Digging to China Apr 21, 2010
I have a half an acre backyard that looks like woodland fairies should be playing in the fountain. A wonderful playground for Toby, he spends a ton of time out behind my house. I love watching him race from one side to the other, with sheer abandonment, as he chases a squirrel or arrant blossom from one of the millions of trees. But lately, he has been abusing his backyard privileges... he's digging, and not a little bit, a lot! The trench that he has started looks like he's preparing for World War III or to cook a pig Hawaiian Style. And my main question is "How do I stop him?"
There are numerous reasons why a dog will dig:
• Bored
• Feels physically good
• To find moisture or a cooler area
• Inherent behavior for hiding food
I'm sure he has his reasons, but my poor lawn didn't deserve the black eye it now has. And, as always, Toby is a special case. I run and play with him daily so it isn't being bored. It isn't hot outside right now so there is no need to find cooler ground. He never buries anything in the hole... and he just started doing it so how can it be inherent behavior. So, while I try to figure out how to stop my dog from digging to China, here are a few ideas for other dogs to make them stop:
- Enroll you and your dog in a basic training class - it could be an issue of the dog not seeing you as the Alpha
- Play with your dog more
- Exercise your dog more
- Create a sandbox for your dog to dig
- Create discouragement - A few for you here - Place a sprinkler near the hole, when Fido starts to dig turn it on. Bury a small balloon in the hole and when he goes to dig he will be unpleasantly surprised by the loud noise. Bury chicken wire just under the hole, when he goes to dig the sensation will be unpleasant.
- Remove temptation - keep your yard clean and free of anything that your dog would want to bury.
So for those of you with dogs with Mole-like tendencies, I feel your pain. I'm hoping that this is just a phase and that he will grow out of it... if not, I guess I'll just let him keep going until I can put in a swimming pool.
