How do you stop a dog from digging?

[The patriot]

Ok, the puppy likes to dig... ... A LOT!!!

She has to be part ground hog. Either I have to:

1 Stop the digging.

2 Get rid of the dog (really dont want to do this)

or

3 Buy a bobcat, and grade the yard off twice a week. (dont want to do this either)



How do you train a dog to NOT dig. I dont think she could be "bored", she all kinds of toys in the yard.

Actually the yard is a real mess. Every time I put something, anything, on the deck, it turns into a dog toy.

I cant keep it clean for two days in a row, but as long as the digging stops, I can live with it.



HELP!!



Eric

 

[Bob Beauchaine]

I've heard that a armed mouse trap in one of her digging spots will cure the problem. I've never tried it because my "digger" grew out of his problem so I can't say it works. The guy that told me about it says he did it with a pup and it worked. Good luck!

Happy trails

Bob

 

[Ram4Sam]

Try this, It worked for me

We had a digger when he was a pup. I started putting his dog doo in the holes and covering the holes back up. Sounded corny when I heard it but it worked for me. Dog rarely digs anymore.

It could be that the dog just outgrew the digging, who knows, who cares as long as it stops. One thing about this is the raw materials for this are free and plentiful!!



Sam

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

What breed of dog? If it's an instinct thing it may be extremely difficult if not impossible to break him/her of it. I have a Siberian and they instinctually dig (to make a den in the snow to sleep in) - and I don't care what you do you're not gonna stop it. I have heard of the dog doo method in the hole to stop it and that does work with some dogs. With huskies that makes it worse, they dig it out and then roll in it (something about covering their scent - again instinctual).

 

[The patriot]

Mother was German Shepherd, Husky, Wolf, were thinking the father was a Newfoundland. ??

She's pretty big (8 months oldish, and about 70 lbs)and VERY smart. Show her a trick once, and she's got it. But this dam digging thing.....

Seems like when she's frustrated, or scared, shell dig. Hard to say for sure.

For a while, strong wind scared the beJesus out of her. I think she's over that now.



Thanks for the ideas guys. Tomorrow is my day off, so I guess I'll go s%!t shovelin first.

Eric

 

[Hummin Cummins]

I have the same problem with my dalmation. If i could only get him to dig for my post holes for my deck i'd have it made.

 

[Sled Puller]

Duct tape on their paws effectively takes care of the diggger parts.

Or some leather booties



Or bury barb wire a few inches under the surface, this works for pigs.



You can't get rid of instinct, but you can train to keep it down.





I had a bout of wheel wetting, driver side only, with my Husky. I fenced the truck in with electric fence. He would not go near it.



I took the fence down, he got the wheels again. .



I started rubbing his nose in it. I usaully got the worst of the wrestling match, but I got my point across.

He then would wait until NOONE was looking, then get the passenger side. Never the drivers side where he knew I would see.



He KNEW he was not allowed, but did it anyway, sneakily, trying not to get caught! That is not instinct, that was SPITE.



He finally give it up.

Next dog will be female.

 

[KMeek]

Fill one of the holes with water and stick the dogs face in the water for 5-10 seconds. Repeat if the dog continues to dig. About 2-3 times of this and the dog will stop unless it is a particularly dumb dog.

 

[Steve St.Laurent]

Sounds like normal Husky behavior to me Gene! When I tell/ask Nanuk to do something I can see it in his eyes that he's considering whether or not HE wants to do it - it's very obvious he knows exactly what I want! Huskies are very smart.



-Steve

 

[illflem]

Most dogs dig when they are bored, they would rather be cruising around with you. Seems like the smarter the breed the more easily bored. Most all dogs will dig a sleeping pit and as long as there isn't a bunch of them leave it be. Since I live where I work my dog runs free and has a sleeping pit at home, at the shop and at my office. Whenever he feels the need to expand in to a new sleeping pit I've found if I wiz in the new area he will abandon it, guess he feels it's my territory, once is enough. I've heard that burying chicken wire works but it seems like a lot of work especially if you have a lawn. You could always move north where the ground freezes, that will slow him down.



Gene, pet stores sell a spray that stops dogs from peeing on your tires. I think the stuff actually hurts their noses when they sniff it, they learn rapidly not to sniff any tires, usually a precursor to whizzing.

