Pet owners can often be dismayed to see their once pristine garden beds filled with dirt and holes from digging dogs, but taking time to understand why your pup does it may help reduce destructive digging behavior and redirect him/her towards more appropriate activities.
Diggers can often engage in excavating as an outlet for entertainment or hiding food or treasures buried there, seeking shelter from heat or cold and expending energy. While some forms of digging may lead to substantial yard damage – for instance invading flower beds – many can easily be managed by eliminating temptations, providing alternate outlets for physical exercise and offering training strategies so your pup learns that this form of behavior is unacceptable.
Dogs Without Mental or Physical Stimulation
Without enough mental or physical stimulation, dogs may resort to other means of relieving boredom such as digging as an outlet for excess energy or an escape route should they feel restless or anxious.
To combat this issue, it is vital that your dog has plenty of toys, chews, puzzles and obedience training to keep him occupied and reduce the desire to dig. Physical barriers such as fences and chicken wire may help as a deterrent against this activity in specific areas.
Dog training collars for excessive digging may be an effective tool in curbing this behavior. With these remote trainers, audible sound, vibration or static correction can be initiated from a handheld transmitter (about the size of a cell phone) when your pup starts digging, providing enough distraction and teaching them that digging in their yard is not acceptable behavior.