Diggin’ Dog?
Is your dog digging holes in your yard? With any problematic behavior, we must always first consider the “why”. Why is your dog digging? Might he be bored? Or is it just fun?
Let’s start with the possibility that maybe your dog is plain ole bored. If so, more exercise is always a great idea, but let’s also give your dog more to think about:
Feed his meals in a food puzzle toy instead of a bowl. It takes 3 minutes to gobble up food from a bowl but can take 30 mins or more to get the kibble out of a puzzle toy. The energy it takes for your to dog to figure out how to get the food from the toy can be physically exhausting!
Dog daycare a couple days a week can be a perfect outlet for a bored dog.
Take a training class with your dog! Training is great mental enrichment and provides a dog with a job, a challenge, thereby stimulating his mind which tires his body-- a plus plus!
When you go for walks, be sure your dog is getting plenty of nose time. Sniff time can be just as important as physical exercise. Take your dog on new paths and stop and allow them to sniff rather than just being on a mission to get the distance in.
Ok, so maybe you are already doing the activities above or you feel that your dog isn’t likely bored, here are a few other options:
Make him his own digging pit. Take a kiddie pool, fill with sand or dirt. Hide toys in the dirt and give your dog a “legal” place to enjoy the activity of digging.
This one may sound gross but it can work-- poop scoop your yard and, instead of putting the poop into the trash, put it into the hole your dog has dug. Then, cover the top of the hole with dirt. This can be particularly effective for dogs who like to dig in the same spot. Once they dig again, and they hit the you-know-what, that is often a deterrent all on its own as they will likely say “ick!” and decide that was not so fun anymore!
The hot sun could be the culprit. Be sure he has a cool place to lay during the day so he doesn’t have to create his own.
None of these ideas doin’ the job? The longer a behavior has been practiced, the longer it may take to modify it. Or, there could be another reason for the behavior, such as anxiety or influences on the other side of the fence. When we better understand the “why”, we can then address the cause, not just the symptom. Call us - we can help!