Stop that Doggy Digging!
Terriers naturally dig
Pet sitters are often asked how to solve some pet problems. Pet sitters are not behaviorists, but we do learn a few tricks in the trade. So, how many times have you had to reinforce your fence or just look at the moonscape of your backyard? Have you said ‘enough already’?
There are lots of reasons dogs dig. Your dog may be bored, wants to escape, chasing critters (like mice, voles, groundhogs), cooling pits, unearth buried treasure, or they just are made to dig. For example, terriers and dachshunds were born to dig. Clear your yard of these pesky pests they seek and your dog will stop digging.
One item that draws a dog to dig is the earth is freshly turned. Maybe you just installed a sprinkler system, you just put in your garden, or replaced a portion of the fence. In all these situations, your dog probably just loves the loosen soil compared to the hard-packed areas of the yard. The solution may be to choose an out of the way area of the yard to create a digging pit. It doesn’t have to be big, about the size of your dog. Mix soil with some sand and turn it so the soil is loose. Enclose it with rock landscaping or some border. To get them started, throw in some dog biscuits in the soil and have your dog dig them out. Always encourage your dog to dig in its designated area.
Some dogs dig to create cooling pits. During hot summer months most dogs, and especially the heavily coated dogs, will dig pits in shady areas to unearth moisture in the ground. Plastic kid wading pools can serve to eliminate this sort of digging.
So, what about digging under the fence? Aside from the loose soils, your dog may be patroling or protecting your yard. Create openings with chicken wire or simlar fencing or even install a bubble window that allows your dog to see on the other side of the fence. Reinforce the soil around your fence with rock or other landscaping that discourages digging.
Some dogs want to escape because they love to run or a female bitch is in season. For the dogs that need to run, take them regularly to the dog park. I often seen people taking their big dogs daily to eliminate this urge.
As for the female dogs, you can certainly tell if it is your dog. for male dogs, you can only tell by the way your male dog behaves. In both instances, dogs should be kept inside with limited outdoor activity to limit the effect of the urge. If you do not plan to breed your dog, consider having it spayed or neutered.
Well, there you have several ideas on how to stop that doggy from digging up the back yard and making you both happy!
