How to Stop Dog Digging In The Garden
Another thing a dog owner would have noticed that the dog probably just loves to dig. There is no end to this messy behavior, and your garden is at the brink of being dug out completely. Before arriving at a decision, you have to make sure if you want to stop dog digging completely or just modify it a bit. This is necessary because the nature of some breeds is to dig, and you can’t rule that out completely.
On the other hand for a terrier or Australian Shepherd you could probably move the digging area to a specified location. You will also need to check behavioral patters to understand why your dog has taken to digging. The dog could be lonely, have excess of pent up energy, probably is bored, trying to escape or your dog just finds it a fun activity. Before beginning the process of modification or elimination of this behavior it is imperative that you understand the reason behind it as this will help you to stop dog digging.
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Continual and Regular Interaction
If your dog is digging because he is bored or lonely, you can start by playing some games and introduce a few more activities for him/her to stop dog digging. Dogs continually need to interact with other dogs and people, they are social beings too! Enroll your dog in some kind of training school or take him/her to a dog park, where the dog can meet his/her kin as well as other dog owners. Spend quality time with your dog, play with him/her, this will keep the two of you healthy as well as happy. In the end, it just might help to stop dog digging.
Entertainment and Exercise
If you notice that your dog digs because he is bored, then you can follow a few steps that would help take care of this and stop dog digging.
Before you leave the dog alone, make sure that you have given him adequate exercise to keep him busy. Fetch is a great game, where you can get your dog to chase the ball, and then leave the dog alone while your dog gets the ball and plays with it.
Here is a comprehensive guide to train your dog fetch: Teach Dog Fetch.
Chewy items or a meaty knucklebone can also engage your dog in some activity. If you find that your dog tries to bury these items, you will need to move on to a different activity. Once these chewy items diminish in size, make sure you get rid of them, or they could choke your dog. Initially the time you spend away should be short and on returning, if you find that your dog has not done any digging, you can reward and praise the dog.
Making Digging Undesirable
If it’s the same area your dog loves to dig in, you can stop dog digging by mixing the soil with some red pepper powder and pebbles. Since dogs love smooth and soft areas to dig in, the dog might just find this undesirable. Moreover the red chilly powder should help as well. You can also stop dog digging by placing a mesh or wire used for smaller animals like chickens under the soil surface. This will make it a bit painful for the dog to dig through. Make sure the mesh is fine to avoid any hazards like cuts or wounds to the dog’s claws or feet. Your dog will also not visit his favorite digging area if you place a small quantity of his own fecal under the soils surface. They generally do not want to go to that area and will stop digging there.
Before you try to stop dog digging, it is imperative to know if it’s within his natural instinct to dig. Tried and tested methods will help you understand the reason why your dog loves digging. A run-off-the-mill solution will only prove to be tedious.