I need major help

[DantesMom929]

I have a beast for a dog, Dante, who is a Boxer/Husky mix. Iv been having these major problems recently with his behavior. He is VERY smart but clever so I really dont know how to discipline him without being mean or hitting him so he trys to get away with things.

But my major problem so far is when it rains outside. We just recently got him one of the dog Igloo houses and he refuses to get in it and stands out in the rain. When we put a blanket in there as well, he drags it out and tears it up in the back yard. So, as he stands in the rain, he digs holes in my yard, LARGE holes, and gets caked with mud. My yard is a disaster and I feel horrible when he just stands in the rain.

How can I get him to go in his house and whats the best way to train him to NOT dig these amazingly huge holes in my yard. I love this dog so much but he is a tricky a clever dog....so please help!!!

[elegy]

buy a crate and bring the poor dog into the house and let him be part of the family. create an environment where he doesn't have the opportunity to get himself into trouble. give him enough exercise and training to wear him out so that he doesn't dig holes to entertain himself.

[DantesMom929]

He has a crate but dosent like it. He dosent even like it in the house. He enjoys being outside, but yes I feel guilty that he is outside but he dosent work in the house. I guess I could try again, outside I go to wash the mud off of him.

[Maxy24]

I agree with elegy, Bring him inside then you don't have to worry about him in the rain. Some dogs do not like dog houses, Max would never go in one of course with time I could train him to but it was not important, he slept on my bed we just wanted the house 'cause it looked cool.

For digging holes some dogs just really like to. You should teach him where it is OK to do it (Sand box you build him). If you build him a place to dig and praise him for digging there then you won't have holes all over your yard. When he starts to dig elsewhere stop him and walk him to his box, then entice him to dig or bury a large treat a little under the sand so he will dig. That way he'll learn this is the one and only place he can dig.

Other digging problems are caused by boredom. Make sure the dog gets PLENTY of exercise and has lots of toys, training sessions also tire a dog out.

[Maxy24]

What problems do you have with him in the house, we are here to help and that is the sort of thing we like to help with.

[Zoom]

I'm going to step into traffic for a second here...some dogs do truely enjoy being outside all the time. My ex's collie was like that. As a pup, he always wanted to be outside, hated being inside and when he was 6 months old or so, just flat out refused to come back inside anymore. The dog was perfectly happy living outdoors and would flip out to even have to come into the garage, which is where he was dragged to when the temperatures got too cold even for the awesome dog house he had. Therein followed days of a very stressed out dog, but that's another story.

That being said, if he doesn't mind the rain, he doesn't mind the rain. Now, if you really really want the dog inside, which is where I do prefer dogs to be, then we'll need some more info.

Otherwise, follow what Maxy said about the sandbox.

[Charliesmommy]

How old is Dante? My Charlie is a digger too, but the fenced area of my yard is his area and he can do with it as he pleases. He has gotten over a lot of the digging in the past few months though.

He also will stand out in the rain all day, rather than come in the house or go into the perfectly wonderful dog house my parents built for him. I figure, if he really wanted out of the rain, he'd come in the house or go in the doghouse but he actually likes it.

Like Zoom said, some dogs prefer outside. Charlie often will refuse to come in and has even on occasion spent the night outside.

[ToscasMom]

Your dog is not being a beast he's being a dog. It does sound like he and you could benefit from some formal obedience training. There are some great trainers on this forum who can give you some super advice.

[Doberluv]

Digging is fun. Dragging blankets out of his igloo house is also a wee of a good time, especially in the absense of something that is even more fun. So, each time he engages in these activities and he finds them fun, that behavior is being reiforced. The more a behavior is reinforced, the stronger and more engrained it becomes.

If you don't like that he does these things, you have to make it impossible for him to be reinforced. Therefore, he can't stay outside unattended. He needs to be given an alternative behavior which beats the heck out of digging and dragging. LOL. Maxy is right....a sandbox under supervision would be a great outlet. But he needs to be reinforced there so that it's better than digging up your yard. Treats and toys underneath for him to find.

Bring him inside and give him some interactive toys. You can hide treats or toys and let him look for them. Help him. You can teach him to find things on cue. Look up the name game online and fun things to do with your dog.

Obedience training will tire his brain. And some good, hard exercise as it was mentioned already will stimulate him. Dogs who don't have enough to do will find their own brand of fun and it's hardly ever something we like. But it's perfectly normal and in fact, just fine from the dog's point of view.

Most dogs need a job. They have an inordinate amount of energy. My Dobe, when he was a pup ran me ragged. LOL. I had a schedule and every day we went on a rather arduous hike and another walk later in the day. Obedience practice several short sessions a day. Lots of romping out in the yard. As soon as his behavior would begin to irritate me, I knew he was in need of some mental and/or physical exercise. I kept him busy for most of the day and then he'd take a few naps. A-h-h-h....my chance for a rest. Once he had plenty of training and got more mature, things settled down. But as a young dog, some dogs are more work than others.

Most people notice (quite naturally) the rotten behavior....the stuff we hate and we tend to focus on that. Instead of thinking that way, try preventing those behaviors you don't want by setting up the environment in such a way that he's less likely to find "trouble." Give him an alternative behavior to engage in, a dog toy, an obedience skill or two, a few minutes of leash practice, fetch. And reinforce that with something the dog absolutely would die for. When you catch him chewing on his own toy or some other behavior you want to see again, you need to make it worth his while to do it again. So, give him a lot of praise and a yummy treat at the same time he's doing the behavior. Dogs do what works best for them....from their view point so make good behavior work for your dog.

"Disciplining" by hitting, yelling, scolding does nothing to teach your dog what to do. It only caues confusion and trepidation and fear of you. Dogs do NOT understand hitting and yelling by their owners. It gives no useful information to a dog.

So, basically, it sounds like he needs more structure, more involvement from you, less time spent outside on his own, whether he likes it or not. LOL. You can make him like other things more. He needs to be directed to other activities and reinforced for them....kind of like a busy child who goes to school, goes to swim team or track after school, comes home and does homework, eats dinner, goes to piano lessons after dinner, comes home, puts the dishes in the dishwasher and has 1 hour to watch TV and then go to bed. LOL.