Please please PLEASE HELP! Digging!

[BagelDog]

Okay, Bagel and Buster have decided digging is great fun, and that they want to do it all the time. Buster esspecially. There terrier mixes, BTW, since terriers love to dig. Anyways, This morning I went out to find dirt flung everywhere. It was so deep on the patio where the flung it I could plant a plant in it! We spank them and tell them no (yes, I know most people here dont like the hitting, but I do it so dont lecture me on that) but nothing seems to work. I give them bones, and my mom cut tons of big, juicy sticks for them to chew, but they ignore them.

How do I get them to stop digging?!? Its even causing family issues!

 

[Renee750il]

Terriers are going to dig, so you have to give them a place to dig where it's all right and teach them that it's okay to dig in their spot - but not yours.

 

[BagelDog]

We don't have spot for them to dig. We just want them to spot digging period

 

[juliefurry]

you can't curb their natural instict (to dig). You need to give them a spot that they can dig. Get them a baby pool and put sand in it, or dirt, and let them dig at them if you don't want them digging your yard up.

 

[blue]

What Julie said baby pool, sand, teach.

 

[poeluvr]

yea. I wouldnt reccomend disciplining them for that..they wont know why your disciplining them.
im just curious...what type of dogs are buster and bagel? they look the same?

 

[BagelDog]

There in my siggy. There just terrier mixes, medium sized. If I get them a kiddy pool of water though, there such strong diggers they would just dig all the dirt on the ground, which is what I dont want though.

 

[Barb04]

The only thing you can do, but you'll get tired doing this, is whenever they start digging, distract them by playing with them.

 

[bridey_01]

Do you spank them when you catch them digging, or when you find something dug up?
Despite popular opinion, dogs don't associate a later punishment with something they did in the past.
You definetly have to give them their own spot if you want the digging to stop. It doesn't have to be big. To get them to dig this spot you just bury some yummy treats and toys. A girl I knew had four daschunds, and this idea saved her backyard. She used to put carrot and other fruits and vegies in a sandpit, and she would always run out and praise them for digging in their spot by chucking some dried food in the sand.

 

[poeluvr]

There in my siggy. There just terrier mixes, medium sized. If I get them a kiddy pool of water though, there such strong diggers they would just dig all the dirt on the ground, which is what I dont want though.

is taht how big hey are now....bageldog

 

[Rubylove]

I really think that if you spank them later for something they did earlier they're going to be like,`huh??'. I am not an advocate of spanking for any reason - with dogs or humans - but certainly if you catch them at something a scolding in a deep voice and a loud clap of the hands does wonders. But ONLY if you catch them. It would be like someone walking up and slapping you on Friday for something you didn't remember doing the previous Wednesday - dogs just don't get it they don't think like us.

If you got a sandpit - you know, a sturdy one made out of really hard plastic - they would be able to dig in that all they liked, and you could bury treats and whatever in it for them. Time-out is really awesome and if you catch them digging anywhere but in their spot, clap your hands loudly, call out `NO!' and confine them they will soon get the message.

 

[Saje]

I agree. It would be like punishing Maverick for swimming that's what he does! He's a newfieX!

So, if you want to 'solve' the problem you are going to have to give them an alternative.

 

[Fran27]

Well as people said, spanking them when they are doing nothing wrong is going to do nothing, except making them scared of going outside with you. They're not like us, their memory basically stops at what they are doing at the time, so they have no clue why you are hitting them. If you catch them digging, a firm 'no' should be enough...

Also, most dogs dig when they are bored, if my dogs start, I just let them go inside right away. You can try giving them toys outside to keep them busy, although a sand spot they could dig is a good idea.

 

[Renee750il]

Terriers are going to dig - it's just a fact of life. If you don't give them a place to dig, they'll find one, or find something worse to do.

 

[johno49]

We let the our dog dig in an old sandbox. Whenever we catch him digging where he is not supposto we say no and pick him up and put him in his sandbox. He doesn't try and dig everything up anymore and he is happy to dig away in his box

 

[MicFoster]

Terrier's don't HAVE to dig, but they do need an outlet for there energy. How do you exercise them? Remember, time in the back yard doesn't count. How much time are they spending unsupervised in the yard? What else do they have to do? When I take my Manchester outside to play I keep her mind busy the whole time...there really is no point to having a terrier outside alone with out having something for them to do. If you don't create a job they will make one themselves.

My Manchester really likes going on a jog, and when I can't jog I put her on our tread mill. She loves it...she focus's so hard on staying straight and keeping pace that after about 20 minutes she is beat...hence, no digging.

There are loads of ways to empty those drive reservoirs. As long as they get an oppurtunity to full fill there natural insticts in some way they will be fine. You can pick what that way will be.

Good Luck

 

[poeluvr]

is she even going to answerback...she may have got offended since we are telling her, spanking isnt good and she said shedidnt want to hear of it. i think

 

[stirder]

like fran said, almost any dog will dig (or find another destructive habit, or several) when they are bored. you said you went out in the morning and there was dirt and holes everywhere...do they live outside??? if so then well no kidding they dig a lot. dogs are not meant to live outside seperated from their families. and terriers are diggers so it is natuarl for a house terrier to want to dig from time to time. if a terrier lives outside thats all it is going to do. did you research dogs at all before getting them??? not to mention researching terriers?!?!? what do you expect them to do? learn ballet? take up cross stitching? spanking them at any time is extremely wrong and might teach them not to do something, but will also teach them to be afraid of you and every other person they meet. my suggestion is find them a better home and get yourself a goldfish. Im sorry, I know that sounds harsh but getting a dog, locking it in the yard, and then hitting it for digging because its life is ungodly boring is in-humane.

 

[Renee750il]

LOL! Mic, I'd forgotten about Manchesters, who have significantly more self control than Jacks and Foxes and Ratties when it comes to digging. BagelDog's are definitely of the digging Terrier mix . . . and they're going to want to dig for pleasure. Sure, you might be able to "break" them of it, but that's an awful thing to do to a dog. Like Saje said, you might as well keep a Newfie from swimming.

 

[MicFoster]

I didn't say anything about breaking them of it. All I am saying is that if other activities were being done with these dogs digging wouldn't be a problem. I know plenty of owners who have terriers and very few of them have and sand box's in the back yard. Even fewer have holes. Terrier's are active dogs and need to be kept busy. It sounded to me like the original poster wasn't interested in building a sand box, and that's there choice. I just wanted to offer other options.

Implying that a sand box is the only option. and that terrier's must dig is just not true. It isn't about keeping the dog from doing a behavior, it's about giving them something else to do.