 

[The patriot]

Originally posted by illflem

Gene, pet stores sell a spray that stops dogs from peeing on your tires. I think the stuff actually hurts their noses when they sniff it, they learn rapidly not to sniff any tires, usually a precursor to whizzing.

Gene, have you tried cayanne pepper powder?

Dogs sence of smell is supposed to be a couple hunderd times more sensative than humans.

If your parking area is sprinled with pepper powder, I doubt he'll get to lifting his legg.

Eric

 

[Motorhead]

My wife had this very cantankerous female Doberman that would tear up the screen door on our patio slider. This pi$$ed me off tremendously! I thought and thought how to break her of this. My solution: A Model T spark coil, a worn out 6 volt car battery, and my old Erector set motor and gear box to make a rotary on/off switch. I re-screened the door with metal screen, and hooked it up. I put another piece of screen in front of the door and hooked it up to the other side of the coil. Thomas Edison would have been proud . It took about two times for her to get the message that the door was now "off limits". After that,all I had to do was to turn on the motor only(no battery) and the dog stayed very far away from that nasty screen door!

 

[Sled Puller]

Bill and Eric, no kidding?

If I get another wheel wetter, I'll try that. Like I said, he beat/scratched the snot out of me, I'd rather not go through that again!

Never snapped though, good dog. Hard to believe an 80 pound dog can be that strong. hate to tangle with 200#+.

 

[illflem]

Originally posted by The patriot







Dogs sence of smell is supposed to be a couple hunderd times more sensative than humans.

Eric, some research I've read says that a dogs sense of smell is at least one million up to 3 million times better than humans. Don't ask me how but dogs can even smell under water.

 

[LSMITH]

Fill the holes with water and push their head in it, your point becomes very clear to them. It works, but is pretty involved and can get fun with a big dog, and a dog that is not too bright will have a hard time figuring out that the holes are what is causing the fight. You can also use an electric stimulant (read "shock") collar, you need to watch them and hit them as soon as they start to dig. A few times of this and all but a braindead dog figures out that the digging is triggering unpleasant consequences. A hairy breed like a husky needs their neck shaved to get good contact, otherwise they will just laugh at you.



A very low powered BB gun can also be used, like a red ryder. You risk injuring the dog though, you could blind them if you hit them in the eye, even kill them if it went perfectly into their eye or ear.



The best possible cures are the ones that are immediate and forceful when the dog starts to dig, just forceful enough to get the point across. Any dog worth having will show a real desire to please you, and will be very easy to train. If the dog wants to do its own thing and shows no desire to please you get rid of it, likely you failed in the early weeks and months of the dogs life. You could try to recover a dog that has no desire to please, but in most cases it is not worth the time and effort.



Hope this helps.

 

[The patriot]

Originally posted by illflem



Eric, some research I've read says that a dogs sense of smell is at least one million up to 3 million times better than humans. Don't ask me how but dogs can even smell under water.

I'll bear this in mind next time she digs.

If I get enough eh... notice, I'll eat mexican for dinner, then visit the dog.



Eric

 

[The patriot]

Well, I tried the water and her head in the hole trick. I gotta tell you, I didnt realise how strong this dog is. I could only get her snout in the water hole for about 3 or 4 seconds tops, and I'm 5'11" and 210 lbs!!!

If I gotta do this again, I'll eat my Wheaties first.

It's probibally boredom more than anything else. When we play fetch, she never wants it to end... .

Eric

 

[KMC]

Ground pepper worked good to stop the digging for us. Our Rotty when he was younger used to dig up small planters and other flower beds. So at the suggestion of my father-in-law we just sprinkled pepper around in the flower beds a few times. After rooting around in pepper laced dirt for a few seconds and after a few dog sneezes he learned to leave the flowers alone!



Ken

 

[Chris N5CWM]

OK, I'll bite..

How do you keep a dog from digging?



Take away his shovel?



Hahaaahahhahaa...



ROFLOL



I'm so funny I crack me up!

 

[jandtjil]

Yep Frustrastion from being left alone can show up in many destructive forms.

Ours was shoes, books, magazines, kleenex they would be shredded when we returned home. His way off saying don't leave me alone, stay home and play ... . ALL DAY!



As LSMITH mentioned earlier, rent the shock collar, be timely and moderate in its use, they really work!

Good Luck!



JJ