To dig or not to dig?

[MamabearX3]

I feel bad.............Chance my 12 week old mix puppy, occasionally likes to dig in the yard. I always tell him to leave it. And initiate a game of fetch. My mother in law said I was being cruel, not letting the dog dig, because that what they do. But I really don't want a bunch of holes in my yard and I definitely don't want him digging under the fence and getting out. I don't leave him alone in the back yard for long periods of time but sometimes he is alone, like when I'm cooking or using the rest room.

My question is am I wrong? Should I allow the dog to dig. Sometimes he just digs to dig and sometimes he might have a bone he's trying to bury.

My other question is if I shouldn't let him dig is there anyone that has had success in stopping this behavior? And how did you do it?

Thanks Lisa!

 

[squirtsmom]

Probably if you don't want him to dig, he will just have to be su pervised all the time, and redirect him like you are.

 

[mrose_s]

our yard is covered in little holes at the moment
basically, funner things to do. more toys, some kongs maybe etc.

redirection training and maybe even put in a sand pit. a place he can dig till his heart is content without messing up the yard

 

[Cazian]

too dig or not to dig ?

Buddy started to dig and I thought the same, I didn't mind too much about the yard because its now his yard, the kids are grown and they don't use it now but I also didn't want him digging under the fence etc. So I had a place that was paved and I just took up 4 slabs in the middle and taught him to dig there.
Just mark out a place for him and teach him its OK to dig here.

Buddy Digging Pics HERE

Please make sure you keep an Eye on any holes your dog may dig and fill them back up again when they get too big. A friend of mine had a Jack Russell that dug a hole so big that it collapsed and killed him

 

[Barb04]

I like your doggie digging area. What a great idea.

 

[girlbuffalo1]

Yes dont' let him dig if you don't want him to! Dogs do not have to dig to be happy and I like a lot of the suggestions about more toys ect. I would probably get an exercise pen and put it up on your deck or patio (if you have one)--then there will not be any digging for sure!

 

[Cazian]

Oh I agree, if you don't want them digging then stop it.
But I could see the fun Buddy was getting out of it, I have now taken this one stage further and I now bury some of his toys and have taught him the phrase "Dig Dig" to search for them.
From the Pic's and Video I posted you can see he loves it.

 

[whatszmatter]

You're doing AWSOME. You don't want him to dig, so you give him something else to do that he obviously enjoys more, fetch. If he didn't, he'd continue to dig. Dogs are dogs when they are bored. A bored dog will dig (excluding terriers) a dog that is engaged in other things, most likely will not dig. keep your dog active and superivesed and fill his time with something else and you won't have to deal with holes in the yard. If your MIL says something again, put him in the back yard and then pull out a ball, and say , "see, he likes to play fetch instead of digging, or else he'd be digging right now"

 

[Christin Luvs Dogs]

I have a JRT who cannot survive without digging! So, instead of allowing him to dig little holes all over the yard that I'll break my ankle in, I gave him a sandbox and a specific dirt hole area. When he tries to start a new hole I have trained him to understand "No Dig." Then I redirect him to an appropriate digging spot. My theory is just to modify the behavior so you can both be happy!

 

[MamabearX3]

Those pictures of buddy digging are really cute! I have a sand box for my human children. Chance loves to jump in and tear that up. But the boys get dusted when they are in there. I should get another one just for Chance, then the kids can't throw a fit if they get dusted, because it's Chances sandbox and they have their own.

 

[SummerRiot]

We dont let our dogs dig and Huskies are RENOUNED for digging..

So.. to counter that we put their own poop in their "special digging holes" that we find..

no sane dog will dig in their own poop

 

[Cheza]

Small warning on digging, make sure the area is kind of "sanitary"; Cheza got in big trouble by digging in random spots. She has an infection in her nose due to inhaling foreign matter.

 

[Cazian]

lol Just like a child.

Quick update on Buddy digging.
Well like any kid it looks like when its something they are not allowed to do they want to do it all the time, but now I have given him a place to dig in he only digs when I bury a toy for him to find. All other digging has now stopped.
But I will say this, it is teaching him to dig where I point to and seach.
In the past when I throw a toy for him to fetch, if he didn't see where it went he would come to me looking for it, but now he understands that if I point to a place, he will go look in the place I am pointing to.
So all in all its a result.