig. Next, soften the soil and bury a food treat in your dog's presence. Say, "Dig!" and praise him for finding the food treat. Do this several times until he gets the idea. Then, take him in the house. Go outside and bury a food treat. Release him from the house with the command, "Dig!" followed by praise for finding the treat. Repeat this until the behavior is learned. After this, if he digs someplace other than his "sandbox," go out into the yard and firmly say, "NO DIG!" and immediately take him over to the "sandbox" and say, "Dig," followed by praise if he does so. You may have to continue this training schedule for several days and reinforce his digging in the "sandbox" by burying a food treat a few times each day. Do not give up! Your dog is intelligent and will figure this out.

Answer 2

Labs Dig; Retrievers Dig; Start an herb Garden and play with the deficient domestic dog; Chase balls; throw sticks; run difficulty guides. Wear the child out so she do not have the vigor left for the digging then deliver her a leather-based shoe or pig's ears to sleep with.

Answer 3

They make these plastic spike things that you bury just under the soil... although your big boy might think it's fun to dig those up and toss them around your yard.

You could try sprinkling black pepper and chili powder all over the yard. Won't hurt the plants, either.

Oh, and you will never see an akita (or a shiba inu) poop. I don't know what it is, but they like their privacy. I've got a shiba inu and he won't even pee unless I turn my back. He'll just stand there with his leg lifted and stare at me with this LOOK that says, "Hey lady, I don't watch you pee, do I?"

Answer 4

my dog was a digger, a fence climber and everything else. I started taking her for walks twice a day and I can't believe it myself, but she doesn't do those things anymore. We only walk once a day or every other day now, but still a great dog. I was beside myself before I tried and I'll tell ya I didn't know if it would work but something so simple turned out to be wonderful!
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Answer 5

Buy some children's balloons. Blow them up & bury them in the holes your dog has opened. Just inflate the balloons & bury them under a thin layer of dirt. When you dog starts to dig in the hole, the balloon will pop & scare her just enough to stop this little habit. It worked on my huskies.

Answer 6

Sounds like your dog is really bored. Try sandbox thing suggested earlier, however, I think a walk twice a day or at least an hour or two of play would help a ton.

Answer 7

I'd try a shock collar, it has worked for many dogs we've had. Some dogs will outgrow it but some big dogs kept outside will not stop, when it's hot out they will alwys dig to get into cooler dirt.

Answer 8

Buy bagged manure from a garden center and start putting it in the holes.......