So what’s the score with my
dogs digging? I hear you asking… Why are they doing it and how do I stop them
destroying my beautiful back garden?
Well here’s the way your dog
see’s it and its very different from how you think! In fact it will answer a
lot of your questions.
Firstly though here’s what
your dogs digging is not. Your dogs digging is not their attempt to annoy you,
wind you up or simply ruin your new flower garden out of spite. Dogs simply are
not like that…(you’re thinking like a human)
Natural behavior
Dogs are fun loving animals
however and so many dogs will dig for fun. Younger dogs and puppies especially
simply love exploring, investigating and having a good time in the soil, sand,
mud, stones etc…it really doesn’t matter to them.
Sometimes dogs are doing it
for specific reasons, such as they are too hot and are looking to dig into the
cooler ground. Alternatively they could be cold and looking to build a bit of a
den. They could simply have too much energy and are trying to channel it into
something in which case more exercise will certainly help.
You need to cover off all
these things before you simply start blaming your dog as a naughty dog!
Smelly fertilizers
One of the biggest
motivators for dogs digging is if you have sprinkled some sort of fertilizer
such as “blood and bone” or anything that has a smelly element to it. This will
drive your dog wild so be careful where you sprinkle your magic garden food.
Whilst we are on this topic be very careful with slug pellets which can be
deadly for dogs. Some products on the market claim to be safe however if they
do not say they are then you can assume that they are deadly and so do not use
them!
Now back to the digging…so
once you have given your dog plenty of exercise, removed any buried bones,
stopped using smelly garden products and given your dog a nice shelter to stay
warm you start to ask the question… “What now?”
Well digging like I say is a
very normal activity, however excessive digging is not. In other words, most
dogs dig and the secret is not to stop it but to work with your dog and manage
their digging. And don’t worry I shall
explain how to stop any excessive digging aswell.
Digging
pits
If you can focus your dogs
digging into one area then you are halfway there. This can be done by creating
a clear digging pit, possibly just a few pieces of wood with a couple of
nails….You could even start the digging with a spade! If you put a few toys in,
bury them and encourage your dog to dig in and maybe even bury a couple of
tasty treats…just a couple of times you will be amazed at how quickly your dog
starts to pay attention and get involved! Once your dog understand that they
are ok to dig in one area but not in the middle of the lawn you are on your way
to success.
Holes in the lawn
But what about the holes in
the lawn? I here you ask, well… he best solution for holes that have started is
to put a small brick or rock at the bottom of the hole and wedge it in. Then
bury it back in a pack the earth in around it. Then if your dog tries to return
to dig in that area they will become stuck when they get to the rock. No fun
for your dog.
Most will give up. If they
continue, I would walk over to them, guide them back over to your digging pit
and encourage them to dig. If they keep going back to the lawn to dig, place
them in timeout somewhere.
They will soon learn that
they are not allowed to dig in the lawn. Digging when you are not there One of
the biggest problems that people have is digging when they leave the property
however the solution is quite simple. Rather than this being a excessive energy
problem or a dog who loves digging problem it is a pack leader issue.
That’s right, your dog is
digging most likely to try to escape the property to find you. That is why so
many dogs who dig when the owner is away are digging around the base of the
fence or gate. Owners will often say to me “my dog never digs when I am home,
only when I am away” That’s right when you are
home they relax and are happy, when you leave they try to find you.
They see it as their job to
protect you and look after you. Many dogs will simply become stressed when they
are left and channel their stress into digging, anywhere. Destructive behavior
such as chewing is the same thing, they are simply stressed as they think that
their job is to protect and look after you.
Become the pack leader
In a nutshell you need to
become the pack leader and then they will relax when you are not around. Not
only this but so many other issues will also likely disappear when your dog
understands that they are not in charge.
The best site I have come
across to understand how to become the pack leader is Doggy Dan’s amazing
website. And believe it or not but you can actually check it out here for $1! CLICK HERE
That’s right, Dan gives you
a $1 trial of the site for 3 days just so you can first see if you like it!
Becoming the pack leader
using Doggy Dan’s method is not harsh or difficult it is a very kind and gentle
way of working with your dog. It explains in some very simple steps exactly how
to become the pack leader and the site also has fantastic sections on both
raising the perfect puppy dog and stopping any unwanted behaviors.
Quite simply it is a
fantastic site and one that I fully recommend you take a look at. Whatever your
digging issue, becoming the pack leader will help your dog relax, when you are
home or away and then any training that you put in place will have an effect.
When it comes to dog training, if you are not the pack leader you
aren’t going to achieve anything fast.
So make sure that you get
the order right…You need to first win your dogs mind and then you can train
their body !
Make sense? And to win their
mind and become the pack leader CLICK HERE then all the tips on stopping
digging above will take care of the rest.
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