Preventing Digging
- Thread starter hey_jude
- Start date
The best thing I've seen for digging is to give the dogs a designated spot for digging in. A sandbox or even a little kiddie pool of water is usually enough. Reinforce them for digging there, hide treats and toys for them to find, etc.
Sometimes it also helps to know why they're digging. Obviously if they're digging under the fence (which it doesn't sound like they are) it's probably because they want to get out, so a sandbox will not help. But a lot of dogs dig to get to cooler ground to lay on once it gets hot. Other dogs dig to get to critters (like moles and bugs) underground. A sandbox will probably not help these situations either.
Sometimes it also helps to know why they're digging. Obviously if they're digging under the fence (which it doesn't sound like they are) it's probably because they want to get out, so a sandbox will not help. But a lot of dogs dig to get to cooler ground to lay on once it gets hot. Other dogs dig to get to critters (like moles and bugs) underground. A sandbox will probably not help these situations either.
You can also put some "critters" buried in the sandbox....like little toys, doggie biscuits, things they like and are fun to hunt for. You pretty much have to supervise them and keep showing them the sandbox or they'll keep digging. I wouldn't expect that you can leave them unattended and hope they'll choose the sandbox necessarily. You have to make that the only place they want to dig. A) because you prevent them from digging else where by leading them away or better yet, intercepting before they start digging where you don't want. And B) because it's more fun and rewarding to dig in the sandbox than it is to dig elsewhere. In other words, they can't be reinforced anymore for digging all over the yard....just in the sandbox.
My Lab use to dig a little depression in my Columbine garden and I could tell it was to cool herself off. I just let it go because she only dug in the same place every time. LOL.
My Lab use to dig a little depression in my Columbine garden and I could tell it was to cool herself off. I just let it go because she only dug in the same place every time. LOL.
I found a kennel worked nicely. 
In all seriousness I gave up trying to keep dogs and landscaping of any serious nature in the same area. The lab is just hell on the lawn and plants. About six months after she came to be with us she chewed down a tree in our yard, not a small tree either. It was about 30 feet tall and the bit she beavered down was about 4.5 inches.
Now we just mow the moss once a week in summer, fill holes, and buy a bale of peat moss and grass seed about twice a year to patch spots.
In all seriousness I gave up trying to keep dogs and landscaping of any serious nature in the same area. The lab is just hell on the lawn and plants. About six months after she came to be with us she chewed down a tree in our yard, not a small tree either. It was about 30 feet tall and the bit she beavered down was about 4.5 inches.
Now we just mow the moss once a week in summer, fill holes, and buy a bale of peat moss and grass seed about twice a year to patch spots.
Alot of times dogs dig to get cool earth so the pool is a good idea.
What to do with magnificant dog hole. Fill with a couple inches of sand, cover in a thick gauge black plastic, cover in old river rock so a shallow pool forms that is easy to hose out and voila..the most awesome bird bath ever.
We had a shed that Mary, he sister Sally, and her Mom and Dad escavated under. THere was an entrance, and two exists. SAlly would grab one of my daughter's stuffies, shoot out the back door and race for all she was worth to the shed, zip under and shoot out the other side without hoping no one else saw her. So I would have to send my son who was about 7 out there to go down and get it before his sister had a hizzy. He came out saying "there's rooms in there!"
Mom Tate got stuck once in one of new exits and we had to get shovels to get her out. SHe was butt facing sky and stuck for all she was worth. SHe was embarrassed.
THe only way I know for sure to make sure they don't is to go out with them and stay with them until they learn not to.
What to do with magnificant dog hole. Fill with a couple inches of sand, cover in a thick gauge black plastic, cover in old river rock so a shallow pool forms that is easy to hose out and voila..the most awesome bird bath ever.
We had a shed that Mary, he sister Sally, and her Mom and Dad escavated under. THere was an entrance, and two exists. SAlly would grab one of my daughter's stuffies, shoot out the back door and race for all she was worth to the shed, zip under and shoot out the other side without hoping no one else saw her. So I would have to send my son who was about 7 out there to go down and get it before his sister had a hizzy. He came out saying "there's rooms in there!"
Mom Tate got stuck once in one of new exits and we had to get shovels to get her out. SHe was butt facing sky and stuck for all she was worth. SHe was embarrassed.
THe only way I know for sure to make sure they don't is to go out with them and stay with them until they learn not to.
This is mostly just anecdotal and probably not at all helpful, but I guess I'll continue anyway, lol. Rumor isn't much of a digger. One day she was wandering around the yard, digging small, quick holes, shoving her nose in and huffing and snorting. I couldn't figure out what she was doing, so I just watched. Within about five minutes, she leapt into the air and rocketing both front paws into the ground. She came back up with a mouthful of something - not one, but TWO moles. I haven't let her dig up the yard like that again, but I was pretty impressed.
So if they're digging because you have moles, you might consider getting rid of the moles.
So if they're digging because you have moles, you might consider getting rid of the moles.