Digging

My Dog is Digging

Help with Digging

Question Comment 1: Anyone have any sure fire ways to stop a dog from digging? Sampson (who is perfect in every other way) never started digging until he was about 9 months old (I think he was bored during down time from water training, now at 13 months he can dig a hole halfway to China in 2 minutes! I swear I turn my back for a second and he's digging! I watch him like a hawk when he's outside, usually we are outside with him. But go to the bathroom or to grab a drink or a rake or whatever and boom - he's digging! We correct him as soon as we see something going on, in fact the second we see it and call out to him he lays down on the spot (like oops - I'm in trouble!) We take him to the spot and give him a FIRM correction every time we catch him! He/they gets lots of exercise and they are played with multiple times a day. We can go days and days with no problem - then boom the minute you think he's learned it's BAD to dig, he does it again! I know he's been prompted by his sister dog (who also gets in BIG TROUBLE.) The other dogs get as far away from the "diggers" as possible, they don't want Mom coming out after them!

Now Sampson is teaching our latest puppy addition to our family (13 week old Jack) how to dig. So I correct Jack too. /weI have gone out and corrected it as soon as we see it happening, we bang on the widows as soon as I can tell he's "thinking about it". We repair every hole as soon as we possibly can (usually the same day.) I have x-pens and tomato cages around the newly seeded areas only to find one he starts elsewhere - in the middle of my once beautiful grass!

This morning I ran out into our back yard in my pj's throwing my shoes at him (haven't tried this before! I'm looking for suggestions that have worked for others, because throwing my shoes in my pajama's could be far to entertaining for the neighbors! I know my daughter and husband do everything they can from laughing at the sight! They too correct this action - but I'm sure if I was watching me, I would probably wet my pants from laughing so hard....... but it's not funny.

Dig a hole

Comment 2: roto-till a garden. Heck... my first girl would dig next to me when we were pulling weeds. One day while pulling weeds she started to run around the pool like a crazed being with her tail wagging a mile a minute. SHE HAD A DEAD FIELD MOUSE IN HER MOUTH and dropped it in my hand after I told her to DROP IT!

General Blue digs in the sand with all fours. Looks for the water to stay in the hole. Looks over at the little girl next to him with her hole. The water is always there... But where is my water? He looks at the little girl and there is water in it and he looks at his with all the water evaporated. Only if he would ever have figured it out! THE GIRLS MOM KEEPT putting the water in the hole in the sand. THE LOOK ON GBJ...PRICELESS....

All Dogs Dig

Comment 3: Who ever told you Big Dogs don't dig? Saint Bernard’s dig and dogs digging is a natural behavior. Many breeders I know even designate a digging area just for their Saints. I have dirt delivered every year here and I leave a pile in the center of my acreage just for the purposes of Big Dogs digging. I don't think reprimanding them will accomplish anything. That is like trying to teach them not to love water. I don't know that it can be done. You can build dog runs and put chicken wire in the bottom of the runs and cover them with gravel but that is the only solution I know of.

I would simply designate a digging zone in your yard and teach them to dig there. Quite frankly, if you highly value your yard and landscaping the Saint is a poor choice. The book The Newfoundland Today discusses the fact that the Newf works tirelessly to undermine your landscaping and horticultural efforts. I have had them pull up or pull down trees and dig up and eat over $2,000 worth of sod. I have photos of three of my gang all with clumps of sod on their heads.

You can fill the holes with feces and they will leave that hole alone. You can even line the fence with it to stop fence line digging but always the dogs will find a new place to dig.Denning and digging are all normal dog/wolf behaviors. My dear friend who grew up on the island of Newfoundland said that as a child she frequently saw dogs actually dig a den in the backyard and have their puppies. If you had girls you would see this behavior again and again prior to whelping and even during false pregnancies.

It is tough to fight Mother Nature.

Stopping a dog from digging

Comment 4: Stopping a dog from digging totally is like stopping a bird from singing. It's a natural, normal, healthy behaviour. So, redirect it. Put in an area where he is allowed to dig, bury lots of treasures in it, and everytime you catch him digging inappropriately, send him to his digging pit. Make sure the digging pit is in a shady area. Mine have a favorite place to dig...it's under a big shady tree, and I gave up fighting with them about it over 20 years ago when I decided that it was unfair to not allow them to express normal doggy behaviours at all. Digging is not wrong, only digging in the middle of the lawn is wrong...go to the acceptable place. Both the dogs and I are MUCH happier that way.

Let them Dig

Comment 5: Apart from removing there feet just won’t happen………
However you can try digging in a sandpit say a 12x 12 x 3 deep and if you are lucky your soil is hard and this will give them a easier option for digging
But owning a dog or two does not mean there digging is all bad news I find letting mine in the veggie garden saves me from having to turn over the soil, allows nice soft top dress to be thrown over the lawn for easy raking and I wont mention their extremely handy for tree removal at